The enemy has come in a new form: fungus. Its target? The yellow squash. Just the yellow squash. And it's such a pity too because the bees have finally taken notice of the squash blooms and fruit is finally growing!
Unfortunately, its too late in the season to justify the purchase of a fungicide to tackle this new problem. I'm likely going to just call it a wash, pick the few squash I have currentl, and focus on my tomatoes - the one great success of the garden (knock on wood). It's been nearly a month since I applied the Eight, and in the interest of keeping the horned worms at bay, I'll give them another spray down this weekend.
I'm afraid that each and every plant will lay victim so some form of pest or disease by the time the summer is over. It's been something of a trial by fire, and hopefully I escape the gauntlet with something to show for my energy.
On a more optimistic note, the new Martha Stewart Living came out this week. September Issue. In her gentle reminders, she suggested gathering up the last of the herbs to hang dry and store for the winter. I've been putting a good deal of consideration into freezing my oregano and marjoram in oil rather than drying. I mainly use those with pasta dishes that will get a dash of olive oil anyway. The dill can be dried.
My mother swears by laying herbs out flat on a paper towel and nuking them briefly in the microwave to dry rather than the hanging method. I may give this a try with my copious amounts of catnip. It will keep the leaves flat, while hanging generally leads to curled leaves.
Martha also suggested digging up the begonias to take inside for the winter. They're technical an annual, but with proper care, they should be fine for replanting in the spring. I also need to start thinking about which bulbs I want to plant for spring. I adore tulips, so they are, at the top of my list. I'm thinking about the grape hyacinth also, since they remind me of home.
