It’s shocking at how quickly the weather turned. Granted, we didn’t have much of a summer as far as warm temperatures go, but it undoubtedly feels like fall today. It was the standard “blue bird” day – 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky – and the evening cooled down well before the sun set. I’m not ready to give up summer.

   But, being the realist, I know I have to help the tomatoes along if I want to can them fresh off of the vine instead of gradually pulling them from boxes sitting in the garage. It was 40-degrees this morning, and although it doesn’t appear that frost is immenent, the cold temps don’t do the tomatoes any favors.

  I pulled out the heavier floating row covers again, and pulled them around the roma tomatoes pinning them to the cages with clothes pins. If the weather turns nasty… or I should say ‘when’ the weather turns… I’ll pin the fabric to the ground with landscape staples. Besides the romas, which are starting to turn red, I bundled up the ‘Mortgage Lifter’ tomato in the east side garden. It has impressive fruit on it, and I’m simply hoping to ripen a couple of them.

   Speaking of tomatoes, I saw the most gorgeous ones I’ve ever seen in Montana in the greenhouse of Connie Klingaman in Fort Shaw. She was part of the garden tour hosted by Parker Farms Greenhouse in July, and I was impressed beyond words at her place. She and her hubby attached a greenhouse to the south side of their woodshop, and the tomatoes – ‘Celebrity’ and ‘Early Girl’ – obviously love it. They were huge AND ripe. That’s a rare combination in this region.

   Besides covering the tomatoes, I pulled row covers over the peppers and basil, plus hauled out the portable cold frame for some of the peppers. The outdoor peppers are actually doing better than the ones in the greenhouse.  I have no idea why. The ‘Goliath’ sweet peppers in the greenhouse are at least 3-feet tall, but aren’t setting much fruit. The ones in the open gardens aren’t as tall, but they’re loaded with peppers. Since there are so many, and I kicked myself for not having more in the freezer last year, I want to keep them happy by covering them. I’ve been eating the hot Hungarians, but prefer to let peppers mature as long as possible. They’re so much better.

  Hopefully, by covering the most tender veggies it’ll coax those tomatoes to ripen so I’m not making sauce on Halloween. Plus,  I’m ready for old Jack Frost whenever he decides to visit.

  I’m actually a little tardy on this post. Grant finished the siding on the house over a week ago. Hurray! It looks absolutely fantastic, which is no surprise since Grant is a stickler for details. (Case in point – he painted the nail heads with a Q-tip.) It looks like a new home, and I’m certain will feel much cozier this winter when the wind is really howling.

Here are a few photos of the final pieces being put into place… as well as John scaling the ladder once again. You’d think the boy would give it up, but he’s a tenacious tot!

   Little by little our only mature apple tree is being whittled down to size. I had to remove a major central branch yesterday because the fire blight compromised the majority of it. We lost nearly 1/4 of the tree in one cut. Granted, it makes me crazy that the apple trees aren’t properly pruned for fruit production, but this isn’t what I had in mind.

   The bad thing is I can’t guarantee this harsh treatment is going to save the tree. I’ve talked to several people with widely varied positions. One master gardener said if a tree has fire blight, it’s a goner. On the other hand, Steve Tilleraas of Tilleraas Nursery and Landscaping here in Great Falls said he’s saved them by very severe pruning. Steve is a pretty knowledgeable guy so I’m going with his experience.

   Fire blight is a bacterial infection that’s spread via the wind and insect pollination. Trees are typically infected in the spring when the blossoms are open, but even now I have to be careful to bleach any tools I use. Grant’s taking the limb to the landfill because I hate to keep it near any of the other trees. Years ago, fire blight was treated with streptomycin, but it was taken off the market because of overuse and possible antibiotic resistance (just like with the antibiotics prescribed willy-nilly for people). This leaves few options for those of us battling the problem. So I must resort to the saw, and hope I can keep it under control.

   I’ve been trying to catch up on the weed situation and came to an unwaivering conclusion - I hate, hate, hate bindweed! It’s the absolute worst. Even knapweed has positive attributes since it’s a fantastic bee plant. (I’m not advocating letting it live just because the bees like it, but at least there’s some redeeming quality.) Kudzu is better, I think. At least you can make a basket or wreaths out of that stuff. In this picture there is actually a rather large rose and at least one peony push under this mass of evil. It took a considerable amount of effort to release them from their botanical prison.

   So I pulled and grumbled knowing it is only temporary. Bindweed has roots that can reach up to 200 feet deep. (If it could find it’s way through the rock in our area.) It’s terribly hard to kill. I hesitate pulling out the poison since I don’t want to cross-contaminate the rose and peonies (they were my great-grandmothers). But if I was to dose them, this is the time to do it. With the cooling nights – tonight’s forecast is for 42 degrees – the plant is pulling nutrients down to the roots, which is why herbicide is far more effective at this time of year versus spraying in the spring.

