August 30th – September 5th, Week 23
RuthAnn’s Weekly Garden Diary
Documenting Progress and Reflections in the Garden
My attempt to document the planting, growth, harvesting, and preserving of our family’s 8000 square feet of garden.
Northeast Iowa Gardening in growing zone 4
Last frost date May15, First frost date September 15
August 30th to September 5th , Week 23
One and a half, that is the number of days I had at home this week because of back-to-back speaking engagements. Dipping our toes into September means we are in a race against frost and the end of the gardening season, so every day in the garden feels especially important. I tried to make the most of the limited time I had, prioritizing the crops that wouldn’t wait for a few days, keeping in mind that the forecasted heat would significantly speed up ripening.
What we harvested this week:
- Many bowls full of red raspberries, frozen.
- 25 pounds of concord grapes that we turned into 8 quarts of grape juice concentrate and 4 pints of grape jelly.
- Macintosh apples that we have dehydrated for school lunches.
- 40 lbs. of tomatoes washed cored and put into the freezer for sauce making.
Garden Talk:
The first planting of buckwheat is in full bloom, and the bees are busy. While observing the hive I noticed the bees coming back loaded with pollen! This is a good sign for late summer!
The rain knocked much of the buckwheat down so it will be a challenge to mow it off before it goes to seed but for now it is doing exactly what we need it to do, keeping the weeds down and providing a food source for our bees. And while it looks untidy, I have accepted that she, (the garden) is past the fresh beauty of youth and must now be appreciated for the legacy (harvest) she leaves.
The tomatoes have blighted completely and very few green leaves remain. The tomatoes that are left are smaller as the stress of the blight caused them to ripen before they were fully mature in size. Here in zone 4, I don’t mind a late summer blight like this because it helps us get a more complete tomato harvest. Dryer summers often mean that my plants don’t blight but then frost puts an end to our harvest well before the tomatoes have all had a chance to ripen!
A few morning glory seeds found their way to life and their purple and blue blossoms are mixed in with the Tromboncino squash hanging from the arch, giving the garden fairy tale feels. The first Yard Long beans are beginning to rattle like a maraca when the wind blows through the garden, and I am hoping to get more than a quart of dried black beans from them this year.
Reflections
Finishing strong.
I miss the lively hummingbirds now that they’ve gone south for the winter, but I’m determined to finish strong. For me, finishing strong isn’t just about staying disciplined and harvesting every crop; it’s really about ending the gardening season with gratitude, which will inspire next year’s efforts.
No one likes repeating an unpleasant experience. If I end this gardening season feeling defeated, I find it harder to get excited about next year’s garden.
It’s unhelpful to focus on my mistakes and waste energy blaming myself.
I want to focus on identifying mistakes and addressing them with a growth mindset.
Examples:
A heavy rainstorm knocked over the tomato alley, putting stress on the plants and cutting the season short. However, having a growth mindset means acknowledging our mistakes and using them as learning opportunities. The tomato fence design we found online likely wasn’t intended for soft, sandy soil like ours. Next year, we’ll add more posts to better support the cattle panels during storms.
We lost our favorite apple tree, as well as a smaller one, due to improper pruning over several years. However, I refuse to give up on growing apples. Losing a tree is difficult, but having a growth mindset means moving past disappointment and using what I’ve learned to nurture new trees that will produce plenty of apples for years to come!
I’ve noticed that my learning improves when I list out everything that didn’t go as planned, reflect on my disappointment, and discuss or write about how we’ll approach things differently next season.
What about you, are you sitting in the shame and disappointment of garden things that went wrong or n maybe even things that were neglected or are you taking a growth mindset and finishing the season with a positive attitude and a growth mindset.
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6 Responses
I enjoy reading your blog and watching your YT channel. I have been completely unsuccessful at gardening. We live in North Florida so our climate (other than deep summer) is easy to navigate but the first year I put so much work into it only to reap bugs and dwarf veggies. I haven’t been able to get myself interested again. Every year I say I’ll try again but never do. Maybe this year. Thank you for sharing your faith and your refreshing outlook. You have a beautiful family and I love watching all you do as a family.
My garden didn’t do good this year as, you know, they don’t always produce what you would like for one reason or another. You use all you have, if in an abundance, because next season may not do well. Yours always seems to do so well and you always have a beautiful one. I really enjoyed your video on the cows. God bless you all.
Thank you for your encouragement, RuthAnn! I am a new reader finding my way through a challenging season of life. Your book “The Heart of the Homestead” and your email are a breath of fresh air.
This article was timely for me and has given me the truth and grace to grow and learn rather than beat myself up. Working on improving the soil with some cover crops, getting some fall radishes and beets going and cleaning out spent plants. Gratitude makes life so much sweeter.
Thank You so much for sharing and all your ups and downs. I live in Faribault Minnesota and due to storms lost my raised beds. But planning on new beds next spring 🌼🌱
I live on a corner lot in a home we call the Cottage (it looks just like a cottage 😇)the house is old built in 1858 on what I was told a mushroom 🍄 farm 🤔 didn’t see any when we first moved here 4 years ago but there popping up all over all different kinds 😇we don’t eat them yet have a lot of research to do first. I have your books and Love them I got the chores book for my youngest 3 Grandchildren ✝️ I just want you to know I greatly appreciate everything you have taught us and being upfront and Honest. The Rohdes don’t know if I spelled that right but their channel and your channel makes me excited that even in a small town on a corner lot I’ll be able to get a few things that I wanted to. Thank You from a sister in Christ ✝️😇God Is Good ✝️
I was looking forward to this year’s garden with a new herb area andn5 new raised beds all planted with plants I started in my grow tent. But I ended up with emergency surgery on my back they did a fusion in L2,3 4,&5. While healing from that in the hospital I had a heart attack requiring a triple bypass. Needless to say with all of that no garden for me this year. My husband harvested things for me but the weeds took over the herb area 🙄 . Hopefully next year will be better 🙏