Homestead Summer Days

Hello, friends.   The gardenias and magnolia have been blooming, with such a sweet scent.  After using up all the nettle tea on the tomatoes last week, I started another batch of comfrey & nettle tea.  I don't really have a plan for making the teas, but just use whatever plants are most available, which sometimes includes adding weeds to the mix.  I harvested lettuce, lambs quarter, parsley, oregano, cucumbers, mulberries, blueberries, and blackberries.  We'd noticed curly tips on some tomatoes and lambs quarter, with unusual veining, which looked different than anything we'd seen before.  I asked if anyone else had something similar, and got several positive responses.   Photos of mine and others were sent to the Extension agency, but no sure answer was given.  He suggested we get a soil sample, which we may do.  It's been cooler than average, not especially dry, and we haven't used any outside inputs in the garden this year, so it would seem to rule out those possibilities.

I planted zucchini and tromboncino seeds in pots, and a potato in an empty feed bag.  For some reason, the potatoes are not thriving.  At the foot of the solar panels, they get plenty of sun.  We've watered them as needed, and fed them.  We're wondering if the soil we got locally for the grow bags is the culprit.  A neighbor told J he feels the soil is overly rich this year.  We've gotten various products from this supplier in the past, and he's supposed to offer the cleanest products in the area.  I'm not sure if I should try feeding them with weak nettle & comfrey tea soon, to see if they'll put on some growth.  I gathered flowers, to make a bouquet for our home.  Bluebirds have taken up residence in a birdhouse at the corner of our garden.  My presence has startled them, so I haven't been able to observe their comings and goings yet.  Our little chicks are all doing well, spending the days outdoors with mama hen, in their little yard.  

GF bread ends were made into bread crumbs.  Laundry was dried on the line, except for one load, after the forecast changed for the day.  I blended up banana skins and aloe bits in water, and fertilized plants with it.  After finishing a library book, I began reading one of my free Kindle books, which I'm enjoying.  For a dinner, J requested egg salad sandwiches.  I made a big salad for myself, using our lettuce, cucumber and sweet potato.  I harvested almost all of our onions.  The few that still had standing leaves will remain in the garden a little while longer.  We've gotten plenty of rain, with close to 2.5" in the gauge.  I added homegrown blackberries, mulberries, pawpaw and figs to a smoothie, trying to use up some of last year's frozen fruit.  The sole partly came loose on my muck boots.  I don't know if it's the same boot I mended previously, but if it is,  it lasted six weeks, and another bit of hot glue is easy enough to repair it.   Hmm, I believe I used two part epoxy last time, so I guess we'll see how well this does.

I'm happy to report I've managed to thwart the pill bugs with this round of summer squash, at least so far.  Interestingly, on the morning all 12 were up, I found a number of pill bugs wandering on the wall next to them.  I've got the pots on top of a barrel, near to but not touching the wall.  That makes me think the plants must give out some sort of chemical that attracts these bugs to new sprouts.  The bugs had not been there prior to these sprouts, and were gone again by the time I took the photo, later in the day.  With that success, I planted winter squash, butternut and Lady Godiva.  It's rather late, but I wanted to give it a shot, now that I found a workable method... I hope!  Wishing you successes in all your seasonal endeavors.