Hallelujah!

It worked!

My rain dance worked!

I have been longing for a good and proper rainy day.  It's started raining yesterday and it's still going strong!    I'm watching the news right now and it's predicted to go on for one or two more days.   

Much needed relief!  For me it's about balance.  Relentless hot and dry weather makes me feel out of whack.  My garden has repeated this sentiment.  As a matter of fact, I just peaked out the window down to the veggie garden and I think I saw the tomatoes smiling!

Maine Seacoast

This may have been the worst, or best, thing to do with the garden under attack from blight. I took a little road trip. I felt that I could do no more to protect my tomatoes and decided to let nature take its course.

So on Monday I drove to Vermont to pick up my daughter who bussed it from Montreal. And headed for the Maine coast for 2 days. What better to do than head for the ocean during a heat wave of stifling, humid days. The sea breeze was just what the doctor might suggest when the air is so thick. I love how it cools as you approach the beach from the parking lot - the return trip at the end of the day when you are salty and sandy, not so much.

We drove Route 1 from Kittery (outlet shops galore) through York, Ogunquit, Wells and Kennebunk. Antique shops, thrift stores and consignment were EVERYWHERE and it killed me to drive by but we were only there for 2 days and with the weather what it was, the beach was more important. We did do the outlets (yuck!) because my daughter hadn't been before. It's close enough that I can take a day trip any time.....probably September or October.

Tomato Blight Rampage

It's for real now. In the 10 years that I have lived in my town there is a tomato garden that I have always admired. It is a beautiful little garden on a corner lot and always perfectly maintained. Nothing out of control. Several rows that probably add up to 100+ tomato plants. Just yesterday I drove by and saw that things were looking dry and the leaves were curled and dried out - late blight. On one hand I feel comforted to know that I am not alone. On the other hand, I feel for the tomato grower. Mother Nature can be a......bitch.

Random Nonsense

I don't like posts without pictures. This is one.

I hadn't realized how long it's been since I checked in. I wish I could say it was due to my whirlwind lifestyle but alas that would be a bold-faced lie. I also wish it was because my prolific garden and the harvest thereof was taking up all of my time but that would be another lie. Not! Not! Not! I don't want to sound like a broken record so I will only say one word. Rain.

No pictures in this post. Because, well, everything is ugly. I went out to do some gardening a couple of days ago and it turned into a rodeo. Tomato wrangling. A horse and lasso would have been helpful. Some tomato plants are 7' tall with the beginnings of flower clusters and a few microscopic tomatoes. Not good. I am pondering the possibility that my greatest hope now for garden fresh tomatoes this year is my good old local farm. Being more of a "half full" kind of girl, I am OK with that. Mother Nature is a powerful chick, huh!

Oh, and P.S. It's August!

Tangerini's Farm

One of the fields

Yesterday, like today, was a hot and hazy day and the air was thick with humidity. What an odd summer. Rain, rain, rain. We'll be rolling into August soon and it feels like summer hasn't even begun. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the garden. Lot's of lush green foliage but that's about it. I will be pleasantly surprised if I get any harvest by the end of August. Time will tell. On the bright side, I picked a good year to be an experimental farmer. Experiments are "tests" and tests sometimes fail. Oh well.

This is the current shining star in the garden. And I do mean the only one. Sad but true.

So back to the hot and humid day...... I wanted to see how other local harvests were doing so I hopped in my car to go to a local favorite, Tangerini's Spring Street Farm. It's a great place - especially for kids. There are goats and chickens and cats wandering around which kind of baffles me because given the opportunity, my cats would not leave those darn chickens alone. The city girl side of me thinks that felines and foul just don't mix. Obviously that is not true on a farm.

So here is what was available tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, beans, zucchini, yellow squash and U-pick raspberries and blueberries. I guess real farmers are just that, real.

The farm stand and ice cream shop.

One of the residents.

The greenhouse wall. Pretty.

Piggy pottery. Very cute.

Time in the Trenches

Yesterday afternoon was spent catching up in the garden and checking out how my experiments were doing.