   Speaking of nuking weeds, I nearly had a fit last week when I saw the county weed truck go past… just as they were spraying the last part of the front of our lawn! They were going through the entire neighborhood, and it looked like they were hitting the front 12-ft in everyone’s lawn. Awful. We’ve been battling knapweed since we moved here, and are doing a pretty good job of it. There are plants here and there, but we pull them. Grant (who is a certified applicator) hit them and the thistle with some nasty stuff 3 years ago because it was so out of control, but we’d rather not go there. And, being married to someone who actually reads labels, I question the safety standards of the person hanging out of the truck window spraying as they went. No drift there. I need to find out what I can do to prevent them from doing it next year. I appreciate the weed wars, but I’m more than happy to fight our own battle.

 This morning we went to the Great Falls Farmer’s Market to buy Flathead cherries. Thankfully, they  ripened later this season because I’ve been behind on everything, and haven’t had time to freeze my standard 20 lbs. Today, I had John in the backpack when we went to the Marketand was trying to hold onto Sam while maneuvering through the crowd so we opted for a meager 5 lbs to get us started. I simply need a pack mule and I’d be able to finish all of my shopping!

  When I moved to Montana 20  years ago I was very surprised to see vibrant cherry orchards along Flathead Lake. Well, I sure say potentially vibrant because in the early 1990′s they were still recovering from a horrendous freeze in 1988 that killed a large number of the ‘Lambert’ cherry trees. It took 5-6 years before most of the orchards starting producing even close to prior year totals, but thankfully, it appears most have recovered and are growing some of the best sweet cherries you’ll find.

  Even though I’ve bought and frozen for years, it took me until this year to be smart enough to buy a cherry stoner. What a difference! I got the Oxo Good Grip Cherry Pitter and it’s been a godsend. Sam calls it “my pitter,” and as you can see from the video, he’s becoming quite proficient.

   I admit it, I’m a corn snob. I grew up surrounded by corn fields in Ohio, and running through or hiding in the rows was one of our favorites things to do. Of course, we also learned when we heard the subtle ‘click’ somewhere among the 7-ft tall stalks that it was time to run and cover your ears because one of the propane guns used to scare away the birds was going to go off.  Nothing  like rattling young kids’ nerves and potential hearing loss for a romping good time.

   I appreciate good sweet corn, which can be a challenge in our short season and cool nights of Montana. It’s not conducive growing conditions for some of the longer maturing varieties that  can be grow in the Midwest. Last year I grew “Ambrosia,’ a hybrid recommended by Marcia Bundi, and I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. It was a late season last year, but by the first part of September we had a nice harvest.  This year I planted the same variety – just three times more of it. It’s growing well, and I suspect I’ll start to pick in another week.

   Recently, I wrote an article about the pros and cons between heirlooms and hybrids, and the sheer physical variations is evident in corn. A couple of different people in the community gardens planted Native American varieties that they’d had for years side by side with hybrids. In the Electric City Conservatory community garden the ‘Peaches and Cream’ (actually one we used to grow in Ohio) is nearly twice as tall as the heirloom. The heirloom is earlier, but the ears are quite small. It’s the same at another location. The hybrids are a little later, but the plants look very vigorous. The test will be eating the heirloom corn, and I hope to beg an ear off of someone to give it a try.

  Unfortunately, the hybrid and heirlooms will undoubtedly cross. Corn pollen is transported on the wind, and planting them so close ensures cross pollination. (Heck, one thing I learned while writing the heirloom/hybrid piece is a field of GM (genetically modified) corn can, and probably will, cross-pollinate nearby home gardens because it will go wherever the wind carries it. The result is a GM contaminated corn. Scary.) Next year, I might try a little heirloom corn at home and will cover the top with tule fabric to attempt to keep it pure. It’s worth a shot. And I’ll grow my ‘Ambrosia’ hybrid in another garden to make sure I don’t create some unwanted mutt.

  One of my gardens this year is at a gentleman’s place along the Sun River, and it’s lovely to go out at dusk to pick beans, pull weeds or turn on the pump. You never know what you’re going to find. There’s a pile of rock that fascinates me because it’s just so pretty. Several weeks ago I went to pull out a smallish sized rock to take back and show a geologist friend so he could tell me exactly what it is; just as I reached in I noticed the shedded snake skin! I couldn’t tell you what kind it was, but it gave me the heebies. I quickly chose a smaller one on the ground.

  Last night during my hike over the dike I saw a whitetail doe standing stock still. I walked closer to her as I took pictures, and was able to go within probably 30-40 feet before she took off. I told her to stay out of the garden. Can’t say I’ll hold my breath on that, though. Besides seeing the sleek, obviously well-fed deer, the sky last evening was stunning. We do have the best sunsets over here!

