A WEED GROWS IN QUEENS

Despite a disappointing week in the gardening press (no feature articles in any major magazines, and only two honorable mentions in global polls determining "The Greatest Gardens of the 19th, 20th & 21st Century"), things are nonetheless progressing nicely in Urban America's Favorite Backyard Garden. I've included a picture of our famous South Pool at left. In the background you'll notice construction taking place on our neighbor's propertly, causing us no small amount of dismay as it destroys our sight lines.

As mentioned last week, the red lettuce is nearing the end of its life cycle. The tall stalks and flowers suggested this; the bitter tasting leaves confirm it. My wife bought some spinach seeds, though, and we should have a "harvest" of these new greens by Labor Day, if all goes well. Spinach, like many green vegetables, seems ill-suited to maturing in the peak of summer. So seeding now, germinating in early August, as maturing in late summer may be ideal.

We also keep planning to start seeding for fall flowers (Mumms, Chrysanthemums), but as of yet, we haven't done so. Magical though Urban America's Favorite Backyard Garden is, we've not yet reached the point where flowers or vegetables plant themsleves and grow on their own, so we'd better get going on this soon.

Things don't grow on their own, that is, unless you count weeds. And speaking of weeds, the combo of diligent weeding and a nice layer of mulch has kept them at bay most of the summer. After a nearly daily battle back in late spring (the Aphinator took on the ooze-creating bugs; I tilted my lance at the various weeds that do, indeed, grow in Queens), I seem to have won the war this year. I still find it difficult, as I did last year, to keep our various annuals healthy and in bloom through the heat of mid-summer, but at least the weeds are minimal.

Finally, the tomatoes and peppers look good. We've been eating peppers for a couple weeks now: large, green ones which are both flavorful & somewhat hot, and now some red & reddish brown fellas are showing up. I'll give a flavor report on the latter once we try them. The largest tomato is orange and getting redder, while most of the others have turned yellow. The only green tomatoes right now are the little ones that only started growing within the past week.

I suspect that by next week, we'll have dined on the first tomato or two, and I'll report on how it went down.