August Garden Update

Well it is the last day of July and with August just around the corner the garden still has lots of promise. There are plenty of blossoms on the row of flowers that I planted to attract pollinators and for cut flowers. 

Sunflowers, zinnia, marigolds and dill. Just a row of every color blossom you can imagine. 

The okra continue to put on those pale yellow blooms that remind me so much of hibiscus.

And plenty of goodies yet to pick.  Cantaloupe ripening in the sun. 

Pumpkins for that Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. 

Lots of field peas for the animals and the farmer alike. These will become seed for next year and the plants will become enrichment for the soil.

Butternut squash make great winter pies

Sweet potatoes for winter storage. Sweet potato pie is one of our holiday favorites.  

And melons of every size, color and shape. Maybe some watermelon rind preserves!! 

So even though summer is winding down the garden continues to produce. And we continue to struggle too with the daily flow of food from it. With potatoes still in the ground and grapes hanging from the vines still. Looks like I may even have some apples that will make on our tree despite the drought and hot weather.  

Right now we are enjoying our cucumbers and tomatoes daily along with okra, squash and

zucchini. The pantry and freezers are filling fast. The first of the young turkeys are not far from  butchering for the freezer. We hope to make breast cutlets and grind some as ground turkey to use in place of beef. We like ground turkey in our spaghetti and also chili.  The remainder will go into jars as broth or meat and broth for soups and gumbos. Several will be allowed to get larger for a holiday bird for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We also have 15 pound of Boston butt roast curing in the refrigerator preparing to go into the smoker for buckboard bacon.  We caught a sale on Boston Butt for $1.38 a pound. Bacon starts at about $3 a pound on a good day. So we will cure and smoke the Boston butt as buckboard bacon for the freezer. The pigs are growing quickly and we should also have those holiday hams taken care of.  

Although not as plentiful as fall harvests of the past we are still thankful for our many blessings. Unfortunately we are struggling getting up seeds for any other fall crops and it is getting really late in the season but with a little luck and a little rain it might still happen. 

How is your fall garden shaping up?

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter