farmer's markets soothe the soul,

so I thought I'd write again and say something a little more upbeat now that I'm feeling happier. :)

For example.....

-this Saturday I'm all set to pull the summer crops in the lower garden (which are our tomatoes, some of our eggplant, some flowers, & some herbs), to clear space for our fall crops. I'm debating as to just how many of the flower and herb plants I should pull. Our zinnias are still looking soooo lovely, but they also just aren't selling well at the markets. Perhaps I'll just leave a few plants so that we'll continue to have flowers through the end of the summer.

- In the upcoming weeks, starting this Saturday or Sunday after I clear and add organic matter (compost and perhaps some organic fertilizers) to the soil, I'm going to begin our fall plantings! I'm going to plant:

• arugala, chard, collards, kale (including this glorious deep red variety), spinach, new zealand spinach, and 4 varieties of heirloom lettuce
• pumpkins... although I doubt very seriously that they'll make it because a) I'm planting them incredibly late and b) because we had such pest and disease problems in that plant family this year.
• snap peas
• beets (4 different kinds, including an heirloom called a "misato rose"), radishes (3 different varieties), and carrots (4 different heirloom varieties, including a purple variety called "dragon" and a big, fat, super hearty kind called an "oxheart"!)
• cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts
• and finally, perhaps also some fall blooming flowers, although I haven't yet done the research as to what those would be.

It's a really exciting crop list, especially since most of the seeds are from too companies that I love: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Seed Savers. They specialize in open-pollinated, heirloom seeds, many of which are also organic and many of which have been on our beloved earth for generations and generations, saved by those who grew and loved them. It's amazing to help preserve the biodiversity of crops - plus you get to try vegetables of all colors, shapes, and sizes that you've never seen before!

That's all for now, I suppose. I just got a new part-time job as a bartender in Greensboro, at this fantastic place called "College Hill." However, I have 0 experience so I have to go "practice" pouring liquor... except with liquor bottles full of water, haha.

Hope your days have been fantastic! Tune in later tonight for some veeeery delayed photos of summer crops in the upper garden.