Six on Saturday-July 15

  We had more rain this week, and cooler evenings which has made some crops, like savoy “Alcosa” cabbage very happy.  It will be ready to harvest soon.  With even more rain in the forecast, I decided to dig all the garlic after I found one bulb that had started to spoil.  It all went into the greenhouse with a shade cloth over it so the sun wouldn’t spoil the flavors, and once it dried so I could take off the mud, I’ve been braiding it as I have time. Here’s about 1/4 of the braids that are finished.  Once they’ve dried completely, I’ll tighten the twine, trim the tops, and hang them on the drying rack in the Lady Cottage.  Some of the bulbs are as big as my fist so it’s a great crop.     Having that harvest safely in made me very happy, and also made room in the beds for lots of squash, melon, and pumpkin plants that are loving this damp weather.  One rainy morning, I canned the first cucumbers as “Bread and Butter” pickles.  They are on the shelf next to the elderflower syrup canned earlier this season.  And a bit later in the week, beans were canned as well.  You can’t tell, but there are three varieties: 4 cans of Royal Burgundy, 2 of Tendergreen, and 1 of Kentucky Pole beans.  It always makes me happy to have a good start on this winter’s food supply.  With peas, broccoli, snow peas, strawberries and black raspberries already in the freezer and the pantry shelves starting to fill, the potager is blessing us with bounty.    One evening without rain, I actually sat on the deck with wine and a new book to enjoy not only the dramatic colors but the enticing sweet fragrance of this “Sunset Salmon” four o’clock.   It’s in a big planter between two chairs my father made for me years ago.  I recently learned that four o’clocks form a tuber like dahlias that can be dug and overwintered, so I am planning to store some later this autumn.  I definitely want these sweet smelling beauties again!  One afternoon, I decided to attack an especially weedy area near the new cutting garden.  Apparently, I sat in the same spot so long that these two vultures suspected I could be lunch and came in for a closer look!   Not yet, Guys!  I’m old, but I’m not buzzard bait yet!  So those are six things that made me smile this week.  Thanks to The Propagator for suggesting this meme.

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