See How My Garden Grows – A Summer Series

I did not get many great shots this week. So I will just share what I did get. I might add that I can feel the slight change in seasons. For what it is worth, there is not much of a change here in the Desert Southwest. Still, the wind is different and I know that the scorching weather is behind us. Hopefully, my garden will yield more than a cucumber or two.

I have plenty of zucchini flowers. Only found  a couple though.

This is my artichoke that was smothered by the cucumber plants. I just found out that like my asparagus, the artichoke will not bear for a couple of years. Great.

The second attempt at corn is going well.

Sunflowers continue to bloom.

Ohh, I have Bell Peppers!

In case you are wondering about Lucie my big, red dog, she spent her time trying to find a tarantula living under this ice plant.

Hey, I think she has some pointer in her.

See How My Garden Grows – A Summer Series

I just found out that asparagus does not bear until the second or third year after it is planted. It starts out with a vine and then later bears a stalk. As you can see, here are the vines.

Here are a few peppers.

Here is a tiny Bell Pepper.

My beans are starting to recover from the evil sun. Send good karma their way.

Finally, the new corn seems to be coming along nicely.

I plan to take out the cucumber plants and plant spinach. Wish me luck. If you are wondering about Lucie, she choose to be lazy in the house. But she is sympathetic, no?

See How My Garden Grows – A Summer Series.

I think I may have to revise that title to See How My Garden Does Not Grow. Actually, it is growing, but not bearing, excepts for cucumbers on steroids. Yea, whatever.

That being said, here are a few photos of my non-bearing veggies.

This is the steroid-laden cucumbers,

Another photo of freshly watered cucumbers.

This is supposed to be asparagus. Looks like vines gone wild to me.

My second attemped at corn. Notice the droplet of water sitting on the leaf.

The Sunflowers are doing fine despite the over 100 degree weather.

Pretty, pretty, pretty.

These are wild flowers that just popped up. They look like tiny daisies to me.

As usual, Lucie, my big red dog did her best to help.

By hanging out by the water bowl and smiling.

Ahem.

See How My Garden Grows – Summer Series

I have to preface this a few words – I am tired of living in HELL. I spent countless hours trying to grow my garden and I barely get anything out of it. Numerous hours watering, tons of time planting and care taking and this is all I get

Two cucumbers and three tomatoes, that should be bigger. Those are supposed to be Beefstake people! Yes, the cucumbers are big, but why can’t the other veggies grow. I know, I live in HELL!!!

Sorry, just venting a bit. I usually do this post on Saturdays, but once again, life gets in the way.

Yea, sure it looks lush, but where is the veggies!

I decided to thin out the cucumber since they tried to take over.

The peppers have plenty of flowers and hopefully they will actually turn into peppers.

Here is a photo of one of the cucumber before harvesting. I think they are on steroids.

They sunflowers are very happy. But I can not eat them.

Hey, Lady Red, if you are reading this check out the aloe you gave me. It’s green. At least I am doing something right!

I spent a good amount of time hoeing weeds and riping out the dead corn. At least Lucie, my big red dog enjoyed the fruits of my labor. My back sure did not the next day. She even enjoyed part of a cucumber. What can I say? I am a pushover.

That is it for this week. I just checked the garden and I have three more steroid laden cucumbers growing. If you do not hear from me in a few days, I suggest checking the garden and more pointedly, the cucumber section.

Me Hose Popped.

I went out to water the garden today and after a few minutes, I heard a loud noise and turned to see that the hose had popped. Lovely. So we got the scissors and sniped that sucker off.

I could not use this thing when watering.

Yeah, definitely will not work.

Guess I will be visiting our local home improvement store for a new hose. And more corn seed to replant. Since as you can see. My damn corn is dead. Stupid evil sun. You probably killed the hose too. Do not try to deny it. I am hep to you.

See How My Garden Grows – A Summer Series

I have learned much this summer. I live in a very hot and arid climate. I learned that I can not plant in a normal way. Tomatoes and peppers need to go in when the mesquite tress are green. Corn and snap beans, after the heat of summer. Definity do not plant cucumbers and zucchini together. Monster plants.

I am going try gardening year round to find what works best. I will gather information hopefully I can come up with a better plan. My corn is basically shot because the sun burned it up. I surprised it did not start popping itself.

There are a few stalks that seem ok, but not many.

The aspargus is very happily climb the bean polls.

The cucumbers have taken over. I fear I will outside someday and be swollowed whole. I better keep a better eye on my Chihuahua.

