Augustibus

One of my favorite sayings, and what prompted the title of this month’s column, is “Degustibus non est disputandum.” There is no disputing about tastes. You like it, I don’t. I like it, you don’t. It sure can stop a lot of arguments. So enjoy what you can from the garden and make a note to plant more of it next year. And, so you can enjoy it all year long, think about preserving your favorites. Jams, jellies, pickling, canning, freezing, infusing and drying all preserve the produce of the garden.

Gustibus is from the Latin gustare to taste. Other words with the root are: gustatory and, my favorite, gusto! August begins the period of harvest and tasting the fruits of our labor in the garden. (OK, I know some of you have been doing it for weeks.) Do you like the taste of tomatoes, corn, onions, beans, cucumbers, broccoli, cabbage, all the above? People differ in their likes. I for one do not care for Brussels sprouts but that’s too bad for me. Just one more thing in life I cannot enjoy.

Taste can be interpreted to include more than the sensation of the tongue. What flowers and plants do you like the best and what do you like about them? Their looks, their aroma, their sound, their feel, all these have characteristics for us to prefer or not. They say smell can be powerful in prompting memories. When I smell petunias and Four o’clocks I am transported back to sitting on a low wall in Lancaster, Ohio as a child. The owner would come out on her porch and yell for us kids to “get out of my flowers!” We enjoyed it!

Daisies always cheer me up. The blue of scabiosa, (dreadful sounding name isn’t it?) or pincushion flower, is one of my favorites. The sound of the wind rustling long grasses or causing the moaning of pines are sounds I enjoy. And, who doesn’t like the feel of lambs’ ears? I know, there are some who don’t. Degustibus non est disputandum.

I find it hard to believe, and a little sad, that the bird migration is in full swing in August. For some species it began back in July. It’s a portent of the coming seasonal changes. In the garden we can notice the change as many perennials have finished their bloom and are going to seed.

In the vegetable garden this is a month for the harvest to hit full stride. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and beans are plentiful. Time to get out the canning supplies and put up some of the harvest for enjoying later. There’s nothing like using home canned tomatoes in your favorite recipe on a cold day in January. Fresh tomatoes can be enjoyed as juice, perhaps in a Bloody Mary? I also like a cool gazpacho made from the garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions and cilantro. My favorite way of enjoying tomatoes is to have simple slices with salt and pepper, or if I’m in the mood, basil and balsamic vinegar. But that’s my taste. Degustibus non est disbutandum.

Things to do in the garden:

When your vegetables are through bearing pull them out. This will deter pests next year. Throw the roots and all into your compost heap. If you can, shred the material before composting. This will speed up decomposition and heat up the heap, which is what kills pests.

By the end of the month consider disbudding your tomato plants. Remove the growing tips of each branch and pinch out all the blossoms that bloom. It takes six weeks from blossom to fruit. This practice will give bigger tomatoes and prevent all those marble size tomatoes that the frost gets and never reach the table. If you’re not sure about this, try it on some of your plants and compare to those that you leave alone. Experiment! Try this with melons and winter squash.

August weather is, as it is in most months, unpredictable. Will it be dry, wet? Depending on the answer it will give you hints as to what to do. Getting blossom end rot on the tomatoes? Water deeply and regularly. The same watering technique is good for roses.

Order your spring flowering bulbs and decide where you will plant them when they arrive. You can prepare the beds now and incorporate bulb food into the soil. Sorry but I am wary of bone meal because of mad cow disease, but if you insist, wear a dust mask and wash your hands afterward.

Finish planting your perennials and biennials. Give the peonies a side dressing of a complete and balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10.