Here are ten suggestions on what to do when the squash days come to an end and it’s too hot to garden.
10. Harvest tomatoes. I picked another dozen tomatoes this evening but left the cherry tomatoes to pick tomorrow. I was strolling through the garden without a basket or trug to put anything in, so I carried the tomatoes in my stretched out t-shirt. Has anyone else done that?
9. Pick the last of the squash. Every day, I think there can be no more squash, and there is more squash. Tonight I picked four more ‘Cue Ball’ squash, and I swear there were none out there last night. It is like magic. Poof, they appear overnight. They weren’t kidding around when they said these were prolific producers.
8. Wander through the garden and jot down notes on what might be blooming for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, on the 15th of the month.
You all remember how Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day works, don’t you? You post on your own blog what is blooming in your garden on the 15th of the month, then come here to May Dreams Garden and leave a comment on my bloom day post so everyone can find you. All are welcome. If you are new to garden blogging or haven’t joined in before, don’t be shy, show us your blooms!
7. Find the perfect salsa recipe to use up all the tomatoes and peppers you are now picking. Or if you don’t grow tomatoes, go to the local farmers’ market and buy some good tomatoes. Anyone have a good, sure-fire, can’t miss, fairly hot salsa recipe they would like to recommend? I like my salsa to be sneaky… starts off tasting mild and almost sweet, then explodes with heat in your mouth. How do you like yours?
6. Read a garden mystery book for the Garden Bloggers’ Book Club August-September meeting and then to be the first to post your review. I won’t post the virtual meeting post until September 30th, but it’s okay to be early! Just let me know when you’ve posted your review.
5. Plan a lunch with a friend who has gone on a vacation where she visited lots of gardens so she can show you all her pictures. My friend went to England and sent me this picture she took at Hampton Court.
I didn’t even know she was going to England until she got back! We do need to catch up.
4. Write up notes now about what you want to do different in the garden next year. (I will plant less squash, I will plant less squash.) Put the notes where you can find them early next spring or better yet, post them on your blog so we can all read them, and maybe get some new ideas and learn from your mistakes.
3. Go back and read your posts from last winter to remind yourself how cold it can get, if it gets cold where you live. If you weren’t blogging last winter, or you live where it doesn’t get particularly cold, you are welcome to read my posts from last winter.
2. Go out in the blogosphere and find some new garden blogs, through comments, Google searches, Garden Voices, or someone else’s link list like Annie’s or Kathy’s or Stuart’s gardening blog directory. Then leave a nice comment to introduce yourself.
1. Think of ten other things gardeners and garden bloggers can do when it is too hot to do anything outside and post a list on your blog.
That’s my list, what’s on your list?
Maybe in past generations aprons were used to carry in the produce, but my stretched-out T-shirt works fine, too. It was just a few tomatoes, Carol, but I pretended it was a harvest.
My neighborhood in NW Austin got up to 100.6ºF today, which is pretty hot, but nothing like last summer. I hand watered early, then did some repotting in the shade and some cutting back of tired perennials. And yes, I did look around and try to guess what would be in bloom for the 15th.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I used my t-shirt when I was a kid. Unfortunately I can’t remember what I harvest, and luckily neither I remember what my mother said about it…
Squash are viral! They grow like hell, set fruits like hell, and if you don’t pick them in time the fruit’ll become giant and unedible. There is a good sponge cake recipe wich involves squash, but I loose it every time I get hold of it. (I’ll try to find it again. I promise.)
Carol, as I said before, when you guys were little I would bake cookies. Chocolate or spice or what ever, & add a cup of shredded zuchinni. You can see it in the cookie, but it doesn’t change the taste and it does bulk it up so you get more cookies per batter. A good way to get rid of zuchinni
Carol: Of course on the T Shirt…I still have the stains from carrying squash with the squishy blossoms on the end! Universal trug! As for what to do when it is hot and it is never as hot here as there? Drink a mojito and take a nap while reading a book and do a little deadheading! Not in any particular order, of course!
Annie in Austin… A few tomatoes is a harvest, in my book!
Rosengeranium… If you find the recipe, send it my way.
Eleanor… Another good way to get rid of zucchini is to take it in to work. So many people don’t garden that they are willing, wanting, to take my extra zucchini.
Layanee… I love it, “Universal trug”… yes that’s what our t-shirts really are!
Thanks all for the comments,
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
I try to pick the zucchini before they are too big, that way there aren’t too many of them. When I am finally completely done with the whole summer squash idea, I go out there and pull the plants up and put them in the “to be ground up for mulch” pile, and ipso facot, presto chango, NO MORE summer squash!
I have been taking notes for gbbd too. It’s too hot to weed.
Wait! Don’t plant less squash, plant more and send some to me! I have a horrible time with squash – I might get a few early in the season, but then they get attacked by all sorts of evil diseases. I just planted several hills of crookneck a few weeks ago – thought I’d try late season for a change. The seedlings were gorgeous but the plants already look funny.
So the heat index at 6 pm was 118 degrees here, and we’ve been in the low 100s for several days. I need to mow desperately but just haven’t had the motivation – so I go around and water things that I’ve recently planted – a few new hydranges and salvias – and I marvel at the things in my garden that don’t seem to mind these hot days at all (my sunflowers are growing a foot a day and I have several vines that are growing like crazy). I planted alot in the spring – and somethings that aren’t supposed to tolerant dry soils very much (the silverbell) – so I’m trying to keep those going.
Oh – and I’m making pesto. And eating peppers. The basil and peppers and eggplants are still quite happy.
And I’m reading Harry Potter. Slowly.
It took me 3 minutes but I found it. Thanks again for the information this afternoon, I appreciate you taking the time!!!!
Your blog is exceptional; good luck with it and continue making the world a better gardening place!
Carol, I finally had a harvest, and yes I carried it up to the kitchen in my shirt, but I only had to use the pocket.
My ten things to do when it’s too hot to garden are the same things I do all the time anyway, sit and look at it, ten times over!