Dirt Therapy

The garden is a drab mess in August and this year is no exception. It is too hot to weed or do anything else for that matter. Dragging hoses around to keep everything watered is strenuous enough and just running out for a few minutes to do that leaves you wet and sticky. I just hate this time of year. Most plants in the garden look desperate and I can count the ones with blooms on one hand. One that looks somewhat decent is the Plume Poppy ( Macleaya cordata), a tropical looking, big-leaved beauty that commands attention. Even when stressed by drought and heat, the leaves turn a golden color that looks metallic when the light hits it a certain way. Underneath, they are white and downy. In late summer, delicate sprays of tiny white flowers appear - attractive but to me, the leaves are the star of the plant. I bought the plant a few years ago at a local plant sale and I was warned that it could be rampant. I wisely planted it in a sunken plastic container. It spreads by under...

I was at my mother's house yesterday and there was another ripe cantaloupe. This is the second one. I'm so excited! Of all the things I planted, the cantaloupes have been the most successful. The fragrance is so intense. I had to roll the windows down on my way home and now our kitchen smells like a big cantaloupe.  As excited as I am about growing a first, I'm disappointed that the watermelons tanked. They are my favorite. Michael loves cantaloupe though so he is very happy. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

If you were reading my blog back in May, you might remember that I built a few raised beds at my mother's house and planted some vegetables. Michael and I have always grown a few tomato plants and peppers here at our house and they do quite well considering that they are planted under a dogwood tree. Nevertheless, they get enough afternoon sun to produce nicely. I wanted to grow other things though and mother has plenty of room and tons of sun. The project has been hit and miss with more misses than hits. First of all, my mother lives near Russellville, about 25 minutes from Florence and I only get down there about once per week. Vegetables need more attention than that and I know it would be more successful if I could tend to it daily. My sister has helped - otherwise I'm sure it would have been a complete failure. First, in the upper photo, cantaloupe growing on a trellis. I planted squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon and cantaloupe. Cantaloupe has bee...