September 1 took a pleasant turn. It was cold and rainy and I got to spend the day doing whatever I wanted. It was back-to-school weather, like I remember. Of course, growing up in Western Pennsylvania, September 1 was really the end of summer. The crops in local gardens were hit with a killing front within a week or so.
Here, on the other hand, with the surrounding warm ocean, we can still have warm weather crops sometimes past Halloween. In that spirit, I seeded some sugar snap peas and green beans this week. Both can be ready to harvest in a mere 60 days. The same is true for cucumbers and zucchini. I confess I may have had enough of those particular crops. Both produced like crazy this summer.
I love oddities in a garden. For example right now there is a single blossom on the white rhododendron.
While on a job site this week, Violet was deadheading and noticed a fallen Dara plant. It was moving, she pulled at it and it pulled back. A fat vole was on the other end. We had a good laugh and then figured that Dara is a cousin of Queen Anne’s Lace. Since they are members of the carrot family, the vole, a vegetarian, found it interesting. Don’t quote me, I made that up.
I dug the potatoes. This year, I planted them in fish totes covered with a good amount of hay. It seemed to keep them safe from rodents. My lazy cat refuses to do her job. At any rate, some of the spuds were small — the size of marbles. I usually save them for replanting in the spring, but they were so cute and tempting that I gave a quick scrub and cooked them. With salt and butter, Violet and I ate nothing else for lunch.
At the hospice building on State Road, just out of Vineyard Haven, there is a large pear tree. It has dropped tons of fruit, sadly, all over the road and sidewalk. My jumping out of the truck days are behind me. Years ago, I would have gathered my shirt full, while stalled in traffic. Right up the street there is a house with a tall fence. A lone sunflower is peering over that fence, to the enjoyment of passerbyers.
I heard on NPR that, on average, the American consumer throws away 500 pounds of plastic a year. It took a while for that to sink in, since I am a nutcase about plastic waste. This is leading to a perfect segue concerning the plastic containers of lettuce on sale everywhere (except local farms and markets). That same lettuce has now caused serious health issues. Other foods have now been recalled or are in question — so much for making America healthy again.
There was a reason for strict federal regulations of our farms and foods. Then, the DOGE boys came in with their anti-regulation playbook and slashed the federal workforce. Space prevents me from going all in here, so I guess I’ll close with grow your own or shop local.
This article appears in September 4, 2026.