This year's garden has survived the drought, so far

After Friday night's healthy rain I thought I would tour the garden on Saturday morning to assess how everything is doing and what my garden tasks for the weekend should be. Here's a quick look at some of what is growing.

These are my leaning, tripod bean poles. I must not have pushed them far enough into the ground because the wind and rain combined to to lean them southward. That's okay, They're standing and the beans are winding and growing.

In the front of the house I have two eggplants in pots at the end of the walk leading to our house. So far, they're growing beautifully and look healthy. If you look carefully you can see the eggplant at the bottom and the flower for another at the top.




Here are the ancho peppers. They might look black but truly they are very dark green. They'll be wonderful for Chiles Rellenos.

Here are the blooms from the blue potatoes. They are slightly blue, reminding us of the goodness to come.









Then there are the beautiful tomatoes. Although some of them have a few brown leaves, the fruits are luscious. Here are the small Principe Borghese's that I like to dry.



Next we have the San Marzano's that I plan to make into salsa this week and sauce later on. Then are the Cherokee Tomatoes, which Jim loves on his sandwiches, and the Constulato Genovese, the one fresh tomato that I like on a baked Capresi Salad or a tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich.

 

I also have pots of baby cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli started for the fall.

Now, to cookin up some of what I harvested!

May persistence pervade!

I want to dance through the green grass and sing, “The drought is over!” Yet, only time will tell how true that is.

Here in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, we were without rain, and with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, for five weeks or so. I know there are still farmers and gardeners in other parts of the country who are praying for God to send that growing gold in gentle showers. I join them in prayer for that relief.

After receiving more than two inches of rain the past week, my gardening spirits revived. Thank to diligent watering, I found so many ripe tomatoes in the garden that I’ll be canning tonight. The kale continues to grow and the garlic harvest has been good. I planted more Swiss Chard in hopes that it will revive. I’ve also plucked off dead leaves and peppers to encourage the plants to grow abundantly. This weekend I even planted broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage seeds in pots so I’ll have the Cole crops for fall. They now sit in the sun, soaking up the heat as they progress toward germination.

Mother Nature teaches gardeners all sorts of lessons. This week I’m remember how persistence pays off, not just in the garden but also in life. May persistence pervade!