Showing posts with label August. Show all posts
Showing posts with label August. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Late August Harvest

I've been really thrilled with how the well the vegetable garden has performed this year.  Better than all previous years and I'm sure it was the hot sunny weather we've had all summer long.  It's been really dry so I've had to hand water almost every day, but this week we are experiencing lots of rain, which has been a refreshing change. 

The tomatoes have been outstanding and I've certainly been in competition with squirrels to harvest them.  I've made some tomato sauce bolongese with them and we've been having tomato salads almost every night.  I've got 8 varieties planted and the one that seems to be sweetest and most tasty is a heirloom called the German Stripe. 





We've had more than enough cukes, squash, and zucchini.  The summer squash is dying off now from powdery mildew and I'm OK with that.... we've had quite enough squash thank you very much!  I'll be pulling up the spent plants sometimes this week.



Eggplant has been abundant as well.  YUMMY!  I adore eggplant parmesan and it freezes well too.  There are also more green beans than we can eat.  I've let a bunch get mature seeds so I can dry them and hopefully plant the seeds next summer.



The perennial garden is really slowing down too.  There is so much that has gotten brown, died back, and gone to seed so much earlier than usual, but I kind of expected that since we had such a warm spring and everything seemed to be about 3 weeks ahead from previous years.  Thank goodness for black-eyed Susans otherwise we wouldn't have much color in the flower bed right now, since I don't put in mums until after Labor Day.

I was delighted by seeing this surprise in the backyard bed.  (Sorry the picture is so bad, but the light was waning.) 



I stuck this amarylis plant in the ground because I couldn't kill it even though it had long since bloomed last January.  To my amazement it bloomed again August.  What a nice surprise!  The garden although frustrating at times always brings me much joy and wonder!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

At Summer's End...

This poem by Elizabeth Maua Taylor so eloquently sums up my feelings right now as summer draws to a close.

"August rushes by like desert rainfall,
A flood of frenzied upheaval,
Expected,
But still catching me unprepared.
Like a match flame
Bursting on the scene,
Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.
Like a dream
Of moon and dark barely recalled,
A moment,
Shadows caught in a blink.
Like a quick kiss;
One wishes for more
But it suddenly turns to leave,
Dragging summer away."


Some end of summer pictures of our recent trip back home to the Hudson Valley area in New York state.

Hudson River Overlook taken at Vanderbilt estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY

Fountain at formal gardens, Vanderbilt estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Pergola at formal gardens, Vanderbilt estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Cottage garden, Vanderbilt estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Cottage garden, Vanderbilt estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Formal garden, Vanderbilt estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Cottage Garden, Vanderbilt estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Formal gardens, Vanderbilt estate, National Historic Sight, Hyde Park, NY


Zinnia's in the cottage garden, FDR Presidential Estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Rose Garden, FDR Presidential Estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Rose garden, FDR Presidential Estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Butterfly garden, FDR Presidential Estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Butterfly garden, FDR Presidential Estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Butterfly garden, FDR Presidential estate, National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY


Hudson River inlet, Hyde Park, NY


Hudson River, Hyde Park, NY