July in the Garden
Here's a glimpse of what's growing in the garden this month!
What a SWEET sight: the first of the sweet corn has arrived! I have only raised about 12 plants this year in the new, 2nd Garden patch. Most of my corn energy has been focused on a large (roughly 10'x40') crop of Oaxacan Green Dent corn at the other end of the property. This dent corn makes a delicious green cornmeal, and I am so excited to incorporate it into my culinary experiments!
The Dragon's Tongue is my favorite bush bean, not only for its unique appearance (which is gorgeous as a final decoration on dinner entrees - don't cook it or the beans will lose their purple stripes!) but also for its productivity. A small patch of these beans will produce enough to feed a family of four all summer long and through the winter - assuming you preserve them, that is!
Zucchini fever has begun! While I've been getting raised eyebrows from the spouse, I planted roughly 15 zucchini plants this year, and I am looking forward to a great deal of zucchini. Unlike most of the rest of the populace, I can eat cold zucchini soup with purslane alllllllllllllllllllllllll summer long!
All of the wild Yellow Dock has gone to seed, and I have been hard at work harvesting the seeds, cleaning, winnowing, and grinding them into a delicious flour, which I then use for guest breakfasts at our B&B. I have even sold some of the flour to a local restaurant.
Over at the herb garden, the Clary Sage is in full bloom (the citrusy scent of the blossoms is amazing!) and beginning to go to seed. Normally a biennial, I tricked my Clary Sage into flowering this year by planting it out in the very early spring.
The Cordao (a relative of the Wild Dagga) is beginning to bloom! It's so gorgeous! The brilliant orange flowers are a shocking contrast to the greens of the garden.
Despite how many times I have harvested off of the plant, my Blue Vervain continues to send up new shoots and flowers. Looks like I won't need to worry about having enough dried plant to get us through the winter!
And finally, my 2-year-old Marsh Mallow plant has begun blooming. I didn't realize how beautiful mallow flowers are! Too bad they only last a day...
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