Observations©

By Donald S. Conkey

Date: July 17, 2008 - # 8829 - Title:  The Fruits of Summer (810)

It appears that our drought has ended in Towne Lake. I measured the rainfall that fell at our home last week at slightly below 4 inches for both storms that hit Towne Lake last Sunday and Monday nights.

            I haven’t heard lighting and thundering like that that accompanied Monday night’s storm in many years. The lighting was so close and the thunder so deafening that I flinched as I stood in the garage watching this storm. It was a real window-rattler. The storm left a trail of devastation of downed trees and damaged roofs. It even caused a house fire in Wyngate. If what I witnessed Monday night is an indication of what is to precede the coming of the Lord it will indeed be a horrific experience.

            This storm reminded me vividly of a similar storm that occurred in Michigan on July 15, 1955, a storm that began at noon and ended at 12:30, a storm that changed my life and took me off the farm. That storm covered my navy beans and within a hour the sun had cooked them in the field. That storm was like the recent floods in the mid-west where the corn crop was heavily damaged. I was just beginning my farming career in 1955 and did not have the financial reserves to recover. I was out of business by 1 p.m.

            But the storms this weekend did more than remind me of that 1955 storm, it reminded me of the laws of nature that govern our food chain. Several weeks ago I wrote about how I had created a patio garden, and about how amazing it was to watch the various plants grow and of the uniqueness of each plant, as if each plant had its own governing chip to control its cycle of life. I wrote about the tendrils of the cucumber plant, and of how they reach out and attach the plant to something stable, and then coil themselves to stabilize the plant to its environment. Watching this phenomenon was like seeing ‘God moving in his majesty and power.’

            But following a Father’s Day dinner at daughter Pam’s home I became a “hydroponics patio gardener.” Phil, my son-in-law, had potted vegetables growing on his patio and had put a watering tray under each pot so he could keep his vegetables watered while on a weekend trip. Phil demonstrated by pouring a glass of water into one of the trays. I was astounded as I watched that glass of water ‘sucked up’ by the plant in less than a minute.

            Determined to convert to ‘hydroponic patio gardening’ I obtained several containers large enough to set my potted vegetables in - and then added water. It worked, beyond my wildest imagination. The plants immediately perked up, the blossoms stabilized, and soon we were picking - and eating – tomatoes (up to 15 ounces); egg plants (the size of a softball, and beautiful, especially the blossoms), string beans, zucchini (huge), bell peppers (since May), cucumbers (up to 14 inches), and yellow squash; all from my patio pots, now watered and fertilized hydroponically.  

            As the plants continued to grow – so tall I had to tie the plants to the swing with baler twine and then build a triangular frame to enclose the plants to keep the pots from tumbling over in heavy winds.    

            Earlier, experimenting with potatoes, I planted eight potato seeds in pots on the patio. They came up and began to grow. Pretty soon the potato plants were as beautiful as any of our flowering plants. They set and around Memorial Day I “dug” potatoes – over half a bushel - and they were delicious.

            In addition to forcing me out of the house my ‘hydroponic patio garden’ has done wonders for my spirits. And equally important it has allowed me to stay in touch with Mother Earth while watching the miracle of nature’s food chain and it reminded me that I should add packets of seeds to our emergency storage program in case of a natural catastrophe. And it has shown me that I, or anyone else, can grow vegetables on a small patio – hydroponically and enjoy the fruits of one’s labor.

            This gardening experience also reminded me of my growing up days on the farm when summer was the time to can and store food for the winter months. I spend many hours picking fruits and vegetables and then helping mother can and place the filled Kerr-jars on the basement shelves. It was like having money in the bank in days when there was no money.

This was a wonderful memory, similar to what I felt this spring gardening hydroponically and then reaping the fruits of my labor with delicious off-the-vine vegetables. And Joan has done wonders with her wonderful recipes to prepare delicious meals with what we have planted and harvested.