Wendy Crist: Garden Column- June 20th Summer Solstice

I’m composing this column on June 20. The summer solstice this day at 7:42 pm pacific standard time. This marks the longest day in the northern hemisphere and the shortest day in the southern hemisphere. 

The Moon was new on the twelfth of this month. I’ve been spending this “Passive” phase pruning, building supports for tomatoes and squash and, last weekend, covering the garden for possible freezing temperatures. 

In 198?, I remember getting snow on my birthday in July. We lived at 4,000 feet in Mt Shasta. I wasn’t prepared that time. 

Speaking of preparedness, with the world looking more unstable with each passing day, I wanted to share some of what Michael and I have been doing in preparation, besides growing as much food as possible. 

In February I began buying 25 pound bags of several types of beans, rice, oats, flour and smaller bags of sugar, dehydrated milk and salt. I also bought forty pounds of organic chicken backs, vacuum packed them and shared them with a friend. I’ll be making stock with them. 

NOTE: To make stock I add 1 Tablespoon of salt and one-quarter cup of vinegar to about 1 pound of chicken carcass, cover with at least 2” of water and simmer for 8-10 hours. The results are a rich gelatinous (collagen) stock. We have a place out in the woods, away from the house, where we put the remnants for the ravens, yotes and Fischer.

We belong to a food coop based outside of Portland, Azure Standard. I have bought bulk food items from them but have mostly bought food-grade storage buckets and “gamma seal” lids for safe storage. We have a cold room on the north side of the house where we store these buckets as well as our garlic, onions, potatoes and winter squash. 

If you haven’t heard of Azure, you can look them up at azurestandard.com and find out how to start a group in your area. The one I am a part of is in Mt Shasta and I was instrumental in setting up the first Siskiyou county group in Dunsmuir, when I lived there. The truck makes its rounds once a month. We all get together to help unload the truck and distribute the goods. 

Following along on this thread, I’d like to share something I’ve been chewing on. 
I’m feeling, during these times of chaos and uncertainty, a call for building community and sharing with others, despite competing perspectives. I mean we are all floating around on this ‘rock’ together. Looking down at all the hullabaloo from 30,000 feet really helps me to see what’s important. You don’t see blue or red fences. All that nonsense looks more like a flea circus from up there. I am finding that sharing meals and showing interest in others is much more enjoyable, unless, of course, your self-worth is tied up in being “right.”

So, back to gardening! The critter proof garden room is thriving. Living at 4,300 feet I am seeing tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and peppers fruiting and we’re still in June. It’s unheard of and HOORAY!!!

Have any of you noticed over the past few years that your summer squash aren’t making squash? The little squash show up but then shrivel and stop growing. Have you also noticed that you’re getting fewer squash each year? It seems to be about dwindling pollinator populations. 

So, I am becoming a sexual surrogate for my squash, helping them “hook up” artificially. You can do this as well. Each squash plant has both male and female flowers. The female flowers have a baby squash at their base. The male flowers are on a slender stem. I pick a male flower with at least 2” of stem, tear off the flower petals to expose the stamen and then brush the stamen on and around the pistil of the female flowers. (Wouldn’t you think the pistil would be the male part? “Rut-row,” is this becoming salacious?)

I’ll let you know how the artificial insemination turns out. 
In the meantime remember, time spent near a river or walking in the woods helps you feel lighter and makes the world look brighter. 

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