Pondering the Natural Turn toward Bitterness
I trashed a ton of lettuce last week. As this photo illustrates, it wasn’t lettuce from the store, but lettuce plants from my garden. I pulled up the plants because they had bolted. Bolting is the gardener’s term for what happens when plants get too hot and begin to...
Pondering Fallow Ground and the Valley of Elah
Summer temperatures have arrived here in the Sonoran Desert, and, for the second year in a row, I’ve opted not to have a summer vegetable garden. Last year, the decision was more accidental in nature. I was very busy with work and didn’t plant seeds until a month...
Reflections on Going to Seed in Harvest Season
This summer, while in Colorado, I had a conversation with my parents about “going to seed.” I no longer remember the substance of the conversation (perhaps because my brain is going to seed?!), but what has stuck with me is the contrast between two perspectives on...
Handling the Heat of Summer
Summer heat has arrived here in southern Arizona. The mercury is now hitting triple digits every afternoon. This is typical for summer, but the low desert climate does bring its challenges. My vegetable garden is populated with non-native plants (everything from...
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