News from the St. Charles Community Organic Garden

As this is being written, a gentle rain falls and thunder rumbles.  Though Oklahoma City is still parched and nearby Lake Overholser looks like a rain puddle, it is a welcome, relaxing sound that causes us to pause and give thanks to the Creator--the darkest hour is just before the dawn. 

This season, we enjoyed a bumper crop of cucumbers--the first year for such bounty (go figure!).  Tomatoes were a sad story for every Oklahoma City gardener. The temperatures in June rose so quickly the tomato blossoms did not have the cool nightime temperatures needed to set. Our herbs thrived--rosemary, sage, and basil.  A spring stand of old-fashioned purple, white and pink larkspur provided beauty and benefit.  They are poisonous to the plant-ravenous Japanese beetles that love to hang out by the security lights on the Dorothy Day Center. Sunflowers grew to 12' high and provided the plants with welcome shade from the 105 degree plus temperatures.

The Bible teaches us about "seven years fat, and seven years lean" (Genesis 41:25-36). Gardening teaches us about patience and learning to live with failure.  We give thanks to the Lord for the food we could raise and share and look forward to a fall crop of collard greens, swiss chard, turnips, spinach and beans.