Heatwave!

It is hot. hot hot hot. I rarely water the garden (except for the new plantings), but yesterday I actually put the sprinkler in the middle of the top garden and turned it on for a 1/2 hour.. everything was wilting - including me! I may have 'accidently' run through the water once or twice myself..

Of course, since I completely lack common sense, I choose superhot yesterday to turn the oven on for a few hours and 'oven-dry' some tomatoes.. I picked a random selection - black cherry, sungold, la roma, red and yellow pear - and turned the oven to 250 F, drying them for about 2 hours (la roma) and 3 1/2 hours for the rest. Yummy and so easy..

I've also been picking handfuls of lemon cukes every day, along with the tomatoes.. I have been freezing some of the tomatoes for winter sauces by freezing them on a cookie sheet and then tossing the frozen fruits into freezer bags - thanks Donna! I want to dry some basil and parsley soon too.. Plus, I still need to make and freeze more pesto.. the basil is simply in its glory this summer with the heat!

With Hurricane Earl eyeing us this weekend, I'm a bit worried about the garden.. the A-frame trellises with the beans, cukes and gourds will be a prime target for strong winds.. not much to do though, but batten down the hatches and make sure the legs of the trellises are pushed down securely into the soil. Then, cross your fingers and hope for the best!

I've been waiting for days for the heat to end.. I have trays of seedlings just waiting to go into the ground, but it's just been too hot! Another day or so and the temperatures should be back down to normal..

Anyway, off to the beach.. too hot to post much today..

Happy Gardening!