Tonight I found myself wondering what I’d been doing all summer since my time in the garden has been negligible. After dinner, I had Pete give me a garden tour. This was like checking out a place I’d never been, and as a matter of fact, I have not spent much time in the garden.

This was not by choice. It happened because I’ve been so busy with the book project.

So Pete did show me around. We began with his showing me the upper garden, which contains the perennials that Becky gave us as well as kale and lettuce. Also, rhubarb. The plants looked good, but the area was weedy.

High tunnel in spring

We next moseyed downhill, over to the middle garden, the one that contains the hoop house, the orchard area, the potato bed, and the peas, of which was pointed out to me, there are two kinds. The produce looked good, but it was weedy.

We spent some time in the hoop house, what with the squash leaves being very large, makes it look like a jungle. Pete pointed out to me that the strawberries on the right hand side of the interior of the hoop house have lots of flowers, meaning that they’ll soon have berries. There are no white buds on the strawberry plants on the left had side of the shelter. The peach trees are not giving us peaches this year. The tomatoes are ripening; we’ll have a good crop. Everything looked good, but the area was weedy.

Pete next showed me his orchard, with its numerous apple trees and cherry tree, and saskatoon bush and raspberry patch, and honeybush berries. The bees also live in this area.

We then waltzed over to the lower garden. Here, in the greenhouse, the basil did really well this year, and the tomatoes are now red on the vine. Everything looked good, but the area was weedy.

Lastly, we took a look at the raised bed garden. The carrots that I planted (the only thing) never came up. I have this theory that Bugs Bunny took the seeds to an undisclosed location. Everything looked good but the area was weedy.

Pete definitely has the garden gene. If I have it, it’s a recessive trait.

Done, I went to clean the horse pen.

The questions that hung in the air the entire time I was doing this tour was, what was I doing with my time this summer, and how was it that Pete had the time to do as much as he did? I can account for my time, but I can’t account for the fact that I was inattentive, to the degree that I was seeing things (or so it seemed) for the first time, ever. Pete did a lot – he would have done more if it weren’t for the book project. Additionally, he did take off three times this summer – the last time, a week ago, the weeds flourished in his absence.

Every year I say that next year will be different. And maybe next year things will be different. I’m not putting money on this.

Next: 221. 8/13/23: Clockwork