Garden update

After the cow invaded the garden (see 22/07/05 entry) we feared that many vegetables were lost (eaten or trampled). Now, a month on I’m pleased to report that many have recovered and started producing more food for us.

Most of the tomatoes that were knocked over were tied up to posts and continued to grow. Although the main growth is dying off, they are producing side shoots that I would normally pick off. These have flowered and starting to bear fruit.

Pepper plants that were eaten back to the stem leaving a 6 or 10 inch stick have produced new leaves and several have small peppers growing again. The cabbage plants are the only things that have failed to recover (so far).

The melons are still growing, but quite small and green so far. I noticed one this morning that suddenly was turning yellow as if it were ripening, although it was very small. I touched it to see if it was becoming soft and it just rolled away! The insects eat their way through leaves and just now and again they eat through the stem of a plant. The melon had been neatly severed and left lying amongst the leaves.

I’m pleased to be able to say that it was very sweet and juicy. Looking forward to picking many more now!

End of summer?

Each morning when I get up, one of the first jobs is to water the garden. I usually try to do this before 8am, sometimes as early as 6 if I’m awake. I’m not sure if being awake this early is the penalty of years of work when I would have to be up that early or it’s just one of those things that happens as you get old!

We have been putting off going shopping in Kalamata for several days as it’s been very hot, just hopeful for a cooler day. The forecast for today (Friday) was about 5-6 degrees below temperatures for the last week and maybe a strong breeze that might make it feel more comfortable.

So, this morning I woke just before 7 and went outside as usual. Instead of the warm feel to the air that has that certainty of another hot, humid day on the way, I realised that the air felt distinctly fresher. It suddenly reminded me of being young, and waking to this day each year where you felt the change in the atmosphere; you knew then that the days of summer are now numbered. You know that the days ahead will still be very hot, but heat of summer is slowly ebbing away.

Why is this so significant to me this year? I realised that over the years while I was working I had ceased to notice these ‘events’, probably because of the ‘pressure’ of working. Now life is simple again (well, almost) I can notice the simple things around me again. Moving here has worked!