Your BasketAn Eventful Season
What a challenging summer this has been! July was the hottest and driest we've ever experienced. As the garden crisped and struggled, and we struggled ourselves with the untimely failure of our spring water system, we didn't let that stand in the way of a different event each Saturday. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "Weekend Warrior." And to be honest, I'm not at all sure how we did it.
July 2 saw Brightside celebrating an early Independence Day at the Bath County Farmers Market in Hot Springs, VA. July 9 we were at the Pocahontas County Farmers Market during a festive Pioneer Days in Marlinton, WV. July 16 we were back in Bath County. July 23 we were once again selling tea and veggies at the Pocahontas County Farmers Market. We ended the month on a high note July 30 at a musical Nettle Fest in Hillsboro, WV.
August 13, we brought a year full circle with our second appearance at the Augusta Festival in Elkins, WV. Several return customers were disappointed to find that we had only a very limited selection of fruit products. We expect to have more as the season progresses; however, the sad fact remains that this summer has been a difficult time for growing things. At least at Brightside's higher elevation, the sudden extreme heat and lack of rain right at the peak of ripening has led to a much-diminished blueberry crop and virtually no serviceberries or blackberries. Yesterday I picked the first batch of autumnberry, two weeks later than last year, and most berries were still not ripe. Although apple trees along the roads at the lower elevations are groaning with fruit, here at Brightside our trees have only a sprinkling of apples. My great hope lies with our grapes, which are plump and abundant. If we don't have a freeze before they ripen, we'll have our best crop ever. Believe me I am keeping my fingers crossed. Needless to say, the prospect of an early winter does not fill my heart with gladness!
At Augusta, we made up in new teas what we didn't have in fruit. We now offer 21 different herbal teas, only four of which are cultivated.
Time spent last year picking berries I've spent this year picking an abundant crop of Heal All, Burdock, Coltsfoot, St. John's Wort, Yarrow, Clover, Mullein, Stinging Nettle, Staghorn Sumac and Scarlet Bee Balm, along with the leaves of wild Strawberry, Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry.
There is always so much more to pick! And so many more plants with which I want to experiment. Evening primrose and linden flower. Willow bark and black cohosh root. Comfrey and calendula. So, I'm doing my best to harvest those, too. I know how happy I'll be for every dried ounce, once winter arrives--always too soon--regardless the date on the calendar.
