Keeping faith with my spinach

I guess I should have planned better. There certainly COULD be a producing garden out there right now if I had planned ahead. Some broccoli, some fall peas, even some late maturing tomatoes. It’s like someone came in the middle of the night last week and let all the air out of my garden. I have a few yard long beans each day and some lingering cherry tomatoes. But that’s about it.

The spinach I planted nearly three weeks ago is not performing. I have one or two plants showing and I suspect they were from seed that fell rather than seed that was planted. I probably planted the seed too deep and too dry. So I keep watering diligently hoping for sprouts.

Also in the realm of failures is the artichoke plant. Lots of spiky leaves, but no stalk … and time’s a wastin’. I’ve heard that people grow them successfully as far north as Maine, so I’m pretty sure I’m dealing with a nutrition issue here.

But enough of failure. There is a nicely maturing row of rutabaga and some good looking parsnips. The kale is enjoying the cool weather and there is lots of basil waiting to be made into pesto. I have a spectacular eggplant called Neon that is lighting up the back row. And what about that zucchini plant that is still putting out flowers and fruit. I’ve never had one go so long into the season.

We have had a run of simply beautiful weather here for about a week now. We’ve given up worrying about how dry it is. I just water strategically in the garden and make sure the apple trees get a good soaking every 10-14 days.