catharsis

The garden is so beautiful as the gladiolas and cosmos continue to bloom and the gorgeous sunflowers come into their full glory. Many of the squash plants succumbed to powdery mildew but even in their decay they look pretty in contrast with the green hues of their neighbors. I didn't do anything to combat the powdery mildew because it is usually not a serious problem. I have heard, though, that milk can help to curb the spread of powdery mildew. Baking soda is also commonly recommended for powdery mildew control. Despite the proximity of the infected squash vines to the ageratum plants I am growing for varietal research for the University of Minnesota (they are the purple flowers on the right center of the second picture), the ageratum has not been infected at all. This is good news for the proprietors of Aloha Blue, Blue Mink, Pink Mink, Blue Planet, and Fields Blue ageratum.

Six watermelons live in the garden, and three are as large as basketballs! Those three are a heritage variety called Moon and Stars. I am so impressed with the beauty and size of these watermelons that I would like to continue growing them indefinitely. That is, as long as they taste good! I haven't tasted them yet because I want to pick them at the perfect time. There are three indicators of watermelon ripeness that I know of. One is that the blossom end (the end furthest from the stem) blushes yellow. Another is that the curly tendril on the vine near the stem will turn brown. Also, when tapped, the watermelon makes a hollow sound like a drum. So far the Moon and Stars watermelons meet only one of these criteria (the hollow sound). The top photo was taken about a month ago and this watermelon has grown even bigger since then (I'm not exaggerating when I say it's as big as a basketball).

I put my rain barrel in a rather inconvenient place, next to a clump of stinging nettles. I was trying to move it when I noticed a couple of insects hanging out on the nettles. If you are not familiar with stinging nettles (Urtica dioica), it is a plant in the mint family that will make your skin burn anywhere it touches you. Stinging nettles are one of the biodynamic compost preparations. They are high in iron and will increase the iron content of your compost if you add them to the pile (wear thick gloves!). The biodynamic preparation is made by burying nettles in the ground for several months. As I tried to move the full rain barrel to move the spigot away from the nettles I noticed a tough, spiky, goth-looking caterpillar chomping away on the leaves. I was impressed with what a bad ass this guy was, and then I saw a grasshopper chomping away on a neighboring stinging nettle plant. I reluctantly conceded that my sworn adversary is also quite the bad ass. This grasshopper and I "had a moment together" and I decided to stop killing its kind. Humans can eat stinging nettles too, but we need to cook them first. This apparently takes away the sting.

I have heard from some of the elders on the reservation that our yard was once occupied by a car mechanic. He made a really nice garage with an oil change pit basement and a drive-through stall, but he also used to store cars in the back yard on their sides. One elder used to have tomato fights with a friend as a boy, using tomatoes from a neighbor's yard and shielding himself behind the upturned cars. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those cars are now buried under the garden. Every time it rains, I find more glass in the soil. I also find random pieces of rusty metal from time to time. I'm not especially worried about this since I am using biodynamics to help heal the soil, and I know that the soil will always have enough iron in it!

I started making lip balm this week using some of the herbs from the garden. There are a few upcoming events where I will have an opportunity to sell my wares. I have been wanting to make a cold sore-fighting lip balm for years now and I finally learned how to make lip balm a couple of months ago. It's actually pretty easy. I used olive oil and beeswax as a base and added antiviral superstars ginger, licorice, goldenseal, and lemon balm. Fortunately I don't need to test its efficacy, but now I have a new line of defense and I'm excited for that. I'm also excited to share it with others who may find it helpful. Other products I will have for sale include catmint cat toys, reusable cloth maxipads, herb bunches, several varieties of winter squash, flower bouquets, and chocolate mint lip balm. I would like to find a product that works and sells well, and narrow my focus a bit to increase the quality and quantity of what I produce. Currently I'm in the trial and error stage, but fortunately I still have a job outside the home.