A City of Contrasts

This is my second day in Jakarta, after spending Thursday in Singapore.  We have been on a number of excursions the last few days and my reaction is always the same.  I feel like one of the those cartoon characters with eyes the size of saucers and their head on a swivel.  This is one of the most Asian of the large Eastern cities and everything is very different from what I know.  In order to orient and begin to understand, one must adopt completely new vision.  When you let go of preconceptions, things start to slowly come together and make sense.  It's like beginning an intricate multi-colored jigsaw puzzle with no decipherable design and no picture to guide you.  It will be revealed - it just takes patience and determination.

Curb appeal is a rather foreign concept here.  The outward appearance of a many homes and businesses is of much less concern than what is hidden inside.  The contrast between the external and the internal can be profound.  The picture above is the street outside Polly's house.  Below is the view from her back door.

The View From Polly's Back Porch

I could write for days about the contrasts and surprises that I've encountered both on this trip and the one last spring, but I think I will just be content to post impressions as I go.

Jakarta Bound

Tomorrow I am leaving to visit my daughter, Polly, for two weeks in Indonesia.  I love spending time with Polly no matter where we are, but a trip to Indonesia is something quite special.  The plane ride is very long - about 24 hours total.  Nonstop to Hong Kong is 17 hours and then another its another 3 to Singapore.  I will be meeting Polly there and we will go on to Jakarta the next day.  Coming back is harder than going because the jet lag is much worse - but it is all an endurance event.  So it is good there is someone I love and miss waiting at the end.

Tim will not be going with me on this trip.  He doesn't like leaving our dog, Penny, and he doesn't like leaving his garden.  He will be on his own more than usual this time because our son, Rory is leaving on Friday for a cross-country driving adventure taking his fiance, Kati, to school in San Diego.  Our older son, Bob, who splits his time between here and Philadelphia, is also going to be away.  He is leaving on the 4th for a wedding in Sweden.  Not having anyone around but his buddy Penny, means Tim can keep his own schedule and do exactly as he likes.  He will also have to take over processing the tomatoes.  He has already had me purchase a food grinder so he can improve on my recipes.  I'm sure he will do a great job. Tim is not a real techno-wiz, but he has become very fond of Skype as a means of keeping up when family is away. Staying connected makes the coming a going so much easier.

The pictures above were taken when I was last in Indonesia in March.  Polly's eighth grade students at the Jakarta International School each are given a 4 x 4 garden plot to work with a partner.  They love this project and grow some great produce.  Gardening is not the popular past time in Indonesia that it is here.  Polly is beginning an all-school gardening initiative to introduce a number of students to eco-friendly practices such as composting, vermiculture and soil enhancement.  She is hoping the students will be able to sell their crops at a school produce stand, which will also promote healthy eating.  I find this whole project very exciting and look forward to seeing how it all progresses.

I will be posting from Jakarta, and where ever else we wander, in the next few weeks.  Jakarta itself is not especially attractive, but much of Indonesia is very beautiful and it is all fascinating.

Driven Indoors

I believe this is the hottest weather I've ever experienced.  I was in Arizona a few years ago, and we did have temperatures over 100, but the air was dry and light and I found it actually quite pleasant.  Our air here is so heavy that moving is an effort.  The morning is bright and the sky doesn't give away that blanket of moisture, but it is there.  Walking out the door feels like walking into some strange, altered universe.  It looks the same, but clearly it is unfamiliar, dangerous territory.

These days, I have been spending quite a bit of time indoors letting my ideas bloom in fabric (and processing all those tomatoes.)  Above is a baby quilt I made for a friend of Polly's who is due at the end of August.  It was originally inspired by a piece of fabric that was covered with clovers and lady bugs.  That fabric, unfortunately, ran when I prewashed it and was unusable.   So I improvised and created as I went along.  I love the way it turned out.  The garden is an endless source of information - even when only viewed through a window.

There's Sharing and Then There's Sharing

NOW we have tomatoes!  Lots and lots and lots of tomatoes! So far we've kept up with the flow, processing daily batches of sauce and stewed tomatoes - not to mention eating them at nearly every meal.  But we have some competition that we've never encountered before.  Ants!

With all the heavy rain that followed that long hot dry spell a number of the thinner skinned fruits have a tendency to get cracks.  They are so full of moisture that a bump while picking will essentially cause them to burst.  Cracks in themselves are not a real problem, especially if they heal over, or the fruit gets picked and cooked quickly.  But right now, each time one of the Cherokee or other sweet varieties cracks, the arts swarm in.  I guess they are going after the sweet moisture, but if I don't get there before they do, they can ruin a tomato pretty quickly.

We've been given some suggestions for safe, organic solutions ranging from borax to DE to cornmeal.  TIm is going to experiment with them all.  I'll post here about how successful we are.

This is certainly the year for ants.  Usually they are a bit of a nuisance in the kitchen in the  early spring.  Some careful control measures have them gone by mid-June.  But not this year.  This has become a war.  I win battles and believe briefly that I have turned back the invaders, only to discover a few days later that they were just regrouping.

