The time of the tomatoes

Sunny High 77° F Precip: 0%	Mostly Clear Low 56° F Precip: 10%
Sunrise: 6:06 AM	Sunset: 7:28 PM

I haven't posted much in the past two weeks because the garden has been relatively quiet. At this point, we are still pulling in beans about every 2 days, and I have a bunch of bags in the freezer for eating once the plants die from the frost...which I am expecting to be early this year. The night lows are into the 50s, although last Tuesday we hit 48 degrees at night. It's chilly! The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a long, cold winter for the Northeast, and I think they may be right on target. We have had so many flocks of birds in our yard at the feeder in the past week; it looks like some are getting ready to head south! Some of the trees are beginning to change as well...and not just the maples! I saw a birch with yellow leaves, and one of our neighbors has already broken out the rake. The earlier evenings are another sign of the end of summer. Just 26 Days until Autumn! It's weird that the amount of sunlight we have now is the same as in early April. At least it's much warmer. That is why I love fall so much! Residual heat...ahhh.

Other than the beans, the tomatoes have set all the fruit they are going to and are ripening on the vine. However, the plants themselves don't look too hot. There is a blight in the region from all the rain, and an article ran in today's Metro about how to prevent the spotty and brown tomato leaves--next year. Because of all the rain, the blight really hit the plants hard, but the fruit itself is not affected. However, once the plants are done they need to be pulled, and it is essential that rotation is put into effect for next year's planting as the spores can survive in the soil. So, don't plant tomato or potato where you have either plant this year. Find a new sunny spot!

We are going away on Friday for a trip north to Maine for a week, so when we get back the tomatoes should almost all be ripe. The squash and zucchini haven't set any fruit in about two weeks although they continue to flower, and I think this may be because of the weird weather as well. It's odd as these two plants usually are extremely prolific, but we got maybe 5 zucchini and just 10 squash this season. I guess the beans made up for everything though!

We are beginning to dry herbs for the winter. I tested out some oregano, and it turned out ok until the fuzzy cat sat on it. Not the herbs have hair all over them so they cannot be used (or rather, should not!). This will be a great saving to us as we use herbs for cooking all the time. Especially on chicken. The fresh herbs have been great in the tomato sauce we use on our pizzas, and I don't know what I will do when the basil is done. I'm tempted to dig it up and pot it for my kitchen.

The flower garden is fantastic! I am so happy that I planted a cutting flower garden, and have been able to bring flowers to work, give my friends bouquets, and keep the house filled with fresh flowers. The gladiolus I planted have not bloomed like I thought they would. Instead of the tall multiflower stalks, mine look more like a white iris. I have a different type, and will post a picture later tonight. The zinnias are fantastic, and look wonderful next to the cosmos and ever blooming snapdragons. Next year I plan on doing even more flowers and beginning it sooner.

Well, soon we will begin preparing the garden for fall. Once the squash is done I will either cover the area with compost or plant red clover, which is a great fall ground cover that replenishes nutrients in the soil. Any any ideas for fall plantings? Let me know in the comments!