As the Garden Grows

At least that is the headline of our local newspaper. Before June, this has been a year of fluctuating rainfall. January and April saw nearly 4 inches each month, while February and March each barely registered an inch. Then comes May where we only registered .80 inches - the driest month so far this year. I have been watering the garden sparingly, every third day. I was beginning to think I was going to have to water every day if we didn't get some relief. Relief came this week as we saw persistent showers on Friday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The accumulations exceeded an inch in my garden alone and the beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, crowder peas and gourds were breathing a loud sigh of r-e-l-i-e-f. I plan to put out some more composted manure this weekend and hopefully a new layer of mulch or straw to help keep in that moisture from the heavens. My corn finally has itty bitty ears growing and my tomatoes have started turning. Yippee! I wasn't expecting to have any ripe ones before July 4th. I will also be busy picking green beans by the 4th. Things are a jumpin' in the garden and I am quickly running out of hands. My grandmother enjoys sitting around and stringing/breaking beans so I plan to let her have her fill of that enjoyment. The blackberries here have burst into action too and I have picked around 6 quarts of those big luscious berries that measure about and inch long and big around as your thumb. I attribute their size to the fact that they are wild berries that sprang up on top of a old grey water drainage system from the house sink drains. The ground is not mushy wet or anything, but the soil is always fluffy and moist there, never hard and dry. We get the best blackberries I have ever seen there each year. I have made 12 1/2 pints of jam and 1 mountain pie so far. I also have some in the refrigerator that will find a purpose by tonight. I started some kosher dill pickles in an old crock last night and I couldn't resist lifting up the cloth this morning - They smelled sooo good, all garlic and dill. I hope they turn out as good as they smell. I also have beets that my mom and I planted over at her house. They are a good size and I think I will pickle them tonight as well. There is so much going on, I could go on and on but I'll save that for another day.... ;~)