Life has been so tough and rapidly changing these past 4 years for all of us here in my areaI'm still alive & lurking occasionally, but the weather & my personal life have not been kind to me this year. I'm only today (!!!) putting in my Phase 3 garden - which is no seed crops, no sweet corn, and nothing harvested mature. No trials or experiments, no plan, just plopping things into the ground & hoping to get something edible I can freeze for the winter. That, and hoping for a late Fall.
The only good news is this year's garlic crop. I dug the rocambole & artichoke varieties a couple days ago, and they are huge (I'll post photos at some point). The artichoke varieties ripened much earlier than usual & rain delayed the harvest, so some bulbs had split open... but no sprouting.
The volunteer black raspberry is doing well, I've harvested several hands full of berries; and to judge by how rapidly its spreading, it should be a small patch next year. Lots of babies where the canes touched the ground & rooted, I'll moce some of those to a fence line I've cleared.
But many of the friends & family I've shared vegetables with in the past have either moved or drifted away. I've lost too many family & friends in just the last 3 years, and just can't seem to catch my balance between losses. Without my Garden Angel, I'm losing my enthusiasm for gardening. I'm not throwing in the towel just yet, but waiting to see what next year brings.
Just came in to cool off, back to planting.
This thread speaks to me. I have far more dead friends and relatives than living ones, and losing my husband 5 years ago has left me with no one on earth who truly loves me except for my two dogs. Fortunately I am a recluse by nature, but my gardening activity has undergone changes, and I find myself abandoning more of my land to nature as time passes. I guess we are all gardeners at heart though and will continue to be as long as we're able in some capacity at least.
Right back at youA Huge Hug for Everyone!