Here comes the sun! .... sort of

I try to add positive and interesting news to this garden blog so I have been silent for awhile as the worst weather year in my six gardening season has greatly dampened my spirits, figuratively and literally. The month of June was nearly an entire month of rain, cool days and nights and almost no sun...and this weather continued on into July for the most part until a week ago. Even now with pleasant sunny days , it is more like September weather for Maine than July. The nights are cool in the 50's and the day time temperature never seems to even reach 80 degrees. This in not tomato growing weather!

I gladly left Maine on July 3rd for a five day trip to New York City for the holiday weekend in an attempt to lift my spirits. All I had been doing for the previous few weeks was watch it rain and watch the garden suffer. Seeds never sprouted and plants that were visible simply sat dormant awaiting sun. Below are a few pictures from New York. My grandson, Cotton, and I had a nice visit in the community garden in Brooklyn he and his parents visit regularly. Julian's office overlooks the Hudson River and we all enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display from their roof top deck. The Lab threw a big party for the 4th and if you go to my son's blog you can see a video of the fireworks: http://thelabnyc.blogspot.com/2009/07/video-of-fireworks.html

So now that I am back in Maine and the sun is shining even if not very warm for July, I am working again in the garden. The weeds sure loved the cool rainy weeks so while I await some long overdue vegetable growth I have plenty of them to contend with. I have bought any new bedding plants I could find, to replace the failed seeds and seedlings planted in early June, in hopes of a successful late garden. So I am still hoping for lots of pickle canning in September and some winter squash and pumpkins to enjoy. The tomatoes are starting to perk up and many pepper plants and other things have been added in hopes of a successful fall harvest if no frost happens until well into October.

I should report that I have been enjoying the turnips and their greens, lettuce and the garlic scapes taken from the plants a few weeks before the garlic will be harvested. The peas are finally ready as well. The strawberry and rhubarb harvesting was far below par due to the weather but the blueberry and blackberry harvest should be just fine in August.