But here in the city, we don't have deer, or groundhogs or rabbits to do wholesale crop damage.  We have plenty of wildlife, but not the type that strips the garden overnight (except for an occassional locust.)  I supposed I can deal with some annoying ants.

I believe I have mentioned that Tim and I have very different ways of approaching the garden.  Our styles mesh well, as long as we agree to "mesh" and not let one stance take precedence over the other.
The flower above is a good example.  That is Thistle and not the ornamental kind.  That is Thistle with thorns that make the rose canes look like velvet in comparison.  There are several plants like this (probably more than several) growing near the finch feeder.  These, like many of our sunflowers, are the result of seed being flung from the feeder along with the chafe, or traveling unimpeded through the birds' or squirrels' digestive system and being deposited around the area.

To Tim these unplanned stands of bird favorites are a welcome addition to a wildlife friendly habitat.  I can't say I mind the sunflowers  - even in some of the odd places they end up - but I am NOT a fan of the thistle.  I have acquiesced to Tim's request that I let them be - for this year. I am not contrary to having surprise varieties in my well-planned, carefully maintained garden.  It''s just that I foresee a big problem next year when these finch food providers have huge generations of offspring.  THEN I will I have to be diligent (and brave) about clearing them out - not to mention very unhappy with Tim.  I think it's inevitable - but maybe the finches will eat all the fresh seed and peace will rein.  Or it will give me something to B%t#* about - which somedays you need anyway.

Now these unplanned additions are another story.  The variety of sunflowers that appeared from the feeder seed is amazing.  During the earlier heat waves (we are on # 6 right now) the squirrels were so hungry, they would climb up the plants and gnaw off the entire flower and carry it away.  This flower at the left was gone the morning after I took this shot.  One squirrel found a way to get all the way up on a 12 foot stem to claim his prize.  (see below.)  We seem to have solved that problem by putting sunflower seed in the feeder, which we normally wouldn't do this time of year.)

This giant shot up next to the fence behind the tomatoes.  It is at least 12 feet tall, maybe taller.  The squirrels got the first bloom, but have been afraid to climb the thinner branches since them.  We have another one of these (different color) growing in the patch outside the fence.  Certainly not planted there by us - but a real showstopper, never-the-less.  

 

So the squirrels are happy, the birds are happy, and we are happy - in sunflower land.  Now if I could only figure out a way to co-exist as well with the pesky ants!

Heat and Fireworks

"Every day is a miracle!"  I heard a woman on the street call this to her son as he stood on his porch waving goodbye the other day.  "Each and every minute!"
"Thank you," I thought.  "That is a truth that is so easy to forget."  Grumpy about the heat, the dogs reaction to the construction workers, the rising cost of electricity and a thousand other minor annoyances, I did appreciate that dose of reality right then. 

I thought about that message again this morning.  There is nothing quite so wonderful as two slices of soft whole grain bread, stuffed fat with a tomato still warm from the vine, fresh, sweet basil leaves, and thin slices of cheddar horseradish cheese.  As I settled into the lounger on the front porch with this prize and a tall glass of mint tea, I reminded myself that these tiny pleasures are the greatest blessing.  There is a  platter of miracles presented to us each day.  The challenge is to recognize and savor them.

The heat has returned with a vengeance, but two days of downpour have made everything a lot more resistant now.  I believe the final tally was 5.2 inches of rain over two days.  There was some flooding, especially roads in low lying areas, but you didn't hear much complaining.  We desperately needed the water.  The forecast is for 90+ degree days for at least the next week, but the hot afternoons are supposed to spawn thunderstorms.  Let's hope.

The tomatoes have started coming in quickly now.  I've been so eager that I am guilty of picking before they are completely ripe.  That hasn't stopped me from enjoying them.  Some days I have them at all three meals.

The tomato above is a mystery tomato.  We ordered several varieties of seeds from a organic heritage tomato grower last year.  The seeds in the package labeled "Cherokee Purple," did not grow Cherokee Purple tomatoes, but this variety.  These are exceptional -  sweet, but with a savory complex flavor that is just delicious.  They are very prolific.  We saved a few seeds from the original package and planted them again this year.  This season, the tomatoes are huge, but taste every bit as good as before, if not better.   I wish I knew what we had.  I would happily order them again.

The Golden Rod has just exploded this week.  I think this may be my favorite summer flower.  There is a good reason this variety is called "Fireworks."  Even with the heat accelerating the life cycle, we should have these for several more weeks.  .  If the weather cools off, they will be with us well into August.

Those of us with gardens should not even need to be reminded about every day miracles.

Puppy Love

Well, it would appear that appreciation for a garden extends to some unlikely aficionados.  Channel, the tiny (for now) mixed breed puppy from across the street has taken a real fancy to my herb plot, especially the sage.  She stopped by yesterday to play with our dog, Penny, but spent most of her time picking off sage leaves and happily munching away.  When all that picking and playing got the best of her, she just curled up under the sage and went to sleep, much to Penny's dismay.  Penny, is a bit on the hyperactive side.  In fact, we would have to describe her as extremely, over-the-top, lots of fireworks, hyperactive and that might still be an understatement.  Penny only sleeps when there is absolutely nothing better - to do, bark at,  chase or chew.  She is a bit puzzled by the puppy's ridiculous need to rest.

