Summer Scenes in the Garden

Summer vegetables are thriving in the field. This year, I tried growing cucumbers for the first time. They are a bit crooked, but they taste like cucumbers. Even in the same row, different seedlings produce straight cucumbers. It's interesting. That interest is mixed with a little bit of frustration.

Nukazuke (rice bran pickles) are a summer treat. I grow them, and when they are harvested from the garden, my wife pickles them. Okra also goes well with nukazuke. I wonder what other vegetables would be good; I'll try those next year. That's how gardening has become a part of my life.

New sprouts were coming up where the arugula used to be. The arugula that grew from spilled seeds is spilling its own seeds and spreading again. I hope it becomes infinite arugula.

A large, round zucchini. If I had been involved in the development of this variety, I would have named it 'Zucchiny.' Contrary to its weight, the flavor blends well into dishes.

It goes well with eggplant and tomatoes in ratatouille, cacciatore, or caponata.
Ratatouille is from Provence, cacciatore from Tuscany, and caponata from Sicily. The names of the dishes and the places are all stylish. The big three of stylish cuisine.

The mandarin orange tree has started to bear fruit. I remembered while writing this that thinning the fruit is supposed to be done in the summer. I'm looking forward to making syrup from the green mandarin oranges.

The plum tree is planted next to the mandarin orange tree. It was a graduation tree from elementary school. It's been over 20 years since I graduated, but I've only started eating the plums in the last few years. My interests have finally turned toward plants and trees.

It turned out quite well. This year, I did a little bit of pruning and fertilizing. I don't know if that was the reason, but it was a bountiful harvest. I climbed a stepladder and carefully picked the fruit. I got enough for my home and my parents' home. I'll consider the fruit out of reach as the birds' and insects' share.

Ripe fruit has fallen around the tree. I wonder if, in time, it will become leaf mold along with the withered leaves. When the season comes, the mandarin orange tree next to it will also have fruit scattered around. Even without my care, it takes care of itself.

Before I knew it, the garden had completely taken on a summer look. Looking back at the photos, I can feel the colors from the richness of summer. I will savor summer with my whole being so as not to be left behind by the season.