I understand this is much easier said than done, especially when it takes no effort to just order grub online nowadays. Not to mention, tis the Chip Truck Season… and it seems like every little town and hamlet in this county has a tempting chip entrepreneur ready to serve you. Sigh.
We can all agree fresh, local, organic food is essential to a healthy lifestyle. When you're feeling sluggish or unmotivated, think about what you ate. You shouldn't be surprised knowing it’s usually what you consume that’ll make you feel either dead or alive.
I know myself; my energy levels during the winter months pale by comparison. Eating daily from the gardens on the other hand, is a boost to the system, not only physically, but mentally as well.
To keep our meals new and exciting, we grow a variety of our favourite veggies strategically planted from early spring till late fall. Yes, there are always challenges (see below) but there really is nothing quite like going out to the gardens every morning and deciding what’s going to be on the menu that day. And although we try to keep it healthy, who can resist the occasional fried zucchini fritter, loaded veggie pizza and yum yum tzatziki...
This Year’s Growing Pains...
Zucchini and Summer Squash got off to a rough start, suffering from root rot. After doing some research, my guess was that there were too many male flowers, and thus, the females were underfed. Imagine that! So, after getting rid of the duds, exterminating a bunch of males, and trimming back some of the huge leaves to allow a clear path for the pollinators, the Zukes are back, and in abundance.
Us vs. the Colorado Potato Beetle...
Always a nuisance and guaranteed every year. I dislike this pest a lot. Also explains why organic potatoes are so expensive. All it takes is one bunch of laid eggs to hatch undetected to reek havoc on your crop. Fortunately, it is not I who tends this patch. My handy partner did a fabulous job this summer keeping these pests at bay. And if what’s growing above ground is any indication of what’s underneath, it’ll be a bumper crop this year.
Hybrid Marigolds...
Then there's these lovelies, homegrown from saved seed which were obviously cross-pollinated. I've already saved a couple of deadheads for seed next year.
2021 Garlic Harvest...
Digging these babies out of the ground was one of the best days so far of 2021. For reasons we still can't comprehend, this was our first year growing garlic and we couldn't be more pleased with the results. Another week of drying before these'll be ready to devour. Apparently they store extremely well in (paper) egg cartons.
Summer Medicinal Herbs....
calendula - echinacea - marshmallow