Warm Weather Returns

The fall peas are just breaking the ground. These are small green peas Maestro and Early Frosty. These are not the giant Champion of England peas that I grow in the spring but a short season pea that stays somewhat closer to the ground and matures faster. We are hoping to get a good crop of these in before snowfall. That heavy wet May snow of this year broke most of my green peas off and then the groundhog struck and finished them off. So we are hoping this fall planting will replace them. If not I will be buying peas like no other because my family loves green peas : )

With 90's predicted for the next week or two we are hoping the heat will help to ripen some of these huge tomatoes hanging on the vine. unseasonably cool weather for this time of year had really slowed down the ripening of the tomato crop.  

I went along the rows and cut the tops out to discourage new growth and removed all the new blooms hoping that will help.

It's a beautiful crop of huge pendulous tomatoes hanging from healthy vines. If I could just wave a magic wand and make them turn red. 

I got a good cooking or two and then it turned cool and they seemed to just come to a standstill. The plants were healthy and blooming but just not ripening or setting fruit. 

Same thing with the watermelons.....Huge melons but just not ripening very fast. Normally July and August for us are hotter than a firecracker on the fourth of July. Wait till you see the size of some of O Wise One's watermelons...Wow! I think he got a little heavy on the bunny poop.

With a little warmth the okra is blooming again and setting fruit. Notice the bug on the okra flower. That is a lady bug nymph. I saw several praying mantis as well. I seem to have a wonderful predator insect population which explains why I have had very little insect damage other than the occasional cabbage worm and a nasty hatching of squash bugs. I notice that not only are the squash being invaded by squash bugs which we pick every day but it also has a healthy population of garden spiders. They must eat squash bugs. 

I am again getting okra on a daily basis.

And look I'm growing milk jugs!

And underneath one last crop of broccoli and cabbage to take us into the fall. 

We are looking at the last of the cabbage, corn, red beans and horticulture beans which should be coming out within a week or so. But taking it's place a healthy crop of peas, lettuce, turnips, spinach, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage . 

Like so many years before the seasons meld, one into another, ever changing with the weather.  As we finish one crop another takes it 's place. And like the crops and the seasons the years come and go.  We continue to work the land awaiting the fall of the leaves and then snowflakes. Then we will again rest and dream of a new year. 

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter