By the LIght of the Silvery Moon

Image courtesy the Graphics Fairy

Full moon tonight.  I got out and pulled the rest of the beets and carrots that were too old and tough.  This made room for the pumpkins and beans that were planted.  The bed was raked out and leveled nice and smooth.  Then, the hills were formed.  This good soil was enhanced with steer manure.  Each hill had 3 Jarrahdale pumpkin seeds planted about 1 inch deep.  A soft shower of water was applied.  This eroded each hill and exposed the seeds.  Great.  The hills were formed...

Once the pumpkins were secure, I moved to the task of planting the Borlotto Solista Beans.  The beds are framed with cinder block.  Every other hole was dug out.  Gravel and steer manure was mixed with the soil then placed back into the hole.  Two seeds were planted 1-2 inches deep.  A make shift support was erected with the anticipation of being covered by the bean heavy vines.

Everything will be irrigated with an automatic drip system.  Great.  One less chore to do.  The pumpkins should mature in 95-100 days.  The beans will be ready when they feel like it.  They're Italian.

The task of planting fall/winter squash and fall beans was a bit nicer with the full moon this evening.  It would be even better if it wasn't like Little Beirut out there with the bombs bursting in the hot, dry air.

Enjoy the 4th and this little bit of moon trivia from the Farmers' Almanac:

The Full Buck Moon –  July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon.



Take 5 and Love Lucy. 

I could not find the clip of Episode 52 where Lucy sings By the Light of the Silvery Moon. Dang.





Strawberry Moon

Full Strawberry Moon – June This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!*

And the strawberries just keep on producing.  There have been strawberries harvested everyday since April and they just keep on giving.  There aren’t enough at one time to make any jam so the uneaten berries are frozen.  (Of course they’re uneaten.  Who saves eaten berries?!  Gross.)

The strawberries are fertilized with Dr. Earth (latest application = 06/23/10) and irrigated with drip irrigation each morning.  The  length of time for irrigation has been increased to 20 minutes.  They receive full sun from sun up to sundown.

 

*  From the Farmers’ Almanac