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Ah, summertime! This is a
great time of year to live on Salt Spring Island. The garlic is hanging to
dry, and the
onions are in storage. The tomatoes, cucumbers, and
zucchini are
coming on strong. We tried growing eggplant this year for the first
time and
have harvested one beautiful perfect eggplant already! The peas, beans,
and
blackberries are in the freezer. And, of course, the strawberry plants
have an
abundance of berries.
The work of the spring and
early summer
begins to make sense now. The quantity of produce that a small area of
good
land can provide is amazing. The major chores now are picking and
preserving
our harvest. Freezing is the simplest method, and produces the best
results.
Many of our hardy garden crops such as broccoli, chard, leeks, and
carrots are
left in the ground and harvested as needed throughout the winter.
This
time of
year is very dry in the Gulf Islands so we are careful to water
the plants
that still need it. Some vegetables like tomatoes produce more fruit if
they are
stressed somewhat late in the year. The dryness also makes fire a real
danger.
There is currently a complete ban on all camp fires and other
controlled
burning on all the islands. We try to enjoy the sun and heat and swim
in the ocean or lakes while we can,
because we do know that November is out there ahead of us.
August 03, 2008 August Cornucopia
March 02, 2008 Spring 08
May 04, 2007 New sheep for spring
December 04, 2006 Winter comes early
August 30, 2006 Harvest Time
May 29, 2006 Spring 2006
February 03, 2006 Wet and Windy Winter
December 04, 2005 Getting ready for winter
July 27, 2005 Summer's Here
May 31, 2005 Spring Planting
March 20, 2005 Almost Spring on Salt Spring Island
March 12, 2005 Salt Spring Island in Winter
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