![\"CIMG6793\"](\"http:\/\/cocktailfarmers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/CIMG6793-e1376064533290.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe’ve lost a couple of squash plants – due to powdery mold, bugs or both, it’s not clear, but we’ve successfully harvested zucchini pretty consistently since the middle of July.\u00a0 Of our 6 plants, 3 are producing – all zucchini – and we’re keeping up with consuming what we’re picking.\u00a0 We’ll stick with the 6 plant plan for next year, because if everything does well we’ll have to give stuff away even at that low number.\u00a0 We’ve come quite a way from the days of 6 of both types of plants.\u00a0 Those were some dark times – for us, and the neighbors.<\/p>\n The tomatoes this year are amazing.\u00a0 Our sungold plants are over 6 feet tall, and so heavy we’ve taken to leaning the cages against the fence and lashing them in place:<\/p>\n Our peas this year have been somewhat anemic – Mr. Big Pea produced enough peas for a sandwich bag, and the sugar snap lagged further behind that.\u00a0 Which is interesting, given that we rotated them to a different part of the garden and we used a soil inoculant to help the plants live longer.\u00a0 Currently they start to die off just as the pods begin to form, so instead of being indeterminant, we get one harvest.\u00a0 J yanked out all the Mr. Big Pea plants earlier this week and planted a second crop, something we’ve never done before.\u00a0 We estimate about 7 to 8 weeks before we’re at a huge risk for frost, although the last 2 years we’ve had snow near Halloween, which is about twelve weeks away.\u00a0 We had the seeds for planting, so we figured we’d give it a shot.\u00a0 Also planted this weekend – the third crop of lettuce, and more parsley, cilantro and basil. I’ve picked pretty much what we have, so if I want stuff for the fall, I had to replant.\u00a0 I’m also hoping for enough basil to do a little pesto this year, and freeze it.<\/p>\n We’ve had a lot of rain this summer, punctuated but spells of hot, sunny weather, which has been enormously helpful to the garden, and to our non-farmed yard.\u00a0 It has never looked this nice this late in the summer since we moved in.\u00a0 And as I write this, it’s raining again, after a week of sunny 80-something days:<\/p>\n I’m sure in years to come we will look back on this season fondly.\u00a0 Except for the peas.\u00a0 And that rabbit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So while we’ve had a few problems this year (see also: rabbit in fenced garden, bugs) it’s turning out to be an amazing year: We’ve lost a couple of squash plants – due to powdery mold, bugs or both, it’s not clear, but we’ve successfully harvested zucchini pretty consistently since the middle of July.\u00a0 Of … Continue reading A banner year<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n