06 August 2009

Since We Haven't Done It In A While...

Let's Don The Skin-So-Soft Off And Venture Forth...

To Cygnus's Eden-- which, for a garden update hinging on truth, ain't so much living up to the paradisaical name...

What I've had of late-- the last two and a half, three weeks, is decent vegetative growth on well-established plants-- melons, okra, tomatoes certainly! lol! Excellent as well on the new cucumber vines.
Not so much on the winter squash-- in a good amount of tomato shade currently.

Maybe too hot for the latter yet?

The heat I certainly "blame" [or credit, optimists out there] for the abundant vegetative ( the plant's LEAFY) growth... and lack of fruiting. BUT...

Flowers are coming back now...

The past few days have seen increased watering vigilance [times of day (evaporation), duration, saturation, etc...], and a physically observable shortening of the minutes of light every day, combining to send the poor heat-hammered heirlooms back to some remembrance of purpose.

The largest, or second-largest, of my sunflowers is ready to pick and hang to dry, the first small one now dropping seeds for birds or oven-roasting...

The watermelon... FINALLY!!! HAHAHA! browning along the stalk... ready I'd venture in a week or so...

And that compost cantaloupe? Produced a few melons so far-- all nice and sweet (and one DIVINE pink-fleshed one; I got seeds! ha!), and four more that actually look like, well, cantaloupe, are coming on strong.

Okra picked daily-- I can't keep up now (found ONE thing that LOVES this Texas heat! Ha!)... the pods are about two inches in the evening, and five or so-- e.g. bordering tough-- the next 24...
WOW!!! HA!

What else? Oh! Flowers, speaking of...

The cucumbers are noticing the shorter days too and are beginning to look for bees...
And I think we just completed the tour of my splot! Har!

Really, the place looks fabulous. Lots of texture and variety in a small space; lots of spreading around of the repetitive plantings-- no boring 'rows' here!
I just would like to see more fruiting...
I'm hoping with the onset of fall in earnest in a few weeks the hearty leaf-growth will translate to as much production! Ha!

You folks take care-- and let me know how the plots are going your end...

Slainte!

Cygnus

10 comments:

Kyddryn said...

Sounds like Eden is getting her second wind - must be all the loving care.

You keep teasing us with that melon...

Shade and Sweetwater,
K

Catman said...

The plots around here are dug nice and deep. Just wondering if I should bother with the headstones.

Unknown said...

I am missing your video walkabouts and your black velvet voice :D
(Have I sufficiently buttered you up?)
Eden sounds like paradise..and what I would give for that pink...you know what? I'm gonna leave it at that...
Hottern than the devils armpit in NH right now...

Peace - Rene

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Oh, that melon- eatin' she's a-comin', trust...

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Two twigs and some hemp binding, catman, dude.

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Pink...

Melon, I reckon, Lady Rocks?!?

I'd do a personal video of my opening of said melon and tasting it sun-warmed right off the vine were my camera (dv) not fritzy, Lady Rene. "Honest I would.

Truth be told, I'm kinda missing the poetry recitin'... gotta get somethin' done about this all.

And about that heat, Lady...
That devil, he don't have blue eyes and blue jeans, does he?

Be cool, Lady Rene...

C.

Stephanie in AR said...

Seventeen went out & checked the garden that is frozen in time - seems everyone's garden is just sitting. From the window I thought it would be a complete disappointment but no instead a complete surprise. Nothing in the garden is taller than my knees - nothing. But the okra (calf) each has 4+ little babies, the 4 pepper plants (shorter than okra) produced 14 hot peppers, a few eggplant (knees) and a handful of beans. However, the beans are blooming, the cucumbers are finally running and the squash have a bloom or two. There some volunteer corn from the pastures previous residents and some strange red/pink mushrooms that the kids have been warned not to touch. (no spots thankfully) Even the weeds are not growing well, though they are determined to remain.

So its definately rice hulls & manure this fall - for starters. The one bean variety is eaten up with bugs while the others look great - no more of that kind. Hope springs eternal even in a realists heart.

The really lovely thing is our hummingbird feeders are a smashing success. We have had to add two more and are feeding at least 8 birds. Who knew they chirped at each other? or are so aggressive?

Garlic planting time is coming so the kids & I can play in the dirt some more. I'll even save some for you...

Momlady said...

Guess you don't have any deer there, eh? It's why I don't (can't) have a garden much to my dismay.

Unknown said...

I do so love to read your poetry (catch- up, again) and hearing about your garden. I like, almost as much, reading the comments your followers leave. Beautiful, indeed, describing home and great comments today, also.
Much love.

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Thanks, Stephanie! Glad to know ( well, not glad, but you understand! lol!) it's not just some operator error on my end!
Thanks, Lady...

C.