In the Late Summer Garden

There isn't much going on in the garden right now, which is making me miss the harvests of past years. We still had our usuals to tide me over though. The raspberries, currants, and gooseberries came and went in the heat of July. We enjoyed bowlfuls of raspberries every day, and our neighbour two doors down harvested our currants for cakes and jams. The blackberries were sparse this year as one of the big bushes was accidentally cut down.

The strawberries in the patch gave us a few berries to enjoy through the summer and are still going. Next year I will have to make sure we get those strawberry baskets on time so we can enjoy more.

The tomatoes I ended up planting are growing, but so far only the grape tomatoes have ripened. I didn't expect any of them to since I had put them in so late, so it was a nice surprise.

Along with our little tomato harvest, we are enjoying the late summer flowers. Huge bunches of black eyed susans are all over the yard, both front and back. Our sedums are also flowering.

All this garden talk makes me think about all that I wish I had done in the garden this year but didn't make the time for with all we had going on. Instead of focusing on what I didn't do, I will try to focus on next year and what I plan to do then. Starting seeds again would be fun!

I am also looking forward to sharing this with Josh. My brother and I had such fun as kids experimenting in our own garden. My mom set out a little area for us to grow whatever we wanted. We learned so much by planting that garden, tending to it, watching our plants grow and noticing the ones that didn't, harvesting what did grow, tasting both cooked and right off the plant, and cleaning it up at the end of the year. I love that hands-on learning thing, and can't wait to help my boy with a little garden of his own!

I am getting ahead of myself though since that is still a couple years away. For now, his Grammie likes to take him outside to sit on the patio under the shade of the grapevines. Lola, of course, joins them too.

Right now I'm thinking fall bulbs, which we haven't done in years and years. Maybe some daffodils since we only get a few each spring, and some allium, which I have been wanting to try for years.