Posted by oakandsage on 2013-06-20 20:50:48 UTC

Got way behind on my summer planting due to cherry season starting a few weeks early. On the other hand I have 50 lbs of cherries canned, so that's good.

You guys, the new Pomona's low-sugar jam book (which I am, er, using with Ball low-sugar pectin) is awesome. Cherry-port preserves. Serious crack. Everyone loves them.

The earwigs are slowing down and the plants in my garden are starting to recover from the attacks. Some did not make it but enough melons made it that I had to actually thin the mound. And the tomatoes are doing well, which is of course the important thing. And the chard survived except for the one plant that bolted, and it's now putting out new leaves that actually have, you know, some leaf on them. Like something you might be able to eat.

In honor of maybe being able to plant things without them getting devoured, last weekend I frantically went to the hardware store (I was far too busy to make it to the garden center) and bought the only pepper they had that looked like it might survive the week. I planted it far away from my other nightshades you may be sure! Also the least sad squash, and two basil plants.

So far so good. But this weekend I need to get to the garden center and locate a cucumber, and some better peppers and an eggplant.

Oh, also something is eating one onion per day from below, and then filling in the tunnel behind it. I can't figure out what it is. I wish it would not eat my onions. It ate some of my garlic too. I think that next year I may put my alliums in pots.