dark furrow
a quiet almanac of soil and sky
night, the thirtieth of july
midsummer
the full weight of summer.
everything is ripe or ripening or done.
shade beneath the oakthe only cool place to sitthe dog already knows
sky
warm and loud with insects. sleep with the windows open or don't sleep.
- full moon, 98% lit
- sunrise 6:21 am · sunset 8:20 pm
- 13h 59m of daylight (-1.6 minutes from yesterday)
- civil dusk 8:49 pm · sailor's dark 9:23 pm · true dark 10:00 pm
the moon is full. plant root crops: carrots, potatoes, beets, onions, garlic. the energy is pulling downward now. bulbs and perennials go in well under a full moon.
the perseid meteors begin in late july, peaking in august, bits of comet swift-tuttle
a cloudburst. not just rain but the whole sky falling at once. half an inch in ten minutes. the ditches fill, the creek jumps its bank, and then it stops. the sun comes out like nothing happened.
garden
in the ground now
- second planting of beans if you have the space
- harvest in the morning before the heat sets in
- let some herbs bolt and flower for the bees
- save seeds from what did well, close the circle
this week
- stake and tie anything that is leaning. the weight of fruit will snap a stem.
- order garlic for fall planting now. the good varieties sell out early.
good neighbors
- a few sunflowers at the north end of the bed, where the shade falls on no one important
- a row of buckwheat where a bed has emptied, it brings the bees and feeds the soil for fall
- borage left to flower fully, it is the bees' last reliable cup before the heat breaks
bad neighbors
- do not return tomatoes to last year's tomato ground, the soil is asking for three years of rest
- never put fall brassicas where the spring brassicas stood, the cabbage worms remember the place
- fennel anywhere near the new bean rows, the seedlings will sulk all the way to fall
kitchen
in season
- cold soups, gazpacho, things from the fridge
- watermelon with salt, the oldest summer trick
- it is too hot to cook, so don't
- eat outside if there is a breeze
tonight
- can or freeze what you cannot eat, winter will want it
putting up
- tomatoes are the work of july and august. add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to every jar. some tomatoes sit above the safe acid line and the lemon makes them water-bath safe.
- watermelon rind makes a sweet pickle. the south figured this out a long time ago. nothing wasted.
foraging
- passionflower vine, blooming wild. the flower makes a calming tea.
- wild plums, small and tart, good for jam and nothing else.
- jewelweed, the orange-flowered plant near creeks. crush the stem for poison ivy relief.
- sumac berries, the red fuzzy clusters. steep in cold water for a drink like pink lemonade.
midsummer foraging is abundance and sweat. bring a bucket and water. the blackberries alone will keep you busy for weeks.
folklore
the buck moon, the thunder moon. the dog days begin when sirius rises with the sun. the old farmers blamed the star for the heat. it is not the star. but the name stuck.
a simple electrolyte: water, honey, salt, lemon juice. better than anything in a bottle. midsummer medicine is first aid. the garden and the woods are handing out scratches, bites, heat, and rashes. have your remedies ready.
cicadas, loud enough to drown out thought. they are harmless.