This Week in the Victory Garden

    Warm weather brings us to a new phase of gardening. Spring crops have found their way to the pantry as summer crops start making their appearance. Pretty marigolds line the pathways in our victory garden. Their bright colors draw in the fluttering butterflies and busy bees.

    Tender spring lettuces have gone to seed and made their way to the grazing yard; the flock and herd have long transformed them into eggs and milk. In their place hearty kale stays strong in the soil offering hearty flavor and bold nutrients.

    As spinach struggles with the climbing temperatures, beautiful rainbow chard starts to thrive. The bright stems and colorful leaves grace our table in tasty sautes and crunchy salads.

    Tucked beneath a canopy of large leaves yellow squash and green zucchini grow and curl. The struggle is to get them before the rabbits do..I have a pesky little brown rabbit sneaking through the fence these days and he is rather greedy.

    Green tomatoes hand heavy on the vines; the tiniest hint of blush has fallen across the Indigo rose tomatoes while little harvests of Sungold and Juliette have just started.

       The green beans had taken off and just started to be hearty when a pesky thunderstorm come through laying them over and breaking a few stalks. Strenuous efforts have been made to upright the healthy ones and encourage them along with some nourishment and care.

    Sunflowers are already full of seed and starting to droop. Beautiful round heads of seed are just showing signs of seed maturity turning from pale yellow to rich dark black. The hens pace the fence in anticipation of tasty sunflower treats.

       While most of the spring crop rows are covered with mulch and left to rest in the summer heat, a few gourd and southern bean seeds are peaking through here and there to add nitrogen to the soil and keep the soil in tact.

        Daily walks through the garden reveal the bounties of summer, but the trials also. Army worms and stink bugs plague the vines while grasshoppers and katydids hop from leaf to leaf. The constant battle between nature and man continues.