Les Pois
Peas were one of the NKTB's (aka New Kids on the Block). Must say, love them! The peas that is. My daughters were the ones who loved NKTB. They were pretty much pest-free, grew like the dickens and were very very yummy. I never even bothered to cook them - just pop 'em open and pop 'em in.

Today the last bunch was picked and I learned something new. Young sweet peas really are better. This bunch had gotten pretty big and were not as sweet as the ones picked earlier. (Note to self.) So today was the day to pull those babies. All in all I was very impressed and plan to have peas in the garden always.

Garlic (or as Emeril would say "Gaaah-Lic")
The garlic was planted last fall from kitchen garlic 'cuz the seed store was out of it. It was looking all shabby out in the garden today so out it came. I was happy with the outcome. Rather small but it's hard to be disappointed when you have no expectations. Haven't tasted it yet but it grew.........and that's what matters.

Les Tomates
This years tomatoes are rather obnoxious if you ask me. Just behaving very badly. Growth is all over the place. Some are huge and skinny - some are short and fat. And only a few itsy bitsy tomatoes. June was a bust with relentless rain so I guess I should cut them some slack. I have to remind myself that it is only mid-July and there is still time but I. am. so. damn. IMPATIENT! Hmmmmf.

Uh-Oh Tomato Problems

I was poking around on the internet this morning and found an article about tomato problems in the northeast. Apparently tomato plants bought at big box stores are experiencing late blight. I know for sure that I didn't get any plants from bix box stores. Whew! This year I either grew from seed or let volunteers grow where they popped up. Hopefully my tomatoes will be fine....fingers are crossed.



http://umassvegetable.org/LateBlightAlertforTomatoandPotato.html

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20090703/US.Farm.Scene.Late.Blight/

Tomatoes in the City!

Sex in the City attitude -vs- Tomatoes in the City attitude

Ok - so I have been away from home for almost a week. I am having a wonderful time but am experiencing a constant nagging in the back of my head....my garden! I don't have to explain that to anyone who gardens but when I call home and ask about it, everyone is so non-chalant! What the hell! No one understands! I want details......and pictures. My family is not willing to satiate my curiosity by taking pictures.

For today I will satisfy my craving by setting my daughter up with a tomato plant and basil. Not something that she has requested or even wants. After all she is a city girl in a one bedroom apartment - just minutes from "downtown". Oh well. I reasoned with her that this will be a test for the kitties that she wants to get. If she can keep the tomato alive and have it bear fruit she might just be ready for cats. Hmmmmf. Plus I get to have dirt under my nails!

Being a "burbs" girl, the one thing that I had not considered was the parking / elevator situation. Hauling soil, etc. from your driveway to your backyard is one thing. Parking a block away and hauling it up on an elevator is another. Oh well, where there's a will, there's a way.

MONTREAL BOTANICAL GARDENS

Today I had the great pleasure of visiting the Montreal Botanical Gardens (Jardin Botanique de Montreal) on opening day. I hope to get back in the middle of summer to see how things have progressed and experience the full blown colors of summer.

Why blog? Why the "Experimental Farmer"?

My "Virgin" Post......

I've been meaning to blog but......just never seem to get to it. I have plans for 2009. When the growing season begins, I WILL blog. Just to keep track.

So in the middle of this season I will say....I've been growing stuff for a long time. Mostly flowers and a few veggies but always the world's number one food....tomatoes! Eating a tomato picked fresh from the vine is such a great pleasure.

So why the "Experimental Farmer"? Dictionary. com defines a "farmer" as "someone who cultivates the land". I do that! They didn't say it has to be acres of land! I'm cool with that. Most summer days I look like I have been working on a farm anyway - with my funny tan lines and dirty nails. The "experimental" part comes my natural tendency to....ummm.....march to the beat of my own band. You could say that I tend to bumble along and make do with what I have. Nothing special, just random things like using things for purposes other that which they are intended and growing stuff that I've never grown before - just to satisfy my curiousity.

So that's my story. 2009 will be here before we know it !

DISCLAIMER: NO harm or insult is meant towards real farmers. Now THEY know what hard work is all about!