dark furrow
a quiet almanac of soil and sky
afternoon, the eighteenth 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
oppressive. thunderheads pile up. the storms when they come are violent and brief.
- waxing crescent, 23% lit
- sunrise 6:12 am · sunset 8:29 pm
- 14h 17m of daylight (-1.2 minutes from yesterday)
- civil dusk 8:58 pm · sailor's dark 9:34 pm · true dark 10:13 pm
the moon is waxing. plant leafy things: lettuce, spinach, cabbage, herbs that grow above ground. the light is growing and pulls the energy upward.
the summer triangle dominates: vega, deneb, altair, high and bright
heat lightning. no thunder, just the sky flickering at the horizon. the storm is too far away to hear but the light carries. the old people watched it from the porch and called it "the shimmer."
garden
in the ground now
- harvest in the morning before the heat sets in
- second planting of beans if you have the space
- the garden is giving now, keep up with it or it spoils
- save seeds from what did well, close the circle
this week
- check the compost and turn it. midsummer heat makes it cook fast.
- take notes on what worked and what failed. your memory will lie to you by winter.
good neighbors
- a row of buckwheat where a bed has emptied, it brings the bees and feeds the soil for fall
- marigolds sown thick where the brassicas will follow, they leave the ground cleaner than they found it
- a second planting of bush beans beside the cucumbers, both will run together to the frost
bad neighbors
- another round of squash where the first one suffered, the bug eggs are already waiting
- garlic dropped in among the new peas, the peas will be small and bitter for it
- never put fall brassicas where the spring brassicas stood, the cabbage worms remember the place
kitchen
in season
- cold soups, gazpacho, things from the fridge
- can or freeze what you cannot eat, winter will want it
- it is too hot to cook, so don't
- eat outside if there is a breeze
tonight
- watermelon with salt, the oldest summer trick
putting up
- the first figs come in. jam them, dry them, or bake them into the lid of a tart.
- basil into pesto, frozen in oil cubes. herbs in oil at room temperature are not safe; the freezer is what makes them safe.
foraging
- sumac berries, the red fuzzy clusters. steep in cold water for a drink like pink lemonade.
- wild plums, small and tart, good for jam and nothing else.
- blackberries, everywhere, ripening in waves through july and august.
- chanterelle mushrooms after summer rains, golden in the hardwood leaf litter.
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.
hibiscus iced tea, tart and red and full of vitamin c. brew a whole jar and keep it cold. midsummer medicine is first aid. the garden and the woods are handing out scratches, bites, heat, and rashes. have your remedies ready.
japanese beetles at their worst. the roses suffer most.