Here in Western Australia we are diving into winter. Chilly mornings with frost like salt across the grass, birds waiting in the trees for the sun to come up and warm their feathers, our breaths pluming, the nights cold, our blankets heavy.
All times of the year are great, and just as we get absolutely sick of them, the season changes again.
I wish we could trade you some sunshine and heat for our incredibly gloomy and rainy Pacific Northwest weather this summer. The garden is growing so slow, but we have barely had to water all this year which is a blessing. The berries have been in abundance which is a nice treat, but I’m worried some of the other things will not be that great this year. I’ve never heard of dry growing tomatoes. It was my understanding always that they needed a large quantity of water? I’m curious to read more about this! Thank you for your words as always.
My cousin is a farmer out in Portland and I've heard this has been a difficult farming year out there! Dry farming tomatoes and long season crops like peppers and eggplant is an older practice that used to be much more common. We actually learned the practice from an old timer in Tennessee. You basically water the plants for the first few weeks (up to a month) after you plant them and then leave the rest up to mother nature. The flavors you get will be different each year, based on the weather, so your crop is much more of your land and terroir. Plus you don't have to fiddle with irrigation and water waste. I'm a big fan!
This is so cool! I’m going to have to write this down and give it a try this year. And ya I don’t know what’s going. My tomatoes are so sad and small. I have no idea how they are going to produce anything for canning unless we get a long growing season
You have so beautifully and honestly captured this exasperating time of year, when the tasks seem endless and the salt has crystallized on our sweaty skin. Every summer I tell myself, next year the garden will lie fallow, yet the urge to plant is just too strong. Thank you for this beautiful word picture of summer.
Thank you, Jody! What an exasperating time of year it is! But that call to plant and tend the land never ceases to pull me back into the fray year after year, and in the end, I am always grateful 💚
Oh, Natalie, how often I've thought of you and fellow farmers this week, as temperatures reach a pre-summer zenith and drought makes it that much more difficult to keep strength and courage going. So, thank you for pressing on. And for following your intuition for when to plant that sacred corn. And for noticing the swallows and fireflies. May these dry breezes bring you some relief. May we all step in patterns of gratitude when the rains finally come.
Ahhhh thank you! And if it makes you feel any better, I haven't started my pumpkins or winter squash yet either! 😂 I need to get on that in the next couple weeks!!
Gorgeous!
Here in Western Australia we are diving into winter. Chilly mornings with frost like salt across the grass, birds waiting in the trees for the sun to come up and warm their feathers, our breaths pluming, the nights cold, our blankets heavy.
All times of the year are great, and just as we get absolutely sick of them, the season changes again.
Nature is amazing.
Thanks for this piece, brilliant as always xx
Nature is truly amazing and it is so true: just as we get sick of a season, we move into the next! I truly love all times of year too 💚💚
Jeezum! You write truly and well!
Thank you!!
I wish we could trade you some sunshine and heat for our incredibly gloomy and rainy Pacific Northwest weather this summer. The garden is growing so slow, but we have barely had to water all this year which is a blessing. The berries have been in abundance which is a nice treat, but I’m worried some of the other things will not be that great this year. I’ve never heard of dry growing tomatoes. It was my understanding always that they needed a large quantity of water? I’m curious to read more about this! Thank you for your words as always.
My cousin is a farmer out in Portland and I've heard this has been a difficult farming year out there! Dry farming tomatoes and long season crops like peppers and eggplant is an older practice that used to be much more common. We actually learned the practice from an old timer in Tennessee. You basically water the plants for the first few weeks (up to a month) after you plant them and then leave the rest up to mother nature. The flavors you get will be different each year, based on the weather, so your crop is much more of your land and terroir. Plus you don't have to fiddle with irrigation and water waste. I'm a big fan!
This is so cool! I’m going to have to write this down and give it a try this year. And ya I don’t know what’s going. My tomatoes are so sad and small. I have no idea how they are going to produce anything for canning unless we get a long growing season
You have so beautifully and honestly captured this exasperating time of year, when the tasks seem endless and the salt has crystallized on our sweaty skin. Every summer I tell myself, next year the garden will lie fallow, yet the urge to plant is just too strong. Thank you for this beautiful word picture of summer.
Thank you, Jody! What an exasperating time of year it is! But that call to plant and tend the land never ceases to pull me back into the fray year after year, and in the end, I am always grateful 💚
Oh, Natalie, how often I've thought of you and fellow farmers this week, as temperatures reach a pre-summer zenith and drought makes it that much more difficult to keep strength and courage going. So, thank you for pressing on. And for following your intuition for when to plant that sacred corn. And for noticing the swallows and fireflies. May these dry breezes bring you some relief. May we all step in patterns of gratitude when the rains finally come.
These dry breezes are definitely a day and life saver in this heat! Now if only some rain would come. 💚
the flower photos are so pretty - i've never heard of a strawflower before!
They dry with those exact colors too which makes me love them even more!
how cool!
Kicking myself for not starting my sunflowers (or pumpkins!) on time this year😭. Yours are stunning!
Ahhhh thank you! And if it makes you feel any better, I haven't started my pumpkins or winter squash yet either! 😂 I need to get on that in the next couple weeks!!
This actually does make me feel better😂 I’m in zone 8a so hoping I can still get to the pumpkins before too long.
I'm the same zone so we still have a bit of time! I've planted them as late as August and still gotten a decent crop!! 🤞🏻
ohhhh!! good to know!