As I predicted, the tomatoes are now ripening quickly.  We had three yesterday, and some more this morning. We had tomatoes in the salad last night, I had a tomato sandwich for breakfast, and we had grilled cheese and tomato for dinner.  I think by the end of the week, we will have more than we can eat, even eating them at every meal.  The workers, who are just about finished with the addition, are still asking when they can got some of those tomatoes, so I think the extras will be spoken for next week, at least.

 The heat has made for some strange flowering patterns in some of the shrubs and perennials this year.  That's a Pretty Polly rose, which normally only flowers in the spring.  It is having a second bloom right now, but the flowers are tiny, just a bit larger than those miniature roses they sell at all the grocery stores.  The blooms are very pretty however, and I am delighted to see them again, especially when so many plants have been a disappointment this summer.

Really Ripe and Really Rainy!

Today it was NOT 100 degrees in the shade, today it rained and rained and rained.  If this day had happened during a normal summer, we would be complaining about the terrible humidity which made the air feel sodden and heavy even in the middle of a downpour.  But this is not a normal summer and any rain is a cause for celebration - and this was A LOT of rain.

 I actually spent several hours this afternoon weeding the back and side yards in the rain.  People were working in their gardens and walking their dogs and doing all sorts of normal Saturday things as if the sun was out and the streets were dry.   Even the birds were out in force.  I was visited by a female Ruby Throated Hummingbird while I was weeding and several Goldfinches were chirping in the sunflower area.  Later I sat on the porch and watched two juvenile Cardinals practice flying from bush to tree to porch roofs and back again.

We were actually disappointed when the sun finally did peek through late this afternoon.  I think we could stand another two, three or four days of this before we got tired and cranky about wet weather.

It is amazing how quickly the plants responded to all that water.  The hydrangeas - which I really thought were a lost cause - perked up beautifully.  The Sweet Woodruff, which appeared to have died back, was springy and green in a matter of hours.  Unfortunately, the rain didn't come soon enough for the Shasta Daisies.  Their blooms faded in the heat three days ago and all the new buds turned brown and hard.  No amount of rain was going to help that.  They were beautiful while they lasted, but they didn't last nearly long enough.

I thought the tomatoes were doing quite well in the heat and drought, but I realize now, they were waiting for water to ripen.  In the course of the day, about half the plants had tomatoes begin to blush.

The biggest excitement of the day, however, was the picking of the first ripe tomato of the season.  It was a Japanese Black Trifele, a little on the small side, but it tasted like heaven!  Normally, the Black Trifeles don't produce a lot of fruit, but what we get is the most delicious tomato we ever grow.  This year, however, the plants are loaded with fruit so we have great hopes of a strong harvest.  Warm from the plant, these tomatoes rival fine wine.  They also give a depth and complexity to sauce and soup that can't be rivaled.  We have some new varieties this year, so we'll see if I find something I like as much - but I think these Tirfeles are hard to beat.

We're Havin' a Heatwave

The hot days just keep coming and coming and coming.  It was 102 degrees in the afternoon today.  The grass is gone and many of our plants are dry, limp and confused.  The daisies are surging through their lifespan and some plants have just given up and gone dormant.  The Stokes asters are history for this year, the snap dragons are all but gone, the hydrangeas look dreadful and the inpatients are struggling.  Surprisingly, all the containers are doing well, maybe because it is easier to keep them hydrated.
The tomatoes are the other big exception.  The plants are covered with fruit and they are about to ripen.  Several are beginning to blush.  We will have a Cherokee Purple by the end of the week.  Tomatoes will show heat stress eventually, but right now they seem to be doing well. It looks like we are going to have a huge crop all at once and then a steady crop after that happens.  Last summer I put up tomatoes every other day.  I may have to increase that schedule this year.  Unfortunately for Tim, I will be in Indonesia from July 27th until August 11th.  This will be prime tomato time and he will be the prime tomato processor.  I'm sure he will develop vast improvements over my system and I will have lost my job by the time I get home.  I think I will be able to deal with that.

The exterior of the new addition is finished.  We are thrilled at the way it is turning out.  We are also delighted that not one leaf of one plant was harmed.  Some of the carpenters were lusting after the tomatoes last week.  I promised to make sure they got some when they were ripe.    I think the second best thing about a good yield is being able to give part away.  Nothing is more appreciated in mid-summer  than a fresh tomato or a basket of beans. 

A few years back, our daughter spent her summer working at a summer theater in Massachusetts.  She left before the sugarsnap peas were ripe.  I didn't want her to miss that special pleasure, so I sent her a big of sugarsnaps by overnight express when they were ready.  I wish I could take fresh tomatoes to Indonesia with me.  Polly and Max did move into a new house with a patch of yard,  and she is looking forward to growing her own produce.  When she lived in Boston, she grew a variety of  flowers and vegetables on her third large floor deck.   I think once someone has been exposed to the practice of gardening, it just becomes part of one's being.