A hard freeze – 26º –
tonight will put an end to several things in the garden. Tomatoes, peppers, and
sweet potatoes, all tropical plants, will keel over dead. Swiss chard and beets
probably will succumb, as well. Only the turnips (natives of Siberia), kale,
leeks, and parsley will survive and continue to grow when the weather warms a
bit.
The likelihood of a hard
freeze dictated what I would be doing today. Dennis and I picked tomatoes,
pulled beets, found a few green beans, cut Swiss chard, and salvaged all the
tomatoes and peppers large enough to continue to ripen.
I also cut some kale to
cook with the beet greens and Swiss chard.
It’s been a hard day’s
work, including wilting greens to freeze and cooking beets to make pickled beets. Luckily, some of the harvest can just sit, waiting to ripen and be eaten.
I’ve done these tasks so
many times that I can think of other things while I’m working. Today my mind has turned again and again to the world’s absolute dependence on petroleum and
that’s what I will explore in tomorrow’s post.
Right now I’m ready to kick
back, have a bourbon and water, and watch the evening news if I can stand it.
If I can’t stand it, if the news is too discouraging, I’ll read more of
Geraldine Brooks’ fine novel, Year of Wonder.
Copyright
2013 by Shirley Domer
2 comments:
Beautiful photos. Your tale of your work day! What a contrast to the days following your surgery. You are an inspiration. Maybe I should think of doing marathons.
I'm happy to be able to work again, especially to do the work I did today. Happy, too, that you like the photos. I will bring you some of the Sun Gold tomatoes to help speed your recovery.
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