From there we headed to Paxton via the Denali Highway. We manage to travel the Denali every two or three years and each time I am disappointed that we can’t stay longer. There is nothing quite like the heartbreaking perfection of the tundra in the fall, to be immersed in the tapestry colors and textures that beg to be touched.
From there we moved on to McCarthy. I haven’t been to this lonely little outpost for 32 years. Rumor has it that it is a hopping place in the summer but, believe me, it could have been a ghost town last week. If you go in the fall, don’t expect amenities, or even a friendly face. Which is a bit of a shame because the aspens were glowing in all of their Crayola yellow purity.
Did I mention the swans? Each little lake had a swan family preparing to fly south. That in itself is worth the trip.
Kenny Lake is one of the more hospitable communities along the way. On a coffee stop I was chatting about the greenhouse adjacent to the shop. People being people others joined the conversation and, sure enough, there is at least one gardener growing watermelons each and every year.
I know that school is under way and it is difficult to get away, but really, think about taking a fall trip in Alaska. We are a very special state and when your permanent fund dividend check comes in the mail, think about spending it right here instead of flying off to warmer climes. Although I have lived here for 33 years, I feel like I have barely scratched the surface.
Back home after 10 days on the road and I am faced with a vegetable garden that is still burgeoning. Of the two kinds of onions, I dug the whites and have them drying before storing them for the winter. The others have tops that are still too green and will need to wait until they look a little more ready. Last year I made the mistake of harvesting onions too soon. They were such perfection when I dug them but they refused to store. What a loss.
I went ahead and harvested the German butterball potatoes. I planted them in two different conditions. In one bed I just buried them like always and gave them a good layer of mulch as they progressed. But I kept out four of the seed potatoes and planted them in a bed that I could add frames to, ultimately making it about three feet tall. As I added a frame I would fill it with mulch (I used shredded raspberry stalks from last fall). The potatoes from this bed are huge and far outnumber the nine that were planted in the more conventional bed.
The broccoli just keeps coming on. What can I say? It is truly a good thing we like broccoli because I have a mountain of it in the freezer and I am harvesting daily.
The cut and come again lettuce is working out just excellent for me. Initially I planted eight seedlings and then, using seed, I planted a very short row every 10 days until I ran out of room in the 3-foot-square bed. When it was harvestable, I started cutting the head and leaving the root ball in place. We have been rewarded with a ton of lettuce. Same goes for the “Rainbow Lights” Swiss chard, excellent.
How are your artichokes doing? I have reduced the number of plants from four to two and I think next year will see just one. They really do produce lots of “chokes” and, for a family of two, methinks one plant will do.
As for the greenhouse, the bell peppers are a gorgeous red, just what I was anticipating on my return, the cucumbers are still cranking, as are the tomatoes. But the watermelon is a tale of woe ... .
In preparation for our trip, I harvested cukes, tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes, carrots and onions. I carefully washed and packed all of the produce and then, with much ado, I harvested the watermelon in anticipation of eating it our first night in Denali. Well, there just wasn’t much of anything in it. It was sort of a pale pink, and divided into four parts, like a four leaf clover. No smell, no taste, horrid texture. A failure.
Remember the book/movie “Like Water for Chocolate”? Remember when she takes a watermelon and smacks it on the big wooden table and it falls apart into serving size pieces? Can you imagine having enough watermelons to be able to practice that on?
Oh well. We can’t have everything. I will content myself with the knowledge that the asparagus is sending up more spears for me to toss on the grill.
Keep harvesting and weeding. We are having a real fall, so take advantage of it and continue gardening.
Note: Look for paperwhite narcissus to force for holiday blooms. Time to get your garlic planted, and any other fall bulbs that have caught your fancy.
Rosemary Fitzpatrick has been gardening with gusto in Homer for 27 years.
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