Now well into the third week of August, the garden is beginning to look a little tired. But that doesn’t mean that the Magical Earth isn’t doing its job.

Excessive rain hasn’t helped the vine crops, in particular, prompting many reports of few cucumbers, yellow and crookneck squash and zucchini. Some years the summer squashes, especially, produce so much that we wear out our welcome whenever we approach friends and relatives with an armful of these seasonal vegetables. But not this year. In fact, finding a tiny zucchini or other summer squash is not only a delight, but a delicacy.

The above-average rainfall has also effected the tomatoes. But I have found that the special varieties bred to be resistant to various wilts and early and late blights have done their jobs. These seeds, purchased from Johnny’s Seeds — Defiant PHR F1 and Mountain Merit F1 traditional tomatoes and Monica F1 and and Plum Regal F1 plum tomatoes — have held up far better than the traditional, various nonresistant varieties.

I started a total of about 45 resistant and nonresistant plants in March. The regular plants are virtually devoid of leaves, and the fruit is very small, while the leaves of the resistant plants are now just beginning to turn yellow and brown, either from wilt or late blight. And best of all, the fruit on the resistant plants is huge, with many tomatoes ripe for the eating or turning ripe.

If anyone else has problems with wilt, early or late blight, I would strongly recommend trying these varieties. I have had significant problems with wilt and blight for years, but this year I feel certain I will meet my goal of canning at least 200 jars of whole tomatoes, juice and salsa.

The garlic crop apparently liked the wet weather because this year’s three varieties — Music hardneck, Polish and Italian softneck — all grew bigger than usual. They are all now hanging in the garage drying. In a couple of weeks, we will remove the outer skins, then store them in a cool, dry area for use throughout the winter and into the spring. On some, I will cut a thin slice off the stalk ends of whole heads, dribble on olive oil and roast at 350 degrees for a half-hour or so, then freeze. Roasted garlic is a delicious and zesty addition to many sauces, as well as served warm from the oven (when reheated) and spread on crusty bread.

I’ve left the beets and carrots in the soil for now. Because I don’t grow that many, when the season ends, those that we haven’t eaten or I haven’t canned may be wrapped and stored in the vegetable drawers of the refrigerator. If using this method for storing, be sure to remove most of the tops, leaving just an inch or two. They will stay good for at least a couple of months. For larger crops, our ancestors built root cellars for beets, carrots, turnips, potatoes and other root crops. Few homes include such storage now. But a few five-gallon buckets filled with sand, covered and placed in an area that does not freeze can become a makeshift “root cellar.”

Other preservation methods:

* When making jam or jelly using mason jars, fill the jars with your jelly or jam, add tops and lids and place the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes or so, then remove to cool. Water should cover the tops of every jar throughout the entire time. A successful seal is proven when you hear the satisfying clicks of the lids sealing as you pull them out the water. Those that don’t seal may be placed in the refrigerator where they will stay good for several weeks.

* Blanching vegetables for freezing is another relatively simple way to preserve some of our harvest. Beans, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and many other vegetables will retain their colors and nutrients when preserved this way. Get a pot of water boiling, then dip two or three cups of vegetable into it for 2 or 3 minutes. Using a colander to hold the vegetable in the boiling water simplifies the task. Then remove and immediately dip the filled colander into iced water to stop the cooking process until cold to the touch, then drain. Spread out the vegetable on paper towels or clean dish towels and let cool some more. Then place in freezer bags, label and date. When frozen vegetables are prepared for a meal, they will take a bit more time to cook than canned ones.

* Drying vegetables and herbs is an entire subject to itself. But some produce from the garden can easily be dried by hanging in bunches in the kitchen or some other part of the house. Herbs, such as basil, oregano, parsley and thyme and small hot peppers can successfully be dried this way. I’ve also had good luck drying herbs in the oven at a very low temperature, such as 150 degrees. If this method is used for herbs, remove the stalks, then spread the leaves in one layer on cookie sheets. Place in the oven to let dry for 20 minutes or so, then check to learn whether all the moisture has evaporated by taking a wooden spoon and pressing on the herb. If it crumbles, you know it’s dry. When it has dried, remove from oven, let cool, crumple, then store in tight-lidded jars. Hanging herbs to dry has an added appeal — the kitchen looks so homey and attractive and it smells good. Parsley is best frozen, I think. Simply rinse, let dry and place in freezer bags.

* Canning is how I preserve most tomatoes, beans, corn and other vegetables. Because the safety measures for this method are constantly being updated, I recommend contacting the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service for up-to-date information.

* With the fresh bean season passing, why not let the remaining beans stay on their plants where, in a few weeks, they will turn into all seed and very little skin? Once the bean pod had dried on the plant, pull up the plant and hang in a dry place for a few weeks, then remove beans. Let them dry another couple of weeks. The results are dried beans that can be used for baked beans or in soups.

August is also a busy month for looking after the garden. Various vegetables will be ready for harvest at different times. Since we’ve put so much effort into growing some of our own food, this is the best time to make entire meals from our produce. I’ve often picked a few beans, a ripe tomato, a tiny summer squash, a fresh onion and a few potatoes and sauteed them in olive oil and perhaps basil or some other herb, then topped them all with an egg, and maybe a few sprinkles of cheese. Simple and delicious.

We should also continue to keep the garden as weed-free as possible. It is so very tempting to just let things go, but when the next gardening season rolls around, those weeds and their seeds, which may have been buried all winter, will re-emerge with a vengeance.

August is also the time to plant one last crop of lettuce, spinach and in some areas, beans. I find such delight in picking fresh, small beans at the end of September, or still having fresh lettuce and spinach into early October.

The Magical Earth will continue to produce for us until the first hard frost hits. And in recent years, that date has been later and later.

Eileen M. Adams has been gardening and experimenting with new flower and vegetable varieties and food preservation methods for several decades. She is still amazed that a tiny seed can result in such goodness. She may be reached at petsplants@midmaine.com

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