Most of her garden is cleared out now, but her tomatoes are still thriving. Sort of. Despite the weeds and stake neglect, they’re still producing — Whoa, Dolly, look at them go! While they may not be pretty (July heat is tough on a girl), they’re still supplying Mandie with fresh from the garden goodness.
And just look at that sweet potato! Off to a wonderful start, this plant will literally take over and fill the planter box with sumptuous golden sweets, with little or no effort on her part.
A good thing. Apparently, Mandie’s summer has been a busy one, taking them in and out-of-town and around the state. But didn’t I say, summers are for vacation?
They are indeed. But don’t forget: August starts Central Florida’s fall planting season, with pole beans, broccoli, collards, corn, onions, squash–the list goes on! In fact, I’m seeding my tomatoes right now for transplanting in September. Didn’t have good luck with my spring batch, but fall is a new season and hopefully new results.
We can all hope, can’t we? Besides, my local ag center is offering a course in master gardening which I just might check out. Would make this whole gardening adventure a lot more fruitful if I knew what I was doing. I’m mean really knew what I was doing. Then I might actually warrant Mandie calling me Master! (Not that it’s proved an obstacle, mind you, but it would make for a nice feather in my cap.)
For now, Mandie is holding her own, looking forward to starting her fall garden. This woman is hooked.
But fresh vegetables will do that to you. They not only do they taste better, but every bite’s infused with pride, pleasure, and the will to continue the process. So get ready and plan YOUR fall garden — right along with Mandie. If she can do it, YOU can do it. Trust me. Too busy means nothing until you’ve walked in this woman’s shoes.
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