sodden

i arrived at the garden in the midst of a summer downpour that left water standing in the strawberry and cucumber beds and sodden pretty much characterized the duration of my visit...but gardening is an all-weather sport and the plants don't seem too disturbed ( except the hopi blue in the bottom photo that i had to hill up with some compost because it was leaning precariously )...certainly the strawberries are chugging along nicely ( see the photo appendix ) and the cucumber wall is absolutely burgeoning with cukes...the weather will do them fine...the sweet corn is ripening and should be done soon while the hopi blue is pursuing its somewhat longer season by just beginning the tell-tale swelling of nascent ears...tomorrow sees the start of the "green manure" project in the garden...i have been working with cowpeas in the perennial garden the last few years but they vine extensively so this year i got a mix from my organic supplier in maine that has yellow peas, hairy vetch, annual ryegrass, and dixie crimson clover annual which all fix nitrogen in the soil and winter rye to act as an over-wintering reservoir for the nitrogen which will be turned under in the spring to enrich the soil...a new experience for most of us...another blog on the project's start tomorrow.