Okra, Kumquats, and Cherries
August is the season to find cherries in our local grocery store. My favorites are the Mount Ranier Cherries–golden with pinky-rose spots–they are sweet but not too sweet.
Then there is Okra–the blossoms are so pretty—like cotton and hollyhock blooms. I haven’t had a lot of success in my garden in past years and I had hoped to have a bountiful harvest of okra this year—the first year I planted it–I could pick it in the morning and in the afternoon—it grew so fast. This year has been quite a bit slower but still I have a nice amount set aside in the freezer for winter days–and have sampled more than a few as a vegetable stir fry medley.
Citrus trees supposedly grow really well here—and we have had good luck with our lemon tree. The past winter had freezing temperatures for several days and we were really afraid we had lost the tree–we covered it as best we could with sheets held down with tent pegs–it lost all the leaves–a few feeble blossoms early in the spring–and later a wealth of blossoms and the tree is covered once again with fruit.
The kumquat tree is still quite short–but has fruit on it again–last year there was a handful of kumquats–this year promises a bowlful.
And finally there is this. I don’t remember what kind of citrus it was supposed to be but that part died off–and now we have this root stock producing this fruit. If I really wanted fruit, I would hack it down and replant–but its outright ugliness is somehow appealing along with its will to survive despite all odds.
Sylvia Weir Art 