Garden Vs. Weeds

Now that July is firmly here, the garden is really starting to produce. I have been able to bring down to the lodge kitchen lettuce, basil, parsley, rhubarb, and chives. It seems to disappear into the kitchen and never come to light again. Of course, I know that Chef Barry is putting it all to good use.

Then there is a bit of this fresh produce that never makes to the kitchen, the lodge kitchen that is. Bruce and I seem to get our share of fresh food. Unfortunately for the lodge, there is only enough broccoli for Bruce and I at the moment.

Also the berries are starting to ripen. This morning I made my first jars of strawberry-rhubarb jam. The last two days we have been filling up on fresh peaches, Daughter-in-law Miranda sent up a huge box from Missouri. We have eaten peaches for breakfast, made one fresh peach pie, and put up 39 jars of peach preserves. During the winter, these will be a special treat.

Bruce has been busy picking wild strawberries. They are only as big as the tip of your little finger but, oh, are they sweet. After a trip to town for more jars and Sure-Jell, they are my next project. Meanwhile the picked berries are resting safely in the freezer.

In between harvesting we are fighting the battle with weeds. Bruce has particularly been working on the tomatoes. He has weed plants bigger than his tomato plants. I think as of this afternoon he and his good buddy, Ron Malina, have finally finished weeding and staking all the tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes even have little green balls on them. When we eat these tomatoes fresh off the plant, it's like eating candy.

I have spent my time weeding the strawberries and peppers. The peppers plants had also disappeared into the weeds but they are now standing tall and in the open. Various squash are covered with blossoms. I think there may also be a few watermelon trying to grow in the northwoods. We will see what happens.

Just in case you are wondering, our grandsons Tanner Gadomski and Zach Kerfoot arrived and they are still perfect.