Hot times at the Merganser Gardens

Saturday, July 10, 2021

Hot times at the Merganser Gardens

I finally got to the "pond" garden again where I have broccoli, onions, carrots and harvested cabbage. This was the area I did the first plantings of the season and I planted things pretty close together. I think that is a mistake, since I have plenty of space for what I want to grow.

Keeping control of the weeds is a lot easier if you have wide rows between the plants. You can go into each row with your hoe and slice off the main weeds and then go back in to get the side weeds between each vegetable. That is what I have tried to do with the other, larger area where I have tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and beans. I have about 3 feet or more between the rows, giving me enough space to keep the weeds at bay. The square foot gardening is good for small 4x8 gardens or for people who don't have a lot of time to work the garden.

I was able to pull out 5 buckets of weeds before the heat got to me. I had walked 6 miles earlier this morning, so the added sun, even with the temperature only at 80º, was a bit much for my body. There is still lots of other projects needing attention, but I like being able to finish things before being distracted by something else.

The weeding job is done in the "pond" garden and things will stay pretty clean until the final cycle of weeds show up at the end of July, beginning of August. By then most of the onions will be pulled and I will try to put down one more planting of beans or peas. Late season plantings are always a hit and miss, so I will see hot things go. I do want to put down a cover crop over the winter so I some good new nutrients for next season.

Meanwhile….

This week was sort of up and down in terms of walking. Early in the week, visits to the hospital and a nice visit from my college roommate, along with the painting of the kitchen, living room, laundry room and hallways made each day exciting and busy. I was still able to get quite a bit of walking in, even when temperatures again went into the low 90's. Doing a 5 mile walk now is rather routine, but I don't take anything for granted. Each walk is both enjoyable and challenging, as the feet and mind are resistant to going out every day, most often walking twice a day. I like the early morning walks, as it is very quiet and few people are around. I also like the evening walks, as temperatures drop a bit and seeing the sun set most evenings is an added gift.

The streak of not missing a day continues, nothing to brag about, but still it shows I am staying focused on my daily walks since May 2 (70 days and counting). Some runners have done years and years without missing a day, so this little streak of mine is peanuts, but I like it.

Ah, but is all this walking starting to wear on me? Yesterday I only did the 6 mile walk in the morning and that was it. After doing the weeding in the Pond Garden, I was toast. This morning I slept in, and boy did it feel good. It is supposed to go up to 86º later today, but with the humidity, it feels a lot hotter. Tonight it only goes down to 82º before sunset, but I plan on doing some miles then. Don't want to miss a day. I just may cut back a bit on the miles, as the temperatures for the rest of the week are going to be in the low 90's and probably not good for me.