Hey, Opa,
Mazel tov and welcome back to bare knuckle gardening. Missed you you ol'
coot. Christmases and Thanksgivings are getting more crowded at Oma's
and Opa's house. Have to grow a couple more spuds and a few more green
beans (Schnittbohnen sounds too pretentious;-). More memories have just
been cued up for you. Grand parents and grand kids were made for each
other. You have a common enemy;-) It's that period in between that
people take too seriously.

I'm sure as soon as the "Lovely" gets you harnessed up, you be good for
another 100,000 miles. Enjoy the trip.

Haven't quite figured out where you are. Lazy don't cha know. Is you in
the drought or in the floods? Mid-west seems kinda scary these days.
What happened to normal?

We just leaned into what we call "a heat wave". I figure folks in the
mid-west would think of it as nice summer weather. Just shy of 100 F
today. Worthless "bird house" gourd is doing about 4"/day and the melons
are showing some life. One of the water melons has had flowers for about
2 weeks now (here in region 9, N. Calif.). Had it protected with a small
tomato arbor to keep the "Hounds from Hell" from turning it into road
kill. The arbor was a might snug coming off and I lost one flower. I was
fear full it was going to girdle it's self if I left it on. It was
reachin' up and gettin' good Sun but now it can stretch out and explore
the top tier (the sunniest tier) of the garden.

I'm trying to grow some pole beans in amongst the corn too but not
having much success at it. A little runt of a melon is in there too, in
the shadows, and doesn't seem none too happy about it teether. The other
melons haven't been overwhelmed yet by the corn and are stating to
noticeably grow. You know how it is. You transplant somethin' and then
it just sort of sits there for awhile, taking it all in, and then makes
its' move.

This is my first year where most of the garden was germinated, chez nous
and the first few batches got fried when their germination trays got
left out, over night, with their covers on, not to be noticed again
until 1 PM. The garden is runnin' just a tad late.

Moved 4 sunflowers into the garden, yesterday, by the front gate,
without hardening off. Got two today. (Feel like I'm walkin' around a
dark room and finding the furniture with my shins.) Fortunately, we got
back-ups. I got the flax and psyillium (of "Growing Grasses" fame)
growing in the same area.

The Bitter melons are on board and moving up their trellis. They even
have a couple of flowers, so I guess I'd better start looking for
recipes.

Over at the snow pea trellis the peas are calling it a season. Not much
of a harvest from them. What I got was tasty though. I planted radishes
and carrots about 4" out from the line of peas. Again I came a cropper.
Small little weasely lookin' radishes and no sign of the carrots. Same
thing over in the 'mater patch. I got my line of 'maters. Then there is
a line of buschbohnen and between the buschbohnen and the steppin'
stones is another line of radishes and carrots, sans carrots and same
dinky radishes. Across the steppin' stones, up against the top tier, are
the mixed peppers. Most of 'em have a long way to go but just above
them, up on the top tier, faced with prunella, facing the the sweet
corn, across more steppin' stones, I have a line of jalapenos that is
fruitin' already, lord love 'em.

The sweet corn is showing some tassel and I've been tryin' to keep it
damp but of course now the county wants to whip water rationing on us. I
don't irrigate (drip and hand waterin') so I'm hopin' it will be OK.
Across a suddenly, reinvigorated dwarf peach, is a stand of dent corn. I
read that if you catch it young, if will make good sweet corn too. I'm
not too fussy. I don't really like the candy-sweet sweet corn. Sure is a
handsome plant though. Even if I give up on corn, I think I would grow
it as an ornamental.

Whoops, gotta go, Charlie. I hear rattling plates calling me "à la
table".

Nice to have you back.
--
Billy
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/