bloomin' farm

The gardens are growing well despite a prolonged drought. Mr. Fuzzy built a oak floored carrier to fit on the Ford tractor's three point hitch in order to take water, only 25 gallons at a time, out to the pasture garden. It rained not for three weeks and some days it required six trips to convey adequate water to the plants. Finally, on Monday and Tuesday it rained - not very much, just over half and inch, but enough to substantially perk up the garden plants, especially the corn (maize) which appeared quite depressed.

The squashes are delivering by the pound on a daily basis. The "Tender Gray" which thrived so well last year has been a repeat success this year; we will always have some of those zucchini in our garden. A yellow crook neck has also come into its own and blooms madly, all of those gorgeous orange-yellow confections setting fruit.







Last, but not least, the bottle gourds prospereth. The seeds were given by our friend, Singin' Bob. The fruits have just begun to set but if even half the flowers produce a gourd, there will be forty or fifty. Some of Bob's past progeny are more than two feet in length. They should make dandy bird houses, water drums and storage containers. Thank you, Bob. Even at only an inch in length, the wee gourds already foreshadow their adult bottle shape.














And this photograph poses the question: when a bee drinks pollen from a tobacco plant, does it get a buzz?





To the left, a distant view of the pasture garden (enlarge the image and you should be able to identify the corn stalks) from an interesting perspective - or at least Mr. Fuzzy does so believe...