august

I think the August garden may well be my favourite. The cucumber plants are dying slowly, the big slicing tomatoes are still producing one or two beauties each week, and the heirloom currant tomato, a breed I'd not heard of until this year, is cloaked in tiny, sweet little morsels - so many I'm not sure what to do with them. Already I've let most of the crop over-ripen and fall off as I hid inside in the AC during the long hot July afternoons.. but now that it's August I can take my time picking, roasting, freezing - dealing with them however I see fit or have time for this week. The chickens love those little toms, preferring me to rip each one open for them to peck out the soft centers. They feasted on over-ripe figs too, jumping up like pups to get a sweet nibble. My husband asked me this week what my plans are for the winter garden, and I suppose it's about time for me to really put some thought into that: what to plant, if anything; which beds need re-weeding before we lasagna-layer them with compost and mulch; whether to finally dig-out the big square bed (we've been moving the chicken-coop around it trying to kill off the thick bed of grass that is its current cover); is there a place we want to put in a garlic crop? I start a new job this week on top of all this, so I will need to become more proactive with my off-time if I want to be in a good position for spring. We are also hoping and praying that Mr will get a new job with regular hours, and that we will still be here in the spring.. I think I'll sew some prayers into the garden and see what she brings us.