gathering steam

I have noticed around the internets and "real" gardening friends, a moment of doubt, a spot in the lull between spring bounty and the late summer onslaught where we wonder if we planned right, if the weather will cooperate, and maybe it's not going to be the year of our dreams garden-wise.



But then, suddenly, a few days later a walk through the garden yields another picture--of the very beginnings of a deluge of Very. Good. Things.  I've compared it in the past to being at the top of the roller coaster, where you feel you are not getting anywhere, right before the swoosh of speed.

Not a huge harvest, but not bad for one patch--the golds were from two little organic grocery store spuds that sprouted.  Gotta love recycled/free food!

thanks to Bt and some active wasps, my savoy regrouped and turned out lovely!

Not that all is perfect around here, I am somewhat bemused to find my brand new beds are out-performing my older established garden.  My tomatoes are a little under-loaded with fruit.  Here I was thinking that years of soil amendment would trump fresh soil.  I think I may have overworked my original garden a bit, a few years of 3- and 4-season plantings, not enough room for proper crop rotation, and not enough feeding.  I think I will give it all a well-deserved rest this winter, with lots of manure, cover crops, and conscientious planning for next year. 

fairy tale eggplants, as prolific as described in the catalog, and so pretty!  I have a feeling this may be the year of the eggplant.

But the new garden:  4 foot tall eggplants!  6 foot high tomatoes.  Crazy bean patches and running squash.  My Trombetta climbing zucchini is ginormous, perhaps too happy as it is slow to make real fruit despite being 8 feet tall!

Climbing summer squash, thank goodness behind it are ground cherries, who are also out-of-control.

The ideas for dinner are way outpacing the number of meals in a week here, I think we have to start having people over.  A lot.  I also took a load of kale and other veggies to a food pantry in my neighborhood, which I am planning on making into a habit.