dark furrow
a quiet almanac of soil and sky
evening, the nineteenth of august
midsummer
the full weight of summer.
everything is ripe or ripening or done.
the garden gives morethan i can carry insidethe table overflows
sky
a little relief if the storms came through. if not, you wait.
- waxing crescent, 48% lit
- sunrise 6:37 am · sunset 7:59 pm
- 13h 22m of daylight (-2.0 minutes from yesterday)
- civil dusk 8:26 pm · sailor's dark 8:58 pm · true dark 9:31 pm
the moon is waxing. plant leafy things: lettuce, spinach, cabbage, herbs that grow above ground. the light is growing and pulls the energy upward.
scorpius is at his highest, the curved tail sweeping low in the south
the dog days storm. it comes when the air is so heavy you can feel it pressing down. the buildup takes all day and the relief when it breaks is physical. the old farmers said you could smell it coming.
garden
in the ground now
- second planting of beans if you have the space
- let some herbs bolt and flower for the bees
- harvest in the morning before the heat sets in
- save seeds from what did well, close the circle
this week
- order garlic for fall planting now. the good varieties sell out early.
- pull spent crops and plant fall seeds in their place. bush beans, beets, carrots.
good neighbors
- nasturtium tumbling between the squash hills, the bugs go to it and not the fruit
- borage left to flower fully, it is the bees' last reliable cup before the heat breaks
- a row of buckwheat where a bed has emptied, it brings the bees and feeds the soil for fall
bad neighbors
- another round of squash where the first one suffered, the bug eggs are already waiting
- garlic dropped in among the new peas, the peas will be small and bitter for it
- never put fall brassicas where the spring brassicas stood, the cabbage worms remember the place
kitchen
in season
- eat outside if there is a breeze
- watermelon with salt, the oldest summer trick
- it is too hot to cook, so don't
- can or freeze what you cannot eat, winter will want it
tonight
- cold soups, gazpacho, things from the fridge
putting up
- corn off the cob, blanched four minutes, then frozen. corn cannot be water-bath canned safely. it must go in a pressure canner or stay in the freezer.
- peaches in july. can in light syrup, peel and freeze, brandy a few jars for winter.
foraging
- sumac berries, the red fuzzy clusters. steep in cold water for a drink like pink lemonade.
- wild plums, small and tart, good for jam and nothing else.
- jewelweed, the orange-flowered plant near creeks. crush the stem for poison ivy relief.
- passionflower vine, blooming wild. the flower makes a calming tea.
midsummer foraging is abundance and sweat. bring a bucket and water. the blackberries alone will keep you busy for weeks.
folklore
the buck moon, the thunder moon. the dog days begin when sirius rises with the sun. the old farmers blamed the star for the heat. it is not the star. but the name stuck.
calendula flowers, steeped in oil for weeks. makes a healing salve for cracked hands and dry skin. midsummer medicine is first aid. the garden and the woods are handing out scratches, bites, heat, and rashes. have your remedies ready.
stink bugs arriving. they want your tomatoes. they will get some.