Keep A Weather Eye Out

When someone tells you to keep a weather eye out or on something they mean watch it very carefully so you don't end up blindsided by change. That's always good advice when growing anything, but it's especially true about summer squash, cucumbers and other members of the Cucurbita pepo group. Once they start bearing fruit, it takes daily inspection to make sure you don't overlook some tender prize. And If you skip a few days of inspection you may find yourself looking at living baseball bats, because as tender as they are when they're young and small, they easily become tough skinned behemoths in a very short time.

These beauties will escape that fate. They'll make a nice side dish after they are battered and lightly fried.

Song Of The Cicadas

Summer is ending. Summer is fleeting. Soon it'll be cold, snowy and sleeting.

The cicadas are out in full force and singing up a storm. And no matter what lyrics one might put to their tune, the chorus would undoubtedly be something like the sentences at the start of this entry. Gardening this year had a later start than usual because it seemed that Mother Nature didn't really want to start spring. Planting in this area was three to four weeks later than usual. But the time of bounty is upon us and the first summer squash is in. I hope my straight neck squash plant lives up to the prolific nature of average summer squash plants, because there isn't much time left before the cool nights return and the autumnal equinox is upon us.