August is the time of year where I can kick back a bit and survey the garden without guilt. The rapid planting and weeding of spring is long since over and the clean up and pruning of fall has yet to come. It is too hot to split wood (at least that is what I tell myself) so I sit, read and reflect on the year. August is the best time to determine how complete your spring weeding had been and what did not take.
In that regard, 2013 has been a pretty good year. There are always weeds to pull; the only thing that changes is their composition. A few years back, plantain was high on the list followed by chickweed, garlic mustard, followed by quack grass, followed by . . . I never know if with every theoretical eradication I am merely preparing the soil for the next volunteer. But it doesn’t matter to me that much as certain “weeds” in my lawn like clover, violets, wild thyme and others provide a texture more interesting than simple grass. The weeds that are less desirable are the ones in my flower beds and vegetable gardens that always find an accommodating home.
The extremes of this season have managed to give us the most lush garden of many seasons. Even though I split beds of hostas last fall, they have returned more than covering up the areas I thought would be barren. The sweet woodruff has continued its march on the far side of the property covering up all the northwest beds and moving fast on others. Now that I have reinforced the fence and been more diligent in keeping the gates closed, deer predation as been eliminated and there have only been slight signs of a hungry woodchuck within the confines of our closed in gardens.
So like many years, the summer harvest has been generous. We have been awash with berries from the end of May to now. The blackberries have just started to come in and should feed us till Labor Day. We have had salads every day from the garden and I know that I should not plant as much kale and swiss chard next year that I did this. The tomato plants have been delivering their fruits since mid-July though I have yet to cut into a large tomato. It matters not as I continue to be grateful for anything and all I get from the yard. Fall approaches but I hope not too quickly.
