Tales from Easement Acres
I realize of course that it’s a little silly to get excited about mint growing well, but look at the size of this sprig:
And this was only one of several sprigs that Liz cut, as it was starting to crowd the rest of the herb garden. And so, faced with the conundrum of too much mint, what should we do? It would be a shame to waste it.
If you know anything about me, then you probably already figured out what happened. Hehe–MOJITOS! Some classics are eternal for a reason.
–Simon
If you recall, this is the experimental gardening year, and from the seed vault I have planted a pickling cucumber vine, and despite the presence of vine borers, it appears to be doing very well.
I came back from Wisconsin to see these guy on the vine. As they were not normal cucumbers, I was uncertain when to pick them. A quick Google search revealed that they could be picked at any time, so I guess they don’t suffer as much from bitterness if they get bigger? Liz also concluded that they were ready, so I was convinced. She also referred to them as “salad cucumbers”, so I presumed she had some prior experience with the variety.
I found them pleasantly very crunchy, and milder than I expected. They didn’t have that strong cucumber-y aftertaste. They’re also very prolific. I anticipate a future experiment with homemade pickles.
–Simon
Liz was out landscaping, AKA planting bushes, and noticed this little guy back where the honeysuckle hedgerow had been ripped out:
It’s only a weed if you don’t want it.
–Simon
My daughter, like any reasonably well-balanced child, holds a general concern for other living creatures. She does not capture and flay squirrels a la Peter Wiggin, which is good, but she also takes issue with her dad threatening to shoot them. The same goes for bunnies.
The she started her own garden. After the bunnies worked their way through two of her plants, her sympathies quickly evaporated. Now, she’s actively asking me to shoot them to save her plants. Maybe I’ll get to teach her hunting after all.
–Simon
Nah, not really. I don’t find the differing tastes of tomatoes to be all that unique. Some are sweeter, and some are more acidic. There’s a much greater variation in how they look.
But of course they’re all awesome. And in following a tradition, I always take a photo of the year’s first tomato.
Granted this was from one of my purchased plants, so it’s still kind of cheating, but the sweetness of the victory is compensated for by the sweetness of this variety.
–Simon