I mis-labeled last week’s garden update, which should have been weeks 4 & 5, so now we’re on the sixth week! The garden is still blooming at full capacity, but there have also been a few setbacks. I will chalk this up to my being a total newbie at gardening. The first problem I’m having is something called blossom end rot , and it is just a horrid as it sounds. Zane first noticed it when he picked one of our butternut squashes prematurely. It looked really shriveled and gross, and the end was all rotten. I thought, oh, well, it was dead anyway. But, after a closer inspection of the other baby squashes, I noticed that several of them had the same problem! I Googled “end of butternut squash rotten” and found out that this is actually a common problem, and is caused by a lack of calcium. The roots could have trouble uptaking the calcium in the soil if there is a dramatic change in watering patterns (which could definitely have happened while we were on vacation and it was SO hot here in New Hampshire), or if the soil was not enriched enough to begin with (which could definitely have happened when I had to move my garden beds, thus disturbing my soil layers). Regardless of the cause of the problem, the solution seems to be a foliar spray, which I purchased from Amazon and had overnighted. I removed all the rotten fruits and bathed the heck out of the roots in a foul-smelling mixture of liquid seaweed and water. The good news is that the rest of the new fruits actually look fine. In fact, we have a fully ripe zucchini that we are going to eat tonight in one of my favorite dishes (see recipe at the end of the post). The second problem I’m having is also quite common, and that is sunburned leaves. I think I did a little too much watering of the leaves during the middle of the day (should have just concentrated on the soil) and now some of my leaves have little burn marks. Well, live and learn! The third problem is that two of my pepper plants are not doing well at all (read: practically dead). I think my aggressive removal of the blossoms, in the hopes that I could get the plants to grow larger, was a big mistake. I gave the peppers the seaweed treatment, too, in the hopes it might bring them back to life.
Our dinner tonight, based on the recipe
“Tuscan Style Pasta with Chickpeas, Zucchini and Rosemary”
from Vegan Planet , by Robin Robertson
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small or 1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick half-moons
2 garlic cloves, minced, or about a tablespoon of jarred, minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
One 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
One 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste
1 pound of rotini, or similar
Directions:
Cook the pasta, drain, and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, sauté the zucchini in the olive oil until slightly softened. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, then stir in the rosemary, tomatoes, chickpeas, and seasoning and cook for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors . Combine with pasta, and enjoy!
“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014.”
Lillia: Summer vacation is in full swing, and your freckles are in full bloom! This week you played with your best friend, spent some time at the pool, and just generally relaxed. Last night you regaled your dad and I with twenty-five minutes worth of web comic plot synopsis. I’m so amazed at the amount of information you are able to retain, especially if the subject matter interests you. I know that some of the comics you read are a bit mature for you, but you seem to handle it well and I am trying to choose my battles wisely. I know from life experience that there much worse things to fear than a couple of curse words, and I want to save my energy and whatever authority I have for the big stuff.
Zane: This picture makes you look old, and that makes me sad. This week something very exciting happened to you at the pool — you met your preschool teacher! You and “Aawie” (Allie) talked about trains, alligators, and the playground at the preschool. I’m so glad that you had a chance to meet Allie this summer because I think it will help you to feel more comfortable in the fall. Also, you had your first non-family babysitter last night and you did great! And, next month you’re turning three. I’m feeling some serious inertia with all of these milestones just around the corner.
From Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney:
“You must do something to make the world more beautiful.”
“All right,” I say.
But I do not know yet what that can be.
Two things: if you have never read Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, you are missing out on one of the greatest children’s books of all time; if you have never been to Maine at the end of June when the lupines are in bloom, you are missing out on one of the most beautiful natural wonders of all time.
[Note: These photos were taken at the house my family rents every summer. If you’re interested in visiting Lubec, I highly recommend this rental cottage and you can get more info here. It’s not a 5 star hotel, but it is a true Maine-living experience and you can’t beat the views.]
From “Afternoon on a Hill” by Edna St. Vincent Millay:
I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
Right now we have several types of daylillies in bloom: orange daylily; stella d’oro; and two I don’t know the names of but I think they are of the “carousel princess” variety. We also have shasta daisies, coneflowers (echinacea), and some gloriosa daisies that I think are wildflowers but I leave them alone because they’re pretty. Also, honey bees! [All photos taken with my Nikkor 105mm 2.8D “micro” lens].
