Karen's Garden Delights Journal
2nd week of August 2011

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Raccoons - AARGH!!! I went out to pick corn for veggie baskets and our lunch this week, thinking about how good our first meal of corn was going to taste. When I reached my small sweet corn patch in the far corner of the back garden, there lay all our tasty ears of corn half eaten on the ground. I have heard many stories of the devastation raccoons can cause in sweet corn but this is the first time it happened to us. Now I know the disappointment and as I share my story, I am hearing that many others are experiencing it too this year. There must be a hearty crop of coons out there foraging at night. We still did have a meal of sweet corn this week but it was shared from the garden of an Amish friend. We had done some bartering but she was having a hard time thinking of produce that we didn't already have in our garden so when she heard about the coon incident, she quickly volunteered to share. Not sure if we'll go to the trouble of setting out a radio or a live trap but I am very thankful they didn't go after my Bloody Butcher corn meal corn right next door.

Thankfully no wildlife is eating the tomato crop. Here is a lovely Persimmon tomato harvested from our oldest son's garden. They are my husband's favorites and a definite customer favorite. We are starting to get a nice rainbow of colors with Green Zebras, Tigerellas, Garden Peach, Rose, Cherokee Purple and more. Right next to the tomato patch we worked at pulling out all the old pea plants and trellises to get ready for fall crops. Using a broad fork borrowed from a friend, I loosened the soil without mixing the layers (like a rototiller would, but we don't have one anyway) and then raked it before making rows. We planted carrots, beets, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, spinach, radishes and arugula on Monday and that night hearing the rain dance on the roof was music to my ears. You see, I really wanted to attend a flower growers conference in Wooster that day but decided my work list at home needed my attention first and getting those crops in before a good rain was well worth it. I also was able to start more dilly beans in the Ferment-O jars and we made our first small batch of tomato sauce. It reminds me of Proverbs - He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son (10:5.) Perhaps an opportunity to learn more about growing and arranging flowers will come up later in the year when our farm work is less demanding.

Our farm was filled with more visitors this week. I love walking through my garden to nibble, taste and talk with people. One attraction that everyone seems to enjoy is a stop at the Mexican Sour Gherkin trellis to sample a few "Mouse Melons." We cleaned up a few corners, moved a junk wood pile that I've been wanting moved for years and pulled a few more weeds to prepare for the Wayne County Herb Society visit. We had a delightful time with lovely evening weather (they even said they didn't mind the weeds!) The group of girls from Riceland returned for more flowers, this time they made bouquets to take to residents at Brenn-field Nursing home. It is a delight to share flowers like this and I consider those gals my "helpers" in taking my flowers to a nursing home since I don't have time to be running all over. The next day was filled with more visitors starting with a bride looking at flowers for a summer 2012 wedding, our Nepali friends came to work in their garden section (plus they love harvesting my extra beans and cherry tomatoes!), a hispanic friend stopped by looking for chicken and wanted to buy a signed copy of my book, we gave advice to an Amish friend trying to set produce prices, my regular Friday customers came for veggies and in the evening an aspiring heirloom tomato farmer from Virginia came with friends and we walked around the garden till we couldn't see. I love hosting all those folks but I can truly say I was exhausted by bedtime.