New England, August, 2020

Holy smokes, it's August!

Yes, indeed, RJ!  And a very dry, hot summer it has been!  

Amazing to think that FF is 4 ish weeks away for us here.  

Harvest so far: about 8 zuks, 1 cayenne pepper, couple pounds of golden sweet snow peas, couple of cherry toms, three eggplants (2 kamo & 1 listada de gandia), and maybe a pint of dry peas for soup (Roveja).

Oh, and about 150 onions drying on racks under the roof of the side porch.

Waiting for harvest:  a ton of green tomatoes and peppers, not to mention more zukes.

Sounds like a good year so far!  Hot and dry here too.  I lost 2 squash plant today to SVBs.  Going to move that operation to a different location.

Here because of the drought, the squirrels and chipmunks have had a field day eating my green tomatoes which I don't mind because I expected it but are eating the ground cherries and tomatillos that are part of the Physalis Improvement Project that I was hoping to save seeds from. To top it all off I have a dead squirrel in my backyard and fear PETA showing up. There had been talk of me doing a few in but that is all it was, talk. I had nothing to do with the death of that squirrel and to prove my innocence, does anyone know the cost to have a squirrel autopsied? Been teaching more gardening then actually growing. The teaching is nice but I am beginning to miss my time in the garden and actually gardening. Maybe next year but feel anybody that knows how should be sharing what they know because once you start seeing what many don't know, you realize how big the disconnect from growing to eating really is. Other that that everything can be overcome with modicum of planning, a little knowledge, some experience and the willingness to get off your derriere and actually do something. Well that's all the news that is fit to print in Southern New England, this being an election year and all, remember to vote and vote often.

Squirrel has been infected?!

The squirrel probably ate too many tomatoes, and it make it sick.  You shouldn't allow it to eat so many tomatoes at once! 

Now the squirrel has disappeared, so now no autopsy but a ton of questions. My theory now is it was practicing for the part of a opossum in a local theatrical production, just a hypothesis if PETA is reading this. Ton of rabbits if anyone needs one. They will hop right around you, I have never seen wild rabbits do this and it is a little unnerving to be honest. Some kind of sign of the Apocalypse? If coyotes show up in numbers, trading in my wrist rocket for more fire power. Another day in the 90s here but the humidity is dropping along with the barometric pressure, tomorrow the remnants of the Hurricane Isaias and maybe some much needed rain.

The coyotes cleaned out all of our rabbits, and good number of other varmints.  Sometimes, I even get a good nights sleep in spite of howling of the coyotes. Not to worry, though, since the DNR is now introducing wolves and black bear to the state. The wolves are sure to thin down the coyote population. And the bears will clean out the gardens for us.

Sunflowers blooming!

I love sunflowers!  

OhioGardener wrote:The coyotes cleaned out all of our rabbits, and good number of other varmints.  Sometimes, I even get a good nights sleep in spite of howling of the coyotes. Not to worry, though, since the DNR is now introducing wolves and black bear to the state. The wolves are sure to thin down the coyote population. And the bears will clean out the gardens for us.