Our 25th Garden

Part II

By Rick Brown

Epilogue

This year’s garden is already a rousing success. So far I’ve made 7 or 8 gallons of Italian red sauce that’s nestled away in our little basement freezer for consumption this fall and winter. The jury is still out as to whether 2004’s production of future edibles will match last years bumper crop. But we’re on a fast track of finding out soon enough. And this year…for the very first time…we planted beets. What a wonderfully beautiful plant! With it’s burgundy veined dark green leaves and reddish root, our row of beets has us scrambling to find recipes that lend themselves to freezing. I mean…I like a good bowl of borscht more than most people. But there’s got to be an alternative to eating it once a week for say…4 months! And on top of that challenge I’ve since learned that the leaves themselves are delicious…sautéed, in salads or merely as tasty garnish.

Consistency

Composting continues of course with table scraps, ashes (wood only), an occasional newspaper (yes, it’s good compost) yard waste, etc. finding their home in the “black box” composter. You can always apply fresh mulch once your garden is spent sometime in the middle of fall. Or merely let the plants dry out and gently turn them under with a tiller if you like. If I have the time…and the weather cooperates (which is like every 3 years) I like to have a date with Allus (my roto tiller) on a crisp autumn Sunday afternoon. It sure as hell beats watching the Browns lose.

This year for some mysterious reason the garden has a wonderfully dense border of marigolds. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a healthier crop. Regularly marigolds need to be “deadheaded”. Pull any dried or dead blooms off the plant by pinching. I usually just throw them into the garden where they quickly decompose. And basil plants will last longer…provide more yield…and keep possible bee stings to a minimum if you snap the flowers off the tops as they develop. Unfortunately, with the number of basil plants Yvonne grows this is no easy task. Sometimes I think to myself that this will be my sole activity for 4 months of the year when I retire. I ponder this thought on days when I just do not feel like going in to work! So get out the boom box…put on a Grateful Dead CD and do some “deadheading”!!!!!!!!!

The aforementioned chore…while being a responsibility…is still better than weeding. Once a garden is established the “need to weed” diminishes enormously. Instead of the weekly pulling in May and June you’ll only have to weed say every two or three weeks…especially if you have a cultivator like Baby Thor to help you out. We don’t compost the weeds. But if you have a black compost container that gets a lot of sun supposedly the compost will be hot enough to burn the seeds so you won’t have to worry about a garden of “weed extravaganza” the next year. Keep in mind that this is a theory we haven’t experimented with.

Transplanting

I’m happy to report Yvonne’s little experiment with starting sunflowers in pots has been a huge success. Although we chose a smaller variety than most and they are blooming late in August, all the plants are healthy and strong. The colors enhance the already vivid splash of the marigolds’ yellow and orange! And although plants like tomatoes take on a sparse, gangly look when they bear their fruit, this sudden burst of color and life certainly masks the fact that the garden is beginning to wane. We can also appreciate the butterflies and hummingbirds all these flowers draw. Uh…at least we can enjoy them until we let the dog out in the yard. Through the past few years though Henri seems to have developed an understanding with the birds and the bees (quite remarkable for a pooch that is spade!) Fortunately this is not the case with cats and squirrels who had better be experts at scaling fences once Mr. Henri begins patrolling his yard. And for all intents and purposes, it is Henri’s yard!!

Celebrating

With a wonderful garden in the environment it’s important to celebrate. After all, what’s happening in the backyard is the cycle of life. Birth, growth, life and death…it’s all there happening before your eyes. What better way to participate in life’s mysteries than with a garden party? This year, partially because the garden is doing so well, but mostly because Yvonne and I love to entertain (and brag about the garden also) we had three such festivals. One small dinner in late July, a bigger celebration of the 35th anniversary of Woodstock, and another small dinner at the end of August were all a wonderful way to frolic with nature…all on a lot and a half in the middle of Columbus, Ohio! And I think most everyone had as much fun as Yvonne, Henri and I. Dionysus would have been proud. Still, as Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over til it’s over”. Or as I might transpose, “It ain’t over til it’s plowed under”.