Hot and hot. Humid of course. And hot. Apparently the country is under a “heat dome”. Used to call it ‘summer’. There was certainly lots of ‘summer’ yesterday. 111F in the sun, near the roof… but I’m not a roofer, so it was probably closer to 100F in the real world of my back yard. I’ve got to get another sensor somewhere in the shade so I have a gut check on the highs.
Spent the day catching up on auction and home stuff, and opened cards for Father’s Day. Kids are off at camp now for the week, and I’ve got stuff to do.
I did harvest about 6 more blueberries when I checked the gardens. Heat has been hard on the tomatoes. And everything else really, but the tomatoes and my grapefruit tree especially. Peppers are not doing well in the heat either. Apple tree is fully leafed in and looking strong. Zukes and/or cukes are flowering and haven’t died yet. Grapevines are growing, which is nice. I thought the freeze killed one of the two. It’ll be a couple of years before I pick grapes again though. Setbacks in the garden would have dire consequences if I was counting on it for food. Good thing I’ve got canned veg. 🙂 And good thing I’ve got canned meat, as the local squirrel population is much reduced since we cut down the pecan tree. There is still a lot for them to eat- oak, cherry, pine, mushrooms, and other seeds, but the pecans must have supported a dozen more than we have now.
One small change to the very local ecosystem, and a big change in the animals that depend on it. Something to think about.
Right now, the garden is the backup to the canned goods, not the other way around, and I’m under no real illusion that I’ll get more than a couple of meals out of my current situation. But I am learning some things. Mainly that it’s harder than it looks! Get started climbing the learning curve, even if it’s just in containers on the porch or in the driveway.
And because gardens are fickle, finicky things, stack the canned goods high and deep.
nick