Story by Jan Green

Looking back over this month, we are grateful that we haven’t had any triple digit days so far. We’ve definitely seen hotter summers, but still, when that sun is beating down on you as you work in the garden, and every part of you is wet from perspiration, the sweltering heat can have you praying for an occasional cloud to come and block the sun’s rays now and then. Oh for a quick blast of those shivering temperatures that we faced as we planted our first crop of the year back in January – onions, hundreds of onions. We started this month by pulling up the last of that crop from their beds. Onions were quickly replaced with okra, and when that’s ready to come out, the temperatures should be swinging back in the direction of cooler days and cold nights, making us wish for a few of the warming rays of sun we’d like to block right now, or a quick blast of the hot temperatures that are zapping us of our strength by the time the clock hits noon.

As June started off, there just weren’t enough hours in the day to finish all the garden tasks that were needing to be completed: harvesting, preparing garden beds for new crops, and finally planting (again). Plus there were other tasks to complete such as fertilizing and spraying for the caterpillars that decided we were the perfect place for them to call home. Here they could chow down on all the red, juicy tomatoes they could possibly want, and then, just a couple rows over, the new okra plants were just coming up, and fresh okra leaves seemed to be another favorite. I learned last year from one of our volunteers that these leaves can actually be quite tasty if prepared properly. The caterpillars think they’re scrumptious just the way they are- young, fresh, and plentiful.

Onions are gone, and most of the squash is now removed. We’re left with the crops that can tolerate what lies ahead- the scorching Texas summer heat. You have to be pretty tough to stand up to hour after hour of our blazing sun beating down on you. Some of the remaining crops do better than others. Okra, for one, loves the heat! “Bring it on,” the towering plants seem to be chanting as they sway in the breeze. Tomatoes and peppers don’t do as well but will typically hang in there until cooler temperatures return when they put on a final crop before it all comes to a screeching halt. With the right type of cucumbers, we hope to successfully grow that crop as well in the months ahead, along with a little butternut and Tromboncino squash.

So far, the tomatoes and peppers are producing nicely. The two beds of Early Girl bush determinate tomatoes are ripening quickly and will soon have completed their life mission- to provide fresh tomatoes basically all within a very short period of time. Then they will be removed and replaced with another crop. The remaining six beds are indeterminate and ripen gradually until cold weather hits and brings their production to a screeching halt, which obviously is down the road a ways. The last day of this month ended with a harvest of 88 pounds of tomatoes that the critters didn’t get into. These were taken to Good Samaritan along with boxes of peppers and cucumbers to distribute around the community.

If you feel like all we do is plant and harvest, that’s not at all true. We can use people with all types of talents. This month, two of our talented and dedicated volunteers who are handy with tools worked on building shelves for our new shed and a solid ramp to make entry into that shed safe.

We feel privileged to be able to come into homes here in Brownwood and be a part of so many meals around the kitchen table- burgers or sandwiches topped with a big, red, juicy slice of tomato or maybe tomatoes for your taco, or it could be tomatoes and cucumbers for a salad. Those jalapeños taste great as poppers, and the bell peppers can be used countless ways. There’s nothing that says summertime like produce fresh from the garden! We are grateful to our volunteers who shivered in the cold, left the garden drenched from perspiration after working in the heat, and possibly endured some aches and pains from sore muscles to make these summertime treats available to those who otherwise may not have access to them. These volunteers realize onions need the cold and fewer hours of daylight to grow into those monstrous beauties that come out of this garden, and tomatoes need the warmth of summer to ripen to that sweet, juicy taste that people look forward to with the coming of summer. It may be a bit uncomfortable at times while planting and/or harvesting, but all is as it should be. From our hearts to homes around this community, we are happy to help those in need in the form of fresh fruit and vegetables made available through the willingness of those involved to give a bit of themselves to fulfill the mission of Brownwood Community Garden. They make this garden more than just a dream. They make it HAPPEN- over 1200 lbs. of produce grown on the pantry side of the garden just this month, with a total of over 1 ½ tons grown in the garden as a whole so far. We just want to thank our 15+ dedicated volunteers who have freely given over 300 hours this month alone and let you know you make a difference in this community.