Farm School Week Twelve

Farm School is swingin' into summer here.
The growing is slowing down a bit this time of year,
while folks further north are just getting started.

No matter, 
there is always something to valuable to gain.

This is an indigenous specimen called a pitcher plant.

It's carnivorous.

These vessels which dangle underneath,

are really bug traps.

They fill with water, 
bugs get lured into them by a substance which is secreted

and they can't make their way out.

The plant actually absorbs the insects.

Is it just me, or is that nothing short of amazing?

God's creativity is boundless.

Today we were planting edamame.

This is Lynn's seed saved from last season.

Eight seeds per pot are planted 2 inches apart in moist soil.

The recommended depth is about 2 inches.

After I sowed the seeds, Lynn covered them with more soil.

It went pretty quickly with both of us working.

Some crops are done for the summer.

The Swiss chard is not able to bear the heat.

I'll have to use other means to keep my iron stores up 
until these are restarted closer to fall.

We've been enjoying the green beans for a few weeks now,

but it seems they've given all they can.

Lynn told me that they were affected by some sort of rust

that he had never seen before Hurricane Sandy came through.

The peas have been spent for a couple of weeks.

We garnered whatever pods we could find off of these vines

and ripped out all of the remaining crops.

These are my favorite food from the farm.
It'll be a couple of months before they are resown.

I anticipate savoring those first, few tender pods

and know full well that they are worth waiting for.

The tomatoes have suffered their own plight.

We are grateful we were able to enjoy some of these tasty morsels

before they succumbed to disease.

Faye and Lynn still take bunches of green tomatoes 
to the farmer's market.

Some folks prefer fried green tomatoes.

The cherry tomatoes will fare better.

These scarlet tidbits are firm, juicy with no trace of acidity.

We popped each and every ripe beauty we could find 
into our mouths as we made our rounds.

Love the perks of this job!

The okra is comin' on strong.

This Southern staple doesn't mind the heat and humidity one bit.

And look at the beautiful blooms they produce.

Last week I was offered a sample.

Having never tried it before, I wasn't sure what to expect,

especially eating it raw.

It's got crunch, I'll give it that,

but I don't think it will win my heart.

Maybe it's the Yankee in me.

This pepper was looking a bit peaked.

Lynn decided to provide a little shade

and see if it perks up.

The leeks are hangin' in there.

Lynn showed me that a healthy plant should fan out this way.

If they start splitting, they are responding to their environment,

and will soon be ready to retire for the season.

Faye found this brown widow spider.

Not deadly, but nothing you want to get too near.

Notice the hourglass shape on its back.

These find their way into nooks and crannies.

Lynn says one of their favorite hiding spots is under the rims of pots.

He makes sure to wear gloves 

whenever he needs to move them around the garden.

Nature provides so much for each of our senses.
Although the heat is closing in on our gardening efforts,
we can still relish the time spent learning and growing.


Farm School Week One
Farm School Week Two
Farm School Week Three
Farm School Week Four
Farm School Week Five
Farm School Week Six
Farm School Week Seven
Farm School Week Eight
Farm School Week Nine
Farm School Week Ten
Farm School Week Eleven






backyard farming connection hop