Bountiful Blueberries and Blossoming Garden, 7-20 to 25!
Garden Harvest and Daily Routine
Every day, a dedicated individual rises with the sun to tend to their garden, working and playing for the remainder of the day. This routine, while physically demanding, is an essential part of maximizing the harvest and enjoying the fruits of their labour.
The early start is crucial, often beginning just as the morning sun breaks over the horizon. Proper attire – hats, long sleeves, gloves, and comfortable shoes – is donned, and containers or buckets are brought along for harvesting.
The day is spent moving systematically through rows of blueberry bushes, cucumber vines, and other garden plants, selectively harvesting ripe produce with care to avoid damage. Efficient picking techniques help maximize speed and quantity. Short breaks throughout the day provide opportunities for rest and hydration, essential due to the physical exertion and outdoor conditions.
Post-work care includes cleaning up, storing produce properly, and sometimes preparing for the next day's work. In addition, quick consumption of some fresh produce during breaks adds a delightful touch to the daily routine.
Social media insights reveal that blueberry pickers develop specific strategies to optimize their picking speed and minimize fatigue as part of their work life. However, accidents can happen, as the author discovered when they accidentally cut off a tiny chunk of their pinky finger while slicing cucumbers with a mandolin.
Despite the challenges, the author is grateful for the seeds, good weather, and the kids' work in the garden. The garden, though plagued by squash bugs and weeds, has yielded an abundance of produce, including cucumbers, blueberries, pumpkins, gourds, radishes, beets, beans, colored bell peppers, purple lettuce, corn on the cob, and tomatoes.
On Fridays, everyone helps pick various produce, turning the day into a communal effort. The author spends 2 hours each day picking blueberries on Blueberry Hill, and the uneaten pumpkins are given to the big chickens.
Weekends offer a chance for relaxation and fun. Kait, Kenna, and Sam held a blueberry eating contest on a Saturday afternoon, though the rain couldn't dampen their spirits. Makenna arranged the picked produce for a colourful photo, and the author chopped up cucumbers, tomatoes, figs, squash, and peppers for the freezer.
About 12 pieces of corn were cooked and shared among the group for lunch, and the author is proud of the corn grown by someone (not specified). However, the garden is not immune to wildlife encroachment, as two pumpkins were found eaten by deer.
Thomas, who leaves for work every morning at 7am, also contributes to the garden, getting soaked just running from the car to the house one night during a downpour. Despite the occasional setbacks, the garden continues to thrive, providing a bounty of fresh produce for all to enjoy.
- The author finds joy in incorporating fresh garden produce into their food-and-drink lifestyle, such as slicing cucumbers and tomatoes for lunches.
- During the weekends, gardening becomes an extension of the home-and-garden lifestyle, with activities like arranging picked produce and freezing food-and-drink ingredients for later use.
- The author's daily lifestyle perfectly blend cooking, gardening, and the enjoyment of food-and-drink, as they often taste fresh blueberries during breaks, and cook home-grown corn for communal meals.
