Gardening

I am still amazed at the jungle my garden has become. Above is a photo of one of the many Pensylvania Dutch Crookneck squashes I have growing everywhere. Between those, the cucumbers, and the pumkins, the garden is at least half covered in vine. I had to start pruning the vines back as they kept trying to escape into the lawn. I have been trying to get in there in the evenings to weed a bit. The first night, I developed a blister on the outside of my pinkie finger. I may end up with a weeding callous there before it's all over. I know... I should be wearing gloves, but I love the feel of the dirt and plant stems between my fingers.

Last week, I dug up the rest of my potatoes as the stalks were almost completely dead. I harvested about a 3 gallon bucket of spuds from my little 10 foot row. Not too bad. I also dug up a gallon of carrots. (It now occurs to me that I should perhaps invest in some peck and bushel baskets, so I can really sound legitimate.)

I am wondering, now that my lettuce and spinach has gone to seed and the Blue Jade corn is on its way out, if I could plant some sweet corn and still get a harvest before the season is over. The corn I planted out by the mail box barely grew over 6 inches tall. It then started sending up tassels, even though the were no ears developing on the plants. That soil must be awful. It's no wonder I've had a hard time getting certain flowers to grow there. Sunflowers and daisies are doing fine, but everything else seems to perish. This week I weeded it and dumped some compost and leaves on it in a half hearted effort to improve the soil. At least it will keep the weeds down.