Yes, these last few weeks we have been inundated with early, early special offers from our favorite bulb catalogues and websites. The heart swoons as we think about the spring treasures to come next year.
Then one steps back — but, of course, after submitting our dream orders — and realizes the craziness of it all. Here, in the heat and bounty-fullness of August, we are planning for next spring’s flowers? Once again, we can acknowledge that gardeners know no shame.
The people who work as addiction specialists haven’t found us yet in their researches, but we certainly might fall within their criteria — no? This year, I am after Alliums, after seeing such a heart-stopping display this year in England. Their bright globes bring such a wonderful, vertical element.
The bulb purveyors want an amazing fortune for each “Allium Globe Master” bulb — I think three will be quite enough. However, there is a remarkable range of other Alliums, and some of the more demure ones I want to try, especially for their contrast to the other big, colorful and wonderful thugs.
Do read the fine print, however, for several of the Allium bulb descriptions state that the bulbs naturalize very rapidly — another way to read this is to say they spread like a wildfire. That can be good news or bad news, depending upon your garden space. I wish my snowdrops — said to naturalize well — would spread like a wildfire.
I have dealt with plant invaders over the years in my garden. Some will never be eradicated (acanthus), while others, with due diligence, will become lost to history. If your garden is a place for you to become lost to all cares, then an invasive plant can become an old friend, and your dueling natures will bring a quiet amusement.
Abundant garden recipes
Now back to the present for a moment. We all know that our productive gardens need to be cropped every day. Should a day pass without cropping, the sweet, small zucchinis will have taken on gigantic proportions and the tomatoes will have over-ripened, while the bush beans will drag their tails in the soil.
Aside from batches of zucchini bread for the freezer, there are many recipes for Ratatouille Provencale, which is a wonderful mixture of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic (lots of garlic for me), and some recipes include peppers. This is all stewed together with good olive oil, and some say that, in the end, it looks like a Braque still-life.
There is nothing better during the deepest, darkest, coldest months of winter when you can bring this out, reheat, place a fresh poached egg on top and smother it with grated parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper. The warm summer memories come flooding back.
Find your own versions/recipes for, eventually, you can make a pot of ratatouille with totally different balances of ingredients, depending upon your harvesting.
Now that you are inspired to get those zucchinis harvested before they become huge and woody in texture, you will find great pleasure in watching your pumpkins and other winter squash grow in girth every day! I hope that you can find in your casa a place to hold these food treasures through the late autumn and into the winter months. With all the bounty we are surrounded with now, it is difficult to remember how sparse the local crops become later in the year.
Yes, it is hard and consuming work to become a locavore. The guilt trip from “them that know best” is truly overwhelming. However, just trying a few things that interest you can bring you great and smug satisfaction — trust me!
Most importantly, we have only a few more weeks of mild and benign weather. Let’s stop our frenetic lives. Let’s look at the light, feel the warmth on our shoulders and delight in the bounty that comes from the healthy earth.
Later, we will need to save our seeds and make sure that GMO products are, in fact, clearly labeled.
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