We finally had a weekend without rain, so my landscaper, RT, and his son were able to come on Saturday and construct my three new raised beds. The corner blocks and the wood have been sitting around since June, but we are finally done. I had the drainage contractor dump some of the leftover dirt on that bed, so they were able to fill the new beds without having to haul any soil in. They worked hard as the soil was still wet and heavy from the September rains.

The third bed is taller than the other two since I’ll build a top for it with transparent plastic film so that I can use it for a cold frame in the spring for early plants and in the fall for late greens and other fall vegetables. We put stepping stones between the beds so I can walk between the beds without getting muddy and not have to deal with growing and maintaining grass between the beds.

While the landscapers were working on the raised beds, I was able to pull out all of the spent garden plants, the stakes, tomato cages and misc. supports. I even got one bed completely cleaned up. I still need to till or turn over the other bed and area where the tomatoes are planted.

I also need to add sand, lime and peat moss and other organic material to the new raised beds and work that into the soil.

Much further along than last year when rain and an early freeze and snow precluded any cleanup and made for a very late gardening start this year.

I bought some Cucamelon seeds from Terroir this spring but never got them in due to the wet weather. Fortunately, I found a pot of them at Countryside and got them planted in early July, which was quite late.

They grew, slowly at first, and now taking over the whole fence around the cucumber bed. Everything else in the garden has been pulled up, but they are still going strong.

They are typically about 1 1/2 inches long and they taste like a cucumber. The only downside is that the skin is slightly tough.

I’ve been eating them as I walk through the garden. They get a little soft after a day in the refrigerator, so they don’t keep well. I will try and pickle the ones left on the vine and see if they turn out good that way.

I’ll plant them again next year, but from Terroir’s seeds and see if those turn out a little better.

I planted 15 Roma tomato plants. They had the largest, most beautiful Roma tomatoes I’d ever seen. I got 4 or 5 tomatoes, he ate the rest. I had 16 heirloom tomato plants, loaded with tomatoes. We barely got enough for our needs. He climbs fences easily, or lifts them up and crawls under. One day I saw him walking along the top of the chain-link fence on his way to Greg’s garden. Fortunately, for him, he’s a cute little critter…

I’ve been a vegetable gardener since we bought our first house in 1972. Record keeping is important to me as I evaluate varieties of plants, planting times, and what works in this climate and terroir and what doesn’t. So, I initially built this site for myself, to record plant varieties, planting and harvest dates, and anything else that might be useful for future gardens. I find web entries easier than notebooks and it’s hard to put pictures in written notes. With my smartphone, I can access this information anywhere, which is not the case with written data.

Planting and working the garden is in itself therapeutic, and thus has a lot of value. But harvesting the crops provides healthy foods and a connection to friends and neighbors who also benefit from the abundance of my garden. Here in the midwest, having a way to create a longer growing season is important. Hopefully, good record keeping will help me to that end.

But of course, once the data is recorded, there other thoughts and reflections that come into my mind and I have recorded those here also, because, as it has been since the beginning, gardening is not only good for the body but also good for the soul. My original purpose was an online notebook for my own use, but if you find any of this useful or inspirational, welcome.

In September we were finally able to complete a massive drainage project to keep our yard and basement dry from the increased rains that we may be experiencing due to climate change. Ather a summer of topographic maps and engineering. the project is finally complete thanks to Natalie, Engineer, Jason Doland and contractor Gabriel, Inc.

The project is functional as well as beautiful.

The septic tank was reinforced with concrete and rebar as part of the project. The top of the tank is now exposed due to re-grading. I will cover the top with a sectional wooden lath deck that will be easily removable when the tank needs service. the deck will have potted vegetable plants on it. The herb garden near the fence was removed during construction. and a new one will be built within the loop of the dry creek.

Picked a couple of Romas before the groundhog got to them as well as some peppers and zucchini. Cucumbers are doing very well.

The groundhog has been after the Roma tomatoes which are starting to ripen, so I fenced them in before he trashed the crop. They are the biggest I’ve ever seen. I need to talk to Lee Goebbert to see if they are a different variety..

I also closed up the cucumber patch since some of the leaves were chewed on and a couple of cucumbers were chomped upon. Don’t know whether to blame the groundhog or the rabbits.

I picked four champion tomatoes today along with the first mortgage lifter. I will probably need to fence in the tomato patch also.

Cherry and grape tomatoes are coming in heavy, starting to pick a variety of peppers. Shishitos are doing well, but no flowers on the Jalapeno plants, so no new peppers.

Finally, a zucchini is almost ready and there should be eggplant to cook next week.

Picked the first batch of Shishito peppers today and couldn’t wait to get them into the wok. I fry them at medium-high heat in a couple tablespoons of toasted sesame oil until they blister on all sides and then sprinkle them with kosher salt. You eat everything but the stem and they are luscious.

I planted 10 plants. I hope that will be enough.