Around the Garden, Early August

We didn't need to go all the way to Baxter State Park to see a moose, 

When one walked right through our garden while we were gone.

(Close-up of its track above, the pair of them longer than my foot; tracks through our poor woodchuck-demolished beans here).

In other garden news, the cucumber flowers are flourishing,

Along with some beautiful borage. 

I harvested my garlic, right on time for once. Only about half as many bulbs came out of the ground as cloves went in last fall, but they're beauties.

Being one who loves flowers, but is too lazy to actually plant or take care of them, I'm loving this black-eyed Susan that sprang up under the deck.

The chard is coming along and, ever so slowly the tomatoes (about half are self-starts transplanted from the compost pile and the other half C direct-seeded into the ground. We could use some good sunny weather to get them moving along while summer lasts).

Broccoli, I think, is enjoying this cool rainy weather, however.

As are the blueberries. (These are on Blueberry Tree--the world's hugest high bush blueberry bush. I brought home 20 pounds of farm-raised blueberries last night, most of which I froze, making some into jam. Two of my jars didn't seal, and when I tried re-boiling them, on jar broke. I've had the worst jam luck this year!).

Our peach tree died over the winter, after one glorious harvest last year. Inside the house, fruit flies have taken over despite not much fruit for them to eat (oh, but that compost bowl!). They'll be happy to know I'm on schedule to pick up ten quarts of plums, which means more jam attempts (perhaps better luck!?). Any other ideas for preserving plums?

The big darner dragonflies have taken wing, and I'm starting to get that clingy, panicky late-summer feeling of oh no, it's almost over. Trying to breathe deeply. Crossing fingers for more sun and more beach days and lots of ripe goodness from the garden.

How does your garden grow?