The dog days of summer are upon us. These are the hottest, most sultry days of the year when we’d rather be out back reading a book under the shade of an enormous Norway maple than typing away on any computer. Did you know that the ancient Greeks and Romans both used the phrase “dog days”? The name comes from Sirius (the Dog Star) during the months when it’s the brightest light in the night sky. Coincidentally, we celebrate the feast day of St. Roch on August 16. He’s the patron saint of dogs.

Putting Things By

August is a time when all the effort put into planting our gardens comes to fruition. The tomatoes ripen faster than we can gather them; summer squash is on every table; and the green beans need to be picked every few days or they’ll get too large and too tough. I come from a family of great gardeners, and as a result, we never wanted for fresh vegetables in the summer. One of my chores to was pick the green beans. I was always warned not to pick them when the knee high bushes were wet because the beans that were still on the plant would subsequently develop rust stains. I remember that canning the beans was a family affair. Mother would haul the big canning pot from the attic; last year’s Mason jars would be brought up from the cellar; and we’d work on beans one day, tomatoes the next, and pickles and piccalilli on other days. It seemed that the work would never end, but by the end of summer we were rewarded with shelves of canned fruits and vegetables gleaming in the coolest corner of the cellar.

My grandfather used to go out into the garden and spend an afternoon tying up the tomato plants and removing some of the larger leaves that might otherwise shade the fruit. He’d take a salt shaker with him and eat the warm and juicy heirlooms as he worked. We always grew lots of varieties in a large section of the garden dedicated only to tomatoes and peppers. I remember Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, Early Girl, and Lillian’s Yellow Hybrid. We loved plum tomatoes and tiny cherry tomatoes, and we started them all from seeds. The widespread use of hybrids started after 1945, but some of these early varieties go back to the 1880s.

Glass Canning Jars

Canning is a timeworn method for preserving produce. The canner is a large covered cooking pot used to boil large quantities of water for home canning and usually incorporates racks to hold the jars. Processing the jars under pressure is a method used to prevent botulism and other food poisoning agents.

Modern Mason canning jars are sealed in the canner using a flat metal lid that vacuum seals from the heat. But earlier jars like the Mason jar with the zinc screw-on cap began with a patent date of November 30, 1858. They were made in many sizes, shapes, and colors well into the 1900s, and most old farms still have their share of them sitting on shelves down in the cold cellar.

The old standard in the canning jar business is John L. Mason, a tinsmith from New York City who got his first patent when he was only 26 years old. His glass jar was sealed with a zinc-threaded cap with a rubber ring beneath to seal the contents. Dozens of patents followed and led to designs by other firms like the Ball Company, who started operation in the early 1880s and became one of the most prolific manufacturers of jars. Ball is still in business today.

Canning jars can usually be found in antiques and collectibles shops for as little as a couple of dollars each, but rare examples have sold for $30,000 or more. Many early examples dating before 1855 will have pontil marks on the underside. Mold marks will be visible on machine made jars that date after about 1915. Seek advice from a bottle collector’s society or experienced dealer if you want to begin serious collecting.

Old Fashioned Flower Garden

Today I don’t do too much with vegetables because my small plot of land in town can’t accommodate a big garden, but I take the time to plant lots of old-fashioned flowers. I love my dahlias which I carefully dig up every fall, label by color, and store away in peat moss. In May I plant them in my sunniest flower beds and wait until late July or early August for the first dinner plate-sized blooms. My marigolds, zinnias and snapdragons are a source of pride. I also seek out old varieties of annuals like Amaranthus Love Lies Bleeding, with its cascades of long drooping spikes of brilliant crimson that resemble chenille as they fall in profusion all the way to the ground.

My single pink Rose of Sharon with crimson throat is a joy. I thrill to the sound of the honeybees buzzing in and out of each blossom. I remember what a hard time I had finding this charmer. Most of what was available at the local nurseries were double varieties rather than the older single blossom. I’m afraid that hybrids rule.

This is also the best of months for my daylily garden. I have dozens of varieties all craning their necks to reach the sun. They bloom in profusion in shades of yellow, pink, red, magenta, white, orange, and near black. Daylilies are native to Europe and Asia and arrived here with the first settlers to the New World. My flower beds are a soothing refuge for a world that has become too fast for my tastes. I can think of nothing better than sipping iced tea, reading my trade papers, and enjoying nature’s bounty. Happy August!

Questions for Helen H. Hill can be emailed to helenhhill@att.net or mailed to Helen H. Hill, Northeast Antiques, 24 Water Street, Palmer, MA 01069. Return of photos or other submissions cannot be guaranteed.

Helen Hill Daylily

Longtime reader, Richard Willard of Glenbrook Gardens has announced the Helen Hill Daylily: 24 inches tall with late 3 inch red flowers; the tag reads “beautiful, dainty, and a late bloomer, this unregistered Daylily is named after a mysterious writer who is well known but unseen.” Richard raises hundreds of daylilies and tells me that the new Helen Hill might not be ready for sale until next season. Richard Willard, 253 Silver Street, Greenfield, MA 01301, (413) 772-6997.