Leave a garden for a week during a heatwave, and this may be the only happy thing left. It’s pretty clear that some of these plants just didn’t even make an effort to stay around, resentful little wimps that they are. Apparently, they are not fond of pre-teen neighbor attention, and went all drought drama queen on her. Some supposedly fantastic basil variety just decided life wasn’t worth living without me. Really, BASIL? Are you not aware of your own horticultural roots (so to speak)? Your cousins over in the container seemed to be happy to continue living, while you decided that suicide was the only option. Whatever. Let’s just say that you have not earned a spot in the Peachy garden of 2013.
Our Purple Heart goes to our darling dear one, the erstwhile fighter of a cherry tomato, little Sungold. Before I snapped this shot, her eight or so sisters had already been snatched up and gobbled down by a kid who has fallen hook, line, and sinker for the propaganda that these things are as sweet as candy! In this case, it is actually true. And intensified by the crazy heat and lack of rain. These babies on a pizza are insanely delicious.
If I were an urban farmer, like our neighbors down the street, I would be in severe danger of not making the grade right now. Edible flowers don’t put up so well for the winter. As it stands, I am grateful for the opportunity to support those local farmers who didn’t go away last week, and whose crops didn’t throw the white flag up quite so quickly. In the meantime, I am giving cool showers to all those folks in my yard who decided to stick around and give August a shot.