More pepper flower that have since I too these photos have turned to little pepper buds.

The zuccini has plenty of yellow flowers, but so far no zuccini emerging. They are also threatening a takeover.

The tomatoes are giving it their best shot.

Here is a little cucmber trying to stay hydrated.

That is about it. I have me some dead corn to pull up.

See How My Garden Grows – A Summer Series

Well, the ongoing battle with the sun is still waging. I managed to figure out a way to shield my veggies from the sun, but I do not know how well it is working. Anyway, the plants seem to be thriving, just not bearing. so here are the latest results.

My zucchini and asparagus want to choke off everything else by attaching themselves to the other plants in my garden. I. Don’t. Think. So. So, I inserted a few bean poles and as you can see. the asparagus immediately attached their sinewy feelers to the pole. The zucchinis, not so much. Their newest strategy it so go under the cucumbers. Sneaky.

Corvette informed me about this bell pepper. How did I miss it?

Tomatoes are a nice shade of red. Since they are Beefsteak, I hope they will get larger.

The beans are giving it their best shot.

Of course, Lucie, my big red dog is oh so helpful.

Here is another cucumber. Can’t find the three from last week. I am afraid I will wake up one morning and the cucumbers will have taken over the whole yard!

Lastly, a shot of my corn. Tried to look at it mom, but I was not succesful, just hoping for the best.

If you are looking for me, I will be the one doing the rain dance, washing my car multiple times and generally begging the gods for rain.

At least this sunflower is happy.

See How My Garden Grows – A Summer Series

I did a little more in my yard this weekend besides gardening. My garden is pretty self sufficient except for watering. But, trust  me that is an everyday occurrence. The Desert heat really takes it out of the garden and if I miss a day, I am not a happy camper. Or should I say a happy gardener.

Anyway, here is a photo of the century plants I put in Saturday morning. I started at 7am and by 8:30am I was done because I was quite sure I would be melting very soon. As usual, Lucie, my big red dog is inspecting my work. Also I made use of the some of the bazillion rocks in my yard.

I dug wells for my Bird of Paradise. Mainly for better watering efficiency. Still need to finish the rocking. Trust me I did not run out of rock. This was about the time I felt the melting coming on.

Here is a sunflower that looks to be blooming soon.

Finally, more than one cucumber at a time!

I have two red tomatoes now. Boy, am I on a roll.

The zucchini is taking over the snap bean fence. Naughty zucchini.

Here is my marigolds pre tarantula.

Here is my marigold post tarantula. Better hope I do not find you big hairy marigold killing spider!

Finally, I checked the progress of my carrots. Clearly, they are not ready yet. Lucie does not seem to care though. BTW, I did not give it to her because if she knows where they are, they will become her next snack or in this case a veggie delicacy meal.

See How My Garden Grows- A Summer Series.

Well, the shade has really helped perserve my garden. My snap beans plants are green again. My tomato plants are happy and thriving. I must admit the shade looks like something out of Hicksville, but the veggies are thriving, so that is the important point.

First off, I took my strawberries out of the stupid Topsy Turvey thing-a-ma-jig piece of crap. They are now doing well in a pot. Enough said.

Corvette put peppers in his Topsy Turvey thing-a-ma-jig. No comment.

My Bell Peppers are finally starting to flower. I found out that I planted them too early. The soil needs to be quite warm for them to grow. Note for next year.

Here is a view of the whole garden.

My tomato is turning red.

The carrots are a lovely green.

Corn is coming along nicely.

See How My Garden Grows – A Summer Series

Considering it has been 105 degrees and over here, my garden is plucking along. Still no permanent shade, maybe today? You can read about the trials and tribulations of this past week.

Anyway, here are some photos of my garden and the fruit of my labor in my back yard.

Here comes another cucumber.

Tomatoes are hanging in there. As long as Lucie, my big red dog, does not steal them for a late night snack.

Zucchini Flowers!

Bell pepper flower, finally.

The corn is thriving, but it likes to hide from the devil sun. So do I.

I spent some time working in the yard. I made wells for my newly planted Aloe and Lolly’s tree.

The strawberries have a new home. That Topsy-Turvy thing-a-ma- jig had to go. Especially since it wiped out my daisies and made my life miserable. Corvette is now going to hang a pepper Topsy-Turvy thing-a-ma-jig. Good luck dude!

Here is out latest tool for watering the garden. Does it work? Yea, as long as the wind is not blowing. Does the wind not blow? Hell no!