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["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

On Sat, Sep 6, 2008 at 5:37 AM, Jeanne Driese <jeanne13 AT earthlink.net>wrote:

> It seems that there is no normal years anymore.  Things have produced very
> well here in TN but folks have complained of things just up and dying,
> especially in the squash family.
>

I had a few Eight ball squash make it before they died, my best plants are
the volunteers in the compost pile. Have ripe large and small pumpkins and a
few delicata. Roma tomatoes have done well, also have one orange cherry
tomato plant a friend gave me (need to figure out what variety, tangy and
sweet) and Rutgers that is also doing well.

The designated fruit/veggie freezer is becoming full; 18 gallon bags of
blueberries in late June/July, 9 g. bags of peaches and 11+ g. bags of
tomatoes. I may have to can before winter arrives. Thinking of converting to
dehydrating and canning and eliminate this freezer. The onions, green
peppers, spring spinach and snap peas did well.

The dang deer got the green beans, watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumbers and
chewed off the tips of every dwarf and espaliered apple tree in the garden -
and ate half the peaches (though we still picked 3+ bushels this year!). The
potatoes were so-so and the broccoli failed - I simply planted too late.

The black raspberries must be dominant, there were no red raspberries this
year and they were dwindling in '06 (no fruit in '07 due to the 5-day
freeze). Now we're into apple and pear season, what the deer have not yet
snagged.

Made my first batch of what will hopefully be dry peach wine. It's getting
near time to rack into the carboy from the 5 gallon bucket.

Next year a new fence arrangement will be in place and the gardener will
plant broccoli earlier. We're looking into a paint or bb gun to ward off the
deer, the female Border Collie will chase after them but only if she knows
we're watching. Peach and apple-fed venison might taste good this coming
winter. We don't hunt ourselves (not yet, anyway), but have invited a few
hunters over.

We're getting some rain from TS Hanna but not much.

Lisa
sw VA