Tangle, Sorrow, and Decay

There are those who might feel disquieted by the blight of vegetables that now look like overgrown and dying weeds, by the free-ranging max sunflowers looking straggly and unfamiliar. But you can't please everyone. No, no matter what. Even amongst gardeners what has come of your work may not be good enough. There'll be differing tastes and ideas about what's best. Take stock in those who offer appreciative and kind words, those you see through the window stopping, pointing, smiling at the garden below. Learn to live with oneself, flaws and all, and judge as little as humanly possible. As bad as it can be, it's not that bad. After all, "...behind it's tangle, sorrow, and decay is intelligence and goodness."

The late blight makes the 'Orange Pixie' look like it's seen a ghost.

It's tough out there for the vegetables, even these new broccoli sprouts suffer from little sun now that it is late September; a sun like March. In a field, the plants would still be getting enough for growth, but with trees and buildings, even the tomatoes are lucky to see four hours a day.

The 'Bella Rosa' and 'Black Russian' have a few green fruits, and will slowly begin to ripen at any size.

The 'Milano Plum' and 'Orange Pixie' plucked from their blighted vines. Ever hopeful, these vines continue to put out new suckers and new flowers.

A plate of side yard basil and tomatoes. Orange Pixie, Black Russian, and Bella Rosa.