Zucchini Plants Have Died

The zucchini plants are dead, a whole row of them. Even though, i might say, "Finally!" i also feel sad. Zucchini season is over. Summer is ending. September has arrived.

The plants had been aging quickly, perhaps due to the drought, these past couple of weeks. And now kaput.

So, let me have a memorial service for zucchini. We harvested a handful every day for about 6 weeks. And gave them away like crazy. Bill took a basketful to his Sunday church and another basketful to his Wednesday evening church. I took a basket of zucchini wherever i went and handed them out. Did you know there are actually people who do not grow zucchini? Hard to believe, but thank goodness. These were the people who were happy to receive a zucchini or two. Oh, zucchini. You made so many people so happy.

The Elements of the Season

My rule-of-(green)-thumb is to plant and transplant in May and stop the first weekend in June when the weather becomes too warm and dry. Usually Mother Nature supplies enough rain--9 inches--in May that i can be casual about watering my dozens of transplants.

This year, however, May is a drought. The date of the last frost was May 8. Since then we've had a few sprinkles adding up to a mere 3 inches of rain for May. With a string of 90 degree days, this so-called spring feels more like summer. I find myself drawn to contemplate the elements: earth, water, air, and fire.

We could think of the elements as states of matter-solid, liquid, and gas, and the heat needed to transmute them from one state to another (ice to water to steam).

The heat of the season is driving water into haze. Morning dew evaporates into humidity.

It's time to water the dry earth in the gardens, and i fortunately have a well that delivers 12 gallons a minute.

Earth, water, air and summer--sounds like gardening to me.