   Even though it feels like fall (we had long sleeved shirts on all day) harvesting is full speed ahead for many vegetables. I’ve picked a couple of big baskets of green beans in the past week, and I know another heaping amount is waiting for me tomorrow. I need to check my notes, but I think I planted ‘Blue Lake’ bush beans this year and I am certainly happy with them. I’ve been able to pick most of them before they grew too large and became leathery, and the flavor is exceptional. Whether I toss them on the grill or saute them with garlic, they’ve been delicious. I’ve frozen around 7 quarts so far, and are looking forward to at least double that amount before I’m done.

  The basil is also coming on fast. The boys and I picked a basketful this evening that barely scratched the surface. I made pesto, but ran out of parmesan. Tomorrow we’ll harvest more to dry. There is absolutely no reason I should have to buy dried basil for my winter-time cooking. After we dry enough basil, we’ll do oregano, thyme and lovage.

  The ‘Calabrese’ broccoli has certainly been a disappointment this year. It claimed dozens of smaller shoots, but it really isn’t producing very well and the flavor isn’t there. I might go back to ‘Packman’ next season. The Italian zucchini is definitely one I’ll grow again, though. They’re tasty and so far we’re able to keep up. Everything is going on the grill lately, and the zucchini works particularly well. Even the boys like it. So, we’re in the middle of harvest and preparing for winter at the same time… but I’d rather not think about that season quite yet.

  Whew. I can say that after hitting ‘send’ on a couple of whopper articles. In the world of information in small bites,  it’s rare I’m assigned 2000 word pieces with 500 word sidebars. Many of the editors prefer I keep the article closer to 500 words. So, even though it was nice to stretch my writing legs, I was still struggling with cutting in the end. There’s always more information than page count! Ah well, it’s always a treat to talk to experts (one of the reasons I love what I do – I’m paid to learn), and condense it into useful, understandable material. Hopefully my editors feel the same.

  So, I’m catching up from our last days at the Montana State Fair, as well as being deep into harvest season. Plus, I should make a note to all my family and friends who are melting in the 90+ degree heat (with insane humidity levels) that I don’t think it even made it to 60 degrees today. Not a good thing for tomato production.

   The fair turned out well. Sam won ‘Grand Champion Junior Exhibitor’ with the ‘Krautman’ cabbage again this year. He helped from the time we planted the 2 remaining seeds from the prior year’s package. Thankfully, one of the pair grew relatively well – not as big as last year, but still pretty impressive. Besides a second ribbon, he earned a $25 gift certificate from Flower Farm/ Electric City Conservatory. He’ll have fun buying flowers next year.

  It was sad this year at the awards’ ceremony for the gardening department because our superintendent, Patty Howse’s, husband died unexpectedly in May. She soldiered through, and did a special drawing out of a mailbox (he was a mailman) in his memory. Patty had Sam draw the names, which made his day probably more than receiving the ribbon. Now, when we drive along the country roads he points out every mailbox. Josh, a young gardening expert who’s been into plants (and chickens and ducks and sheep and who knows what else the boy has going) won a good number of the drawings since he entered so many categories, but I won a night’s stay at the new Staybridge Suites  here in town.  Very cool.

   Overall, it was a good fair year. Mom was a trooper schlepping around the grounds and exhibits over many days, as well as riding a few rides with the boys. I think the Wiggle Wurm is off her list, though. The last go ’round was a doozy.

  Now that Sam is old enough to go on many of  the rides the fair is even more fun. I miss being within a couple of hours of Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, the best rollercoaster park in the world (in my not exactly humble opinion anyway), so I have to get my fix at fairs… or other methods.

 Years ago when I was working on a beach front restoration project, we were waiting around for the enormous boulders to be delivered. With 2 to 3 rocks per load coming from over an hour away, we had plenty of time on our hands. One of the crew told me to climb into the bucket of the excavator so we could take a couple of photos with me hanging over the lake with the mountains in the background. That was all well and good until one of the guys told Chad,  the excavator operator, “Spin her!” Since this guy was one of the best operators I’ve ever seen (I would bet big money he could place a dime with the machine) I figured it was worth a ride without devastating consequences.  He spun it faster than I thought possible, and the centrifical force pulled me to the back of the bucket. It was so cool.  This is what we call a good time in Montana.

  The fair rides don’t quite match the thrill of a spin in a Komatsu, but it’ll do for now. I took Sam and John down the big slide. Sam came off and annouced, “That’s too fast!” Then he was on to the balloon ride, train, helicopter, worms, carousel and ferris wheel that zipped around so fast it rivaled the excavator. He particularly enjoyed the one where they strapped him into a harness hooked to basically big rubber bands allowing him to bounce high into the air.  That one was tempting for me! Grant and Nana rode on several of the rides with the boys, and we went through nearly $50 worth of tickets in less than a couple of hours.

   I must admit, even though I had no qualms in spinning in an excavator bucket, I look at the folks running the rides and wonder if they are as competent as Chad (despite his obvious penchant for… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t eat any brownies he brought to the job). It’s just not a good feeling when you have Joe Dirt checking out the girls more than watching the riders. But, since I don’t have any big landscaping projects on the horizon it looks like we’ll have to stick with the carnies.