We’ve been fortunate here in Ontario, Canada to get some rain in the last few days. All 4 rain barrels I have set up around my house and yard filled right up to the top. I’ve been following the severe drought in the USA’s northwest and the impact it is having on the farmers and their families caught in the brunt of it. I’ve read that temps hit as high as 57 degrees celsius in some parts. My heart goes out to those affected.
In my previous posts, I wrote that I had started planting seeds of various vegetables in early April. Almost 3 months have passed and my garden is doing very well. I’ve been so busy with transplanting. I have 23 corn stalks in one bed and they look fantastic (see attached photo - June 28). My yellow crookneck and buttercup squashes are already flowering. I’ve harvested salad greens, kale, radish and peas.
The drought going on reinforced my conviction to grow my own food. Without water, I wouldn’t have a garden. The rain we’ve had in the last few days reminded me of just how precious rainwater is. After the rainfall ended, I could see a visible difference in my plants. They looked healthy and vibrant and the soil had good moisture.
It is such a rewarding experience to take a stroll in my own backyard in the morning and see my veggies growing right before my eyes. Another great feeling is not having to run to the grocery store to buy ‘fresh veggies’. Half the time, those fruits and veggies travelled thousands of miles to get to the shelf in front of you. Somebody’s paying for those extra costs.
This year’s garden is my largest yet. I’ve never grown so many varieties of plants at one time before and thank goodness for other gardeners out there who put up their own posts and videos sharing valuable growing tips. There’s a lot to learn, not to mention the hard work involved but the reward is ten-fold. I plan on posting a video shortly of the work in progress.
I am also growing corn for the first time and so far, I'm impressed at how fast they are growing. I love corn and I'm super excited and anxious to bite into my first cob that I can say I grew myself. I'll let you know how that turns out probably sometime in August. I'll be sure to include them in my upcoming video.
Now that all my rain barrels are full, I have enough water to last me a few days. Like any gardener or farmer, I always hope and pray for plentiful rain. Without it, we can’t grow our food and without our food, we all go hungry. I for one don’t want to see that happen to any of us.
To all the happy gardeners out there, I send greetings and thank you for taking a few minutes to view my post. I welcome you to subscribe and follow for future updates. Here’s to a successful growing season and please keep those affected by drought in your thoughts and prayers.
