This week has been a strange one. I have been away from my garden for 5 days and everything is a bit crispy at the moment. I have decisions to make and I am not sure which direction to do. Mirroring other elements in my life, I am at a crossroads, though this one is at least a gardening crossroads.

There is a story in the American South about a young bluesman meeting a well dress gentleman at the crossroads at midnight. This young man said he would give anything to play the guitar like no man ever had before him. In the full moonlight, the well dress gentleman, gave a lusty smile. He took from the young blueman his guitar and tuned it for him. Handing it back, he told him the deal was done.

The young bluesman looked down at the instrument and strummed it a few times. A fire of notes now poured from his fingers. Motions that just that night at the club were impossible, now flowed from him hands. Looking up the thank his benefactor, he was only greeted by the pale moonlight and the scent of sulphur wafting through the air.

The next night all his family and friends commented on how they had never seen anything like our young bluesman’s playing. Like all these sorts of deals, our protagonist met with a Edgar Allan Poe sort of ending at 27. Had it not been for a short trip to Texas, he would have been forgotten to history. Instead, he became what could rightfully be called the father of modern American music.

Does this mean that I’m selling my soul to the devil and I am going to meet a grizzle end?

No. I stand with a choice. Regardless of the choice, there is no turning back. Choose wrong and I will lose a bunch of productivity. Choose right and I will continue my historic harvest. Lets dig into it.

The Cause of my Gardening Crossroads

First, despite the dark story, the decisions are no where near the stakes in the above story. It is a fun story about the crossroads that reflects my mood. One of the advantages of having everything fall apart is that you can focus on other things like never before. My garden has served me in that respect. The source of my garden crossroads is Fall planting.

In years past, this was a mindless decision. Everything was dead and dying so it was easy to pull up the dead plants walking. With the weather being a blessing this year, my plants are still alive and producing. Beaten by the wind, chewed by the bugs and blighted by disease, my plants keep producing. This is the source of conflict.

It seems to be a shame to pull up plants that beyond all reason are still producing. One thing that is easier is that my cole crops are a bust. I fried them in the week away and I doubt they come back. I will likely plant a new round to try to squeeze in a crop in my last 60 days.

Still kicking are my National Pickling Cucumbers, Swiss Chard, Squash and Cherokee Beans. The thing is that I have delayed this too long. I should have had them in several weeks ago. I run a real risk of getting nothing as everything has to go right to get something.

So what am I going to do?

I am coming to terms that my Dragon Egg cucumbers need to meet their maker. It is hard since they have been the best producing cucumber, I have ever run across. As a result of this success, my fridge is home to the attack of multiplying pickles.

I have also been lifting up my tomatoes as I have resolved to just let them finish the season running wild. Shattered are the dreams of a gorgeous single stem tomato garden. Replaced with the realization that there will never be a dry spell with these tomatoes. These tomatoes feel the call of the wild and will answer it.

With the tomatoes running wild, I suspect my dying jelly melons are going the way of the dinosaurs. It is time to cleanup my messy garden. Next week is suppose to be in the high 80’s (~31C) and rainy so I need to take advantage of this cool spell.

Honestly, I thought I had enough corn. Turns out that I did not. The 2021 corn harvest is not going to be pretty though I don’t think it is quite done so maybe it will surprise me. My Tigger melons are starting to bloom so there is hope of some melons this year.

I still have a decision on the my nightshade bed. It is looking a little blight covered.

Even with a plan of action, I am feeling strangely indecisive about it. Sometimes life leaves you at a crossroads without even the devil to tempt you. I guess I will have to muddle through without supernatural assistance. It is all for the better that there is no devil at my gardening crossroads.