I seriously have no idea where the summer has gone this year. It’s been hot and very dry so a fair amount of time went to watering… and we’re not finished, yet. I’ve already pulled up some cabbage beds and, of course, the peas are long gone. Tomatoes are starting to come on at a fairly brisk rate, and I’m doing my best at dehydrating them because a friend taught me a fabulous way to use them. The Indigo Rose tomatoes are loaded, but none are ripe, yet. I’m anxious to see how they taste. So far, friends who’ve grown them have not been impressed. But they’re certainly pretty!
The Golden Bantam corn is ready at the community garden plot, but honestly, I think it tastes like hog feed. There’s a reason we’ve hybridized corn. I plant it for the property owner, and he’s always encouraging me to try it because he thinks it’s just the best corn ever. I picked a couple of ears this afternoon to try tonight to see if it might change my mind, but I don’t think so. Beans are coming on like crazy, and I’ve already frozen a fair amount of chard. Oh, and the zucchini. Although the property owner of the community garden plot at my best fair entries, enough is coming on that I’ve been able to freeze a lot.
Last week we dug the garlic. Although each year I plant more, I can never seem to have enough. We doubled the bed last year, and I think I’ll add another 50% as much when we plant in September. I can’t plant it all or I’ll be garlic-less throughout the winter. Gasp! The garlic did fairly well this year, although I don’t think the bulbs were quite as big as in past years. Thankfully, it was still enough to win Grand Champion at the Montana State Fair!
The boys were a big help in digging. We simply took a shovel and lifted underneath the bulbs, then they pulled them out. I cut off the tops, and put them in a basket. They need to be in an area with good circulation for at least a week to cure them for storage. But other than that, they’re pretty simple to dig and keep. After we have a killing frost, I’ll decide where I want to plant them for next year. It’ll definitely be in a different bed, and I’ll be sure to add plenty of organic matter to improve the soil. It’s frightening to have to think about next year, but that’s where we’re heading in the season. 
