Harvest season

In America, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween. The poet John Greenleaf Whittier, who was born in 1807, wrote in "The Pumpkin" (1850):

“Oh!—fruit loved of boyhood!—the old days recalling,
When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!"

See my flickr set "Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere" for photos.

Funny veggies

Mister Carrot. 'nuff said.

Garden status 9-28-08

What fabulous weather we're having! With temperatures in the 80s this weekend, and continuing for the upcoming week, I'm enjoying the last hurrah of summertime. I went swimming in an outdoor pool this afternoon and it might as well have been the middle of summer. Actually, it was better because it wasn't *real* hot, and there were gorgeous fluffy clouds but no lightning.

This hollyhock flower was neon at dusk tonight. The plums are ripe, I can't keep up with the zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil. The swiss chard is growing better than ever with the cool nights, and there is a nice patch of cilantro where the spring patch went to seed.

Beets and carrots keep producing, and the leeks are fattening up nicely. Winter squash are almost ready to harvest. The potato vines are starting to wither so a potato dig is in order.

Italians vote for ugliest English words

"For years it was the French who worked themselves into a lather over their native tongue being infected by English."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2712197/Italians-vote-for-ugliest-English-words.html

Language journal

I know this is supposed to be a blog about gardens, but I think I'll have to change it to include my other passion: language. I was at the Jamba Juice this morning - a rare occurrence for me, but I was next door and the Orange Refresher looked too good to pass up (it wasn't all that great, after all).

Anyway, the fellow behind the counter was *very* difficult to understand. I found myself having to ask for clarification numerous times. And I mean numerous: to order and pay for a silly juice drink, I asked "What?" or "Sorry?" about 5 or 6 times. Now, I work with international students, so I've gotten used to accents from at least 15 different countries. But this guy was as American as apple pie. I tell my students stories like this so they realize that sometimes people don't understand them not because of their accent, but because they are *mumbling*! Let's hear it for speaking up!

more blooms

This whiskey barrel full of portulaca is one of the only containers I planted this year. I will always plant portulaca because it reminds me of my dad. He would talk "double talk" and one of his characters was a person named "Fortulaca". I didn't even know they were flowers until I moved west. In 1974. Yikes. (They call them Moss Rose here, btw.)

'chokes

One of these years, I'll grow enough artichokes that I can eat a few of them. Right now, I just can't resist letting them flower...

Score!

One of my fellow "Diggers" invited me to come by and take her leftover seed potatoes and a couple of tomato plants - well, she gave me about 6 tomato plants, plus pepper, eggplant, basil, marjoram, and edible marigold plants.

Garden folks

I met a bunch of like-minded people at a fun potluck last night - they all have gardens in my area and are called the "Westside Diggers". A lot of them are involved in the People's Market, an alternative to the increasingly commercial farmer's market in our downtown area. I am *thrilled* to have connected with these folks, and am certain my long-neglected Garden Blog (and my garden!) will benefit from the infusion of new energy. I learned so much - including that we can grow almonds here in SLC - so I've added an almond tree to my wish list.

Must sign off now and go prep an area for the plants one of my new friends offered me last night.