Green tomatoes?

The temperatures are once again high, and no afternoon relief is being provided by monsoon rains. It has been many days now since free water flowed. Back to pre-monsoon watering practices. I was getting used to not needing to water, I guess the good times do not last, even in gardening.

The days are still filled with eatings from the garden. Chard and collards have snuck their way into almost every dish. And if it isn't one of those two, the various herbs (taragon, oregano, thyme, cinnamon basil) do. Oh how awesome this is to be able to do such a thing on a daily basis. But today I picked the first of the tomatillos. I found a recipe for roasted tomatillo salsa. I have been waiting to make a tomatillo salsa since the day I perused the seed website for what I might grow this year. Not too long ago I posted a pick of the numerous little ones growing.

the collection

Ye booty soaking off the goo

Mixed with a little goodness

End result

I have been talking with my onion and garlic guy at the farmers market, and now is the time to plant garlic. The goal: To plant as close to 52 garlic plants as possible. Funny that there are 52 weeks in the year, huh? It is funny that my garlic guy thinks I will not be buying garlic from him anymore since I will be growing it myself. I chuckled and assured him that I consume way more garlic than one bulb per week. Silly goose.

Armed with good advice I set out to have a place to grow the garlic. There is not much usable space remaining for planting, so a raised bed it is to be, positioned in the breeze way between the apartments.

The bookcase raised bed flourished this year, so why not semi copy the idea. There is not another bookcase to be found to be used, so cedar  planks did the trick. My neighbor cut the wood, and I assembled. Ta da!

Ready for its straw filling

The best method I found this year for growing is the method where I used straw for the bookcase and topped it off with soil. On my way home this week I will pick up another bale of straw for winter gardening and the garlic will go in the quasi ground.

The weather is not exactly unbearable like it is for my people back in Texas/Oklahoma, but it is hot enough without a breeze to require small breaks if out in the sun. But things were built and plants picked, and I guess that is all that matters.

This is what the heat will do to an individual

Sweet Frieda minus an ojo