In My Garden, Mid-August

These diminutive ‘Dorsett Golden’ apples are the most hopeful thing in the garden now. The second crop will be smaller but welcomed in the fall. The summer garden wanes and many of the plants have given their best. I’m making plans for my fall-winter garden.

Powdery mildew has decimated the climbing honeynut squash plants but likely the fruit will continue to ripen.

The tomato plants suffer from various blights made worse by recent cool weather here in the fog belt. I’ve given up on pulling the diseased leaves, depending on the fresh growth at the crown to ripen the fruit below. The harvests are still bountiful.

As usually happens every summer, the ‘Chelsea Prize’ cucumber produces two to four long, slender cukes daily for weeks. Then it says “I’m done,” and looks like this.

The white corn crop yields several ears each night for dinner. About a dozen ears continue to mature.

The ‘Emerite’ pole beans produce far more slender beans than we can eat so lots to share and extras to the freezer.

A succession crop of ‘Provider’ bush beans should keep the harvest going into early fall.

A small square of arugula will be welcome as the lettuce finishes.

Only three ‘Jericho’ lettuce plants persist and their quality is marginal now, though they haven’t bolted.

French sorrel grows in a 12-inch container and supplements our salads.

And finally the zinnias, backed by the red peppers behind them, continue on as though summer will never end..