June 19th, Raining this morning. Humid and hot. Went out and worked in the drizzle. Kept it cool. Low breeze wisked the sweaty rain off my head. Soaking wet. Good feeling.
Found the first tomato. Red treasure. Ate it right in the garden. Lots of small yellow ones. Thousands of blossoms.
Ludmilla's potato plants draping on the ground, over walking path, all the way over to the black eyed peas. Voluptuous. Small, Pink flowers. Never knew they were so lovely.
Gladden's radishes came and went. Excellent, hot, spicy, beautiful pink red the size of small golf balls, some split from so much moisture.
Moving plant matter from soil to compost bin. Constant. Scattering second round of seed in front of longnecks, watermelon Put in parsleys, cilantro and first planting of dill. Basil, too. Self seeded from last year, used and gone to seed already in top side herb bed.
Collards a foot tall. Cut and cooked first harvest. Bacon, apple cider vinegar, collards. Threw in some broccoli and cauliflower greens, too. Sharp taste. Fresh. Gave some to the tenants. Freshest food they have eaten in a long time they said.
Looked out the window one afternoon this week and small ground hog all the way up in the side yard nibbling at the beginnings of my asters and bachelor buttons. Flew out the door like a banchee and chose my weapon: a steel rakem and spear chucked it at him...wild, crazy woman. Who saw this, who cares...Ground hogs in the city must be handled. He went running. Hit him on left haunch. I chased him around the yard for 10 minutes, ended up face to face, 8 feet apart, he behind the iron fence section I have stored over by the compost. I was worried. Rabies? Let out a yelp of intention, threw the rake against the iron fence and he disappeared. Have to get ground hog dog over here to terrorize the gh population. Honey the half shepherd, half Akita. Just goes for them, picks them up and shakes them by the back of the neck until gone to heaven. They don't have a chance. So says her mom, Sue Ellen. The Korean's next door host two huge pig ground hogs. Arrogant creatures. Make yum, yum on our crops. Not on my time, piggies.
If I had known they like bachelor buttons and asters I woulda planted some just for them.
Crab grass getting away with a lot this spring. Lots of planting bed, 45 FEET. Will go back out and attack it.
Volumes of rain this summer. 5 rain barrels filled up twice, could have been filled a hundred times. Rain spout blew off in storm last week. All 25 feet of it. Need help to put it up.
I have used pond and pump with hose to water garden twice. Turn pump on, hose on end, and water. Easy. Refill pond from rainbarrels. Hose from the last one, running slightly downhill into pond. Easy. One RB just for washing hands and feet, and filling up watering cans. Glad we did this. Very efficient. Wish I had more.
