Tidying Up – A.K.A. Weeding and Mowing

This past week I've spent a fair amount of time tidying up in and around the garden. I have installed a new battery in my solar powered electric fence, so I don't need weeds around the perimeter touching the wires and draining the power from that battery. Even though I've installed weed block cloth on three sides, the weeds beyond that cloth will get tall enough for the wind to blow them into the fence. When that happens I can hear the fence zapping whatever's touching it.

Most of the ground on both sides of of the cloth had been tilled this spring so it was still soft enough to be easily worked. The places where I'd walked while checking the fence and installing the cloth were not so easily worked. The garden fork was used then. I've also walked through all my rows of desirable plants and pulled the undesirable ones. Now that it's no longer raining regularly I really shouldn't have to do much more weeding.

I know while Glasgow and the surrounding areas have all been getting some rains, our little area has not. So now the drip system is again getting a workout. The sprinkler for the lawn and flowerbeds gets run during the day and the garden is getting watered overnight, one half at a time. There are three rows in the garden that are on individual soaker hoses. They'll each get several hours of watering, usually in the evenings. My flowerpots are watered in the early evenings, when I'm too tired to do much else and it has cooled done some. I appreciate their beauty then, and they appreciate a nice drink after the long hot day. (Don't we all?)

After the big windstorm last weekend, there were multiple tree branches that required picking up before I could mow again. At least this time there weren't any huge ones downed. There were a couple places with lots of twigs that I know used to be mourning dove nests, but I think all the babies had already flown away. Most of the spaces between the garden rows are well mulched with the grass clippings. That helps conserve moisture and prevents or stunts weed growth.

When the gardening club was here, they were surprised they weren't bothered by mosquitoes. I'd attributed the lack of those pests to my population of tree swallows. Those birds are slacking. I have plenty of mosquitoes now. They aren't too bad during the heat of the day, but I prefer getting my outside chores done in the cool morning or evening hours. So the bug spray is being deployed. I've also dug out the hat on which I pinned netting around the brim. I can pull that netting down and tuck it into the neck of my shirt to keep the bugs out of my face.

The raspberries are showing color, so I expect I'll be picking them within a week. That will take care of my mornings for a few weeks. We'll eat lots of them fresh, and lots will go into the freezer for winter consumption. I both look forward to and dread this time of year.

I've been making lots of salads, too. The leaf lettuce as well as the buttercrunch heads are ready. They're supplemented with beet greens, Swiss chard, and kale. I'm still getting green onions from the last sets I put in. The netting over the pea fences is paying off as I have sugar snap peas to toss into the mix. The radishes that are still out there are trying to bolt. Now is not the time to replant those. They really don't like the heat of high summer. I've enjoyed some broccoli and summer squash, roasted in the air fryer along with the last of last summer's carrots. I haven't checked to see if I have any potatoes yet, but the blossoms on the blue fingerlings are thick, and lovely to see.

I'm going to attempt shredded chicken taco bowls in my instant pot today. I've found a few recipes online that look good. If my attempt is successful, I'll have a recipe to share next week. I'm back on the Whole Life Challenge, so healthy eating is in order for the next six weeks. No sugar and no flour. It can be done!