By Andrew Haupt
It’s been a hot couple of weeks in the mountains. Most of the garden is enjoying the weather -- some of our corn is waist high, and the potatoes are flowering. I spent quite a bit of time trellising the tomatoes and cucumbers using the low and lean method. Still battling squirrels. Something has eaten quite a bit of the squash and cucumber plants. Anything that’s unprotected gets eaten immediately, and something has even wrecked a few young goji berries, chinquapin, and hazels. I’ve become more resigned to it now.
We harvested the garlic last week, which surprisingly turned out better than expected. Pulled up around 100 bulbs from two beds, which are now hanging on the side of the house to cure. The back in ground bed did far better than the raised bed, I think because it got more sun. Garlic seems to like the sun and heat.
We replastered and painted the cob oven with clay alise -- its cracking already, so not sure how it’ll hold up once we cook in it again, but it looks nice for now... I also cut more of the dead black locust down by the meadow and made a frame for a roof over the oven area.
We repainted the mud room and I built some shoe racks and shelves, which have turned into the fermentation corner. Started a few different infused vinegars as well.
I got around 40 pounds of tart little plums that look like cherries from a neighbor, off an ornamental plum tree (the ones with the purple leaves). I’m excited to experiment with them -- Bernie started umeboshi and a syrup, and I’m planning to make a big batch of wine.
We got a 10 yard delivery of compost from Eb, The Godfather of composting in San Diego. It’s good stuff, way better already than the load we got from San Pasqual Valley soils.
I stumbled across a turkey who’s been sitting on a clutch of eggs, nestled in a thicket of poison oak and snowberries. I only noticed as I was spreading compost and heard a strange breathy hissing.
And last, I demoed the upstairs bathroom this past weekend, which is a lot less fun than it sounds. We’re planning to do tadellakt in there, and it feels like it’s going to be a longgg project...
