Successes of the Season and Some Disappointments
Quite a lot has happened since July. We endured weeks of fires driven by the same heat and wind that kept my garden and orchard struggling to stay hydrated. We were successful with getting the irrigation system in so the later part of summer saw zucchini, green beans, potatoes, garlic, dill, and strawberries produce well. However, the corn failed to germinate. I used a new seed source, unfortunately. I had used seed from this company before and had no problem. But some of the seed I used this year was from 2025. All of the seed was kept dry, cool, and in a dark box. It should not have gone bad over the winter. When the corn, two varieties, failed to germinate in the soil, I did the wet paper towel test on another packet - same seed, same year, 2025. Out of about 50 seeds only 6 fully germinated. This was truly disappointing.
None of my cucumbers from the same seed company germinated but I did have better luck with the squashes and zucchini. The dill produced very well as did the nasturtiums.
I found out that deer love nasturtiums. I also found out that nasturtiums can tolerate a severe trimming and come back even more beautiful. Like many other gardeners this year, I lost my entire cherry crop to the birds. This problem is easily remedied so I will be ready next season. There are still plums and some small apples and crab apples to harvest. But the lack of water did impact the orchard. My Filbert nut trees and black walnut produced well this year but the English walnuts have not come back yet from the -25 degree winter we had a couple years back. They will recover, I am confident.
Brooda the broody hen hatched only one chick in two tries with 12 eggs. It had nothing to do with her. It had everything to do with a rooster . The eggs simply were not fertile. We lost the chick but do not know why. It happens sometimes.
As a farmer I always hope I have provided everything the soil needs for full production, providing food for my family and to give the excess to the food bank. But every once in a while something happens to suspend that progress. And this time it had nothing to do with the soil and everything to do with arthritis.
About three years ago I began to notice that I could not get on the riding lawn mower to trim the orchard as easily as in the past. Getting into and out of the work truck was painful and my hip began to get very weak. The real test of joint failure occurred when I was in Israel and had the opportunity to go for a ride on a camel. Once you are up there there is no coming down until the camel keeper has made sure we reached our destination, a smoke filled Bedouin tent with a fire in the center upon which coffee beans were roasting. The smell almost made me forget my aching hip……and the coffee was amazing! I came home from that trip knowing I had to do something about this hip before I crippled myself. This was the year.
The surgery was supposed to be in July but was postponed until August. This meant that I lost the entire final month of summer when the succession plantings should have been tended to. It is three days before the autumnal equinox as I write this and the night time temperatures have begin to dip into the mid 40s. Nothing except the various salad greens will grow now, so, the garden is effectively done. I am a little sad about this.
On the other hand, I did get some lovely Albion strawberries, a beautiful rose bed, and some thriving lilac shrubs. These wins will have to do. Like all other farmer/gardeners, with the end of the garden season comes the unfettered dreams of next year. It is, after all, only 8 months away…seven if I add the garden starts in April. And there will be garden starts in April….absolutely no sooner. Really. I mean it this time. No starting tomatoes in March…….no matter how I am plagued by spring fever.
I hope your yard, garden and farm season was productive and you found peace and contentment from life’s challenges among the flowers, trees, vegetable beds and along the creek side as I did. Now that my hip is on the mend there is garden planning to do. And I still hold out great hope for Fairy Garden next year. We will see.