The ghost of summers past

Posted on | October 15, 2007 | 3 Comments

I managed to get the garlic planted before sundown yesterday. About 150 cloves, I think, in three rows in the bed where the potatoes grew all summer, tucked between the two rows of asparagus. I figure I won’t want to plant anything that needs major maintenance there for next summer because the asparagus will be even more active and I don’t want to have to disturb those babies. The garlic will get a hefty layer of mulched leaves and straw once the sprouts poke up, which will hopefully keep the violets at bay.

I also planted a bunch of the tiny stuff I had from the old house that I may just use as green garlic in the spring. Somewhere around here I have a bag of the tiny flower buds that I had intended to use for green garlic, but I suspect it might have found its way to the trash.

None of my fall plantings made it through the gauntlet of rabbits, drought and heat. Only the arugula is still standing, but that hasn’t grown past the three inch tall mark in a month, so I doubt it will do much more now. I’m wishing I’d planted it in one of the cold frames instead of in the garden, so I could toss a window over the top and give it a better chance. Oh, and I noticed that some mustard seed I scratched into a bare patch is nearly big enough to eat, but there’s so little of it, I’m not sure what I would do other than toss a few leaves in with salad.

The days wind down so quickly now, and the sun is at such an angle that any clouds skidding across the sky create long shadows that dart across my peripheral vision. All weekend I felt as if I was seeing things—catching ghosts sliding in and out of view—but turning to find nothing. Haunted. This was most disconcerting during the hour I was at home alone yesterday, puttering around the kitchen making chicken soup and washing dishes. Several times I swore someone was standing by the back door looking in, but turned and it was just a shadow moving past.

The tall glass of wine I had with dinner helped.

[tags] garlic, planting garlic, ghosts, autum [/tags]

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