Birds may not like it but I mowed the plot where weeds grew after garlic was harvested. They flock in to feed on foxtail seeds. A person can’t see them until they are startled and fly away. Lucky for them, the next plot over, where I plan next year’s crop of garlic, has some weeds gone to seed.
The plot cleared is for a burn pile. Because of the drought, burning brush is not a good idea. Johnson County is not under an official burn ban today, yet I err on the side of caution. Parts of the state just north of me are under a ban. As fall approaches, I need a place to pile brush from the yard. The added benefit is when I am able to burn, minerals from the fuel return to the soil. The plan is to plant tomatoes next year where the burn pile is going.
I’m finished watering the garden. I harvested more tomatoes on Saturday. While the vines are doing well, I rolled up the hose and will put it away once the first frost is forecast, maybe in mid-October. With cooler temperatures, evaporation is less and plants do better on natural moisture, even if there is no rain. A chance of thunderstorms was forecast Saturday afternoon. It didn’t happen. We had a brief, transient mist of rain that failed to penetrate the leaf canopy. Maybe another time. We need rain.
Deer returned to our apple orchard in larger numbers. Last night at dusk, six of them were eating fallen apples, including two young deer. I had noticed their work earlier in the day. Even so, it is reassuring to see them in person. I need to clean up the fallen apples before mowing, yet if they are eating them, I’ll wait and give them time to work. With autumn approaching, there is more food for wildlife. I’m glad to see deer stop by our orchard as a part of nature’s smorgasbord.
I decided to make a dozen pints of apple butter. I don’t need more in the pantry, yet I want to be able to rotate stock and have a supply ready. The apples taste so sweet this year and have minimal bug damage. It would be a shame not to preserve as many as I can. The refrigerator already has as many as there is room. I have half a bushel ready to go over to family in Des Moines. There will be a donation to the food bank. Today’s kitchen work includes more apple butter and apple juice for making apple cider vinegar.
Last year’s cherry tomato plot had some cherry tomatoes growing around the edges. They are particularly sweet. Midweek I made two casseroles, and the cherries served as a welcome side dish for a re-heated supper. The food our kitchen has been producing this summer has been memorable. Still, one tires of days in a row of leftovers.
I stayed busy all day Saturday. There is an urgency to get things done before winter arrives. It will be here before we realize it and I want to be ready.
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