In this issue:
- August in the Garden
- Natural Beekeeping Conference
- Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Summer Recipes
- Gardenerd Product of the Month: Gardenerd BBQ Apron
1. August in the Garden
August in warm-winter climates is the January of the rest of the gardening world…but the opposite temperature. It’s too hot to do anything in the garden (except harvest), and a lot of plants are dying anyway. This month we witness the slow decline (or in some cases, instant) of plants as they dry up, succumb to diseases, or just plain run out of gas. This is August.
In our test garden, we harvested our Glass Gem popping corn after drying it down off the stalk for several weeks. The colors are extraordinary, we can’t wait to pop a batch. We gave our container tomatoes an extra feeding and they are now flowering again. We’ll see if they set fruit in this heat. Our watermelons are setting fruit, but our other melons and squash have bit the dust. We’re sowing a quick buckwheat cover crop in their place to keep the soil happy until fall planting. We turn our focus to preserving the harvest now: tomato sauce, pesto, watermelon sorbet. See below for recipes.
With August comes a feeling of abandonment for those in dry places. As plants die away we may feel the sting of failure or loss. Soon it will pass and a new season of crops will be upon us. A time of renewal is not far off. I hope you enjoy this month no matter how it passes.
Happy Gardening,
Christy
2. Natural Beekeeping Conference
A report from May of this year showed that beekeepers lost on average 44% of their bees over winter between April 2015 and April 2016. That’s higher than last year’s losses. As home gardeners, we can help boost the bee population by keeping a hive at home. Los Angeles just legalized beekeeping late last year, too, so if you live here, now is a great time to add bees to your ecosystem.
Want to learn more about treatment-free beekeeping (no chemicals, no high-fructose corn syrup, and so much more)? Join Christy August 19-21, 2016 at the 1st annual Natural Beekeeping Conference and hang out with folks who regularly co-habitat with 50,000 or so bees. Afraid of bees? The conference will provide you with the education you need to ease your fears and better understand bee-havior. Tickets still available here. Attend the Yellow Tie Event Friday night, August 19th, and meet the speakers from the conference. Beekeeping big-wigs like Michael Bush, Lee Lusby, and Michael Thiele will be speaking. It’s where to bee this Friday night!
3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month – Summer Recipes
Harvest time is upon us and we’re bringing in tomatoes, peppers, corn, beans, squash and more from the garden. There’s only so much room in the fridge, and we can’t eat the entire harvest at once. Plus, the whole point is to save some of it for later, right? Here are some great recipes to enjoy your harvest now, and preserve some for later.
Summer Salsa – uses Roma tomatoes, chilies, onions, and cilantro
Fresh Tomato Sauce – a quick recipe for tasty tomato sauce without slaving for hours
Home Grown Chili Fries – made with poblano peppers. So delicious!
Almond or Hemp Seed Pesto – a vegan version for pesto lovers. You won’t miss the cheese.
Pumpkin Puree – get ready for holiday dishes now, you’ll love it later.
Andrew’s Kumquat Marmalade – because there are always too many kumquats
Chocolate Zucchini Bread – because you’re sick of zucchini by now (scroll down for the recipe)
Watermelon & Lime Sorbet – celebrate watermelon’s sweetness while keeping cool
Find more recipes in Gardening for Geeks.
4. Gardenerd Product of the Month – Gardenerd BBQ Apron
Cook outside to stay cool indoors. That’s the plan in August. Summer BBQs are the best, and there’s still time to get a few in before the weather cools down. Don our Gardenerd apron for stylish grilling in your garden. Your guests will know where your fresh food came from.
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Stay tuned for more tips and tidbits from Gardenerd.com. Happy summer gardening!
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