So far, fingers crossed—an excellent gardening season. The rains have come when needed, warm, sunny
days, and no critter problems. Here’s a
summary on this 2016 Independence Day.
Top prize
goes to the potato crop. In bloom and
completely filling the rows. I don’t
recall a better looking potato crop. My
son-in-law, Paul asked, “What are you gonna do with all those taters?” As any gardener knows, as well as those who
raise chickens, “Never count your chickens until the eggs are hatched.” It’s a long time from now until October
potato harvest.
Second
prize to the leaf lettuce—we’ve already harvested it four times and it
continues to flourish. Same with the
Swiss chard; two harvests and showing no signs of slowing down.
The peas
were so-so—two harvests. We all so much
enjoy eating fresh peas. I pulled the
plants on Saturday and we planted the area to late sweet corn.
The tomatoes—several
blossoms showing. Plants are as
luxuriant as the potatoes—no sign of blight yet. Fingers crossed. Natasha thinned the rutabagas—we planted them
way too thick, but they are on a tear—growing well. Broccoli ready in a week or so, cabbage heads
beginning to show, cucumbers beginning to vine, as are squash and
pumpkins. Zucchini looking good.
Sweet corn knee high and taller. Has to be knee high by the Fourth—my dad
always used that as a measure for the success of his field corn. The long row of sunflowers is waist high,
beating the corn, which we planted on the same day.
The failures so far—always some failures. The radishes were pathetic. Scrawny, wormy—I think I harvested about a
dozen that were fit to eat. Carrots, well I think I may have a dozen of them
that are growing. Sad. I like carrots. Planted them with the radishes. I must try something different next year.
This year marks the fiftieth year of gardening at
Roshara. One of these years we’ll figure
out how to do it.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Vegetable gardening—what can be more fun, and
more challenging?
ANNOUNCEMENT AND GOOD
NEWS: A second Clearing Writing
Class is scheduled for Friday, October 28.
Call 920-854-4088 to
Register.
Upcoming Events:
July 19, 11:00 a.m., Farm
Technology Days, Snudden Farms, Lake Geneva, Walworth County. History of
Wisconsin Agriculture.
August 9, 6:30 p.m. Winnebago
County Historical Society. Oshkosh
Library. History of Wisconsin
Agriculture.
August 12, 9-4, Writing Workshop,
The Clearing, Door County. (Filled)
August 20, 10:30-11:30 am. Waupaca Annual Arts on the Square.
Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial
Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):
The
library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:
Emmy Winner, A
Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based
on The Quiet Season book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old
Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and
Shadows.)
Also
available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames
County. and Wisconsin
Agriculture: A History.
Jerry’s newest books, Roshara
Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide
book for those who want to write their stories—are also available.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
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