Tuesday Garden Update: August 30

The heat of the past few weeks has taken its toll on me and the garden is looking similarly bedraggled.

I worry that the tomato blooms seen here won’t come to fruition.  But that’s the thing with gardens —— they surprise and delight and always offer something of the unexpected.  So there is always hope.

This will be the last of my weekly garden updates for 2016.  Whether I like it or not, the growing season is coming to a close and so just as the garden turns its attention to fall, I plan to do the same thing.

Tuesday Garden Update: August 23

This is the last full week of my summer break and though I plan to be at work every day this week, I'm still in summer vacation mode.  Next week, the faculty return for meetings and planning; things will start to feel pretty darn real.  Then we’ll have the Labor Day weekend and when that holiday is over, school is in session.

I can’t quite embrace the fact that the summer is over.  But it nearly is, as my tiring garden can attest.  There are still plenty of zinnias to bloom and I expect that more tomatoes and the occasional pepper will make it to our plates.  But the garden is growing weary.

I’m not quite ready to admit that the season is coming to a close and any produce that comes from here will help me to stretch out that summery feeling just a few more weeks.

Flower Friday

Week by week, more zinnias are blooming.  That means more bouquets are coming my way.

That’s happy!

Green, Green Grass

Normally, August’s heat results in lawn that looks parched.  Mowing slows down to once every two weeks.  This summer, we had a period of dry heat in late June.  August has determined to make up for that and though it’s been hot, that heat has been accompanied by otherworldly humidity and frequent drenching rainstorms.  The grass isn’t parched; it’s thick and damp. The mower is earning its keep this August.

Tuesday Garden Update: August 16

Last week, I treated the tomato plants for blight, which is always of feature of my August garden.  Happily, plenty of tomato blooms are still setting and I expect plenty more tomatoes will be served at our supper table.

The zinnias have come along nicely and I’ve the privilege of picking a bouquet each week.  

That’s happy!

Flower Friday

The zinnia season has arrived in my garden and each week, I can treat myself to a fresh-picked bouquet of cheery flowers.  This makes me ridiculously happy, as if summer might very well last forever.

Tuesday Garden Update: August 9

 I’ve been away for the last week, making my annual trip to visit family in my hometown.  The break from daily life was lovely but I have missed checking in on my lush garden.  This morning’s walk through my garden was exhilarating.

There are tomatoes to enjoy with our supper.  There are enough zinnias to pick my first bouquet of the season.  Better than that, is the promise of may bouquets yet to come.

Tuesday Garden Update: August 2

We’ve slipped into the abundant tomato season.  That means supper menus which are built around tomatoes I pluck from the garden when we are ready to eat them.  This week, we’re making a quick trip west to see family and mountains.  When we return, there will be bouquets of zinnias to cut and arrange.

That’s happy!

Tuesday Garden Update: July 26

At the start of July, I vowed that I would make a picture each week to accompany a Tuesday blog post about my garden.  Last week’s pictures never made it into a post because I was distracted by the horror of the RNC spectacle.  But I was out in the garden every day and in last week’s photos I can see all the evidence of the harvest soon coming my way.

Over the weekend, two of the largest tomatoes came ripe.  And with them, we’ve officially entered the delicious tomato portion of our summer.  

This week, the garden is a reflection of the past week’s sunny heat.  More tomatoes are on their way to ripening.  My zinnias have buds that hint of flowers and bouquets in my future.

Gardens are lessons in patience and careful effort.  They are a reminder that Mother Nature will not be rushed and that good things come to those who wait.  

Tuesday Garden Update: July 12

After a truckload of sunlight and heat last week, Mother Nature sent us bountiful rains to start the weekend.  The garden is loving it.

There are tomatoes growing like mad.

Zinnias are coming along nicely.

There are hot peppers about ready for picking.

Fertilizer has been added; next up is a little 3:1 water/nonfat milk treatment to treat blight.  I await a bountiful harvest of flowers, tomatoes, squash, peppers, and basil.

That’s happy!

Tuesday Garden Update: July 5

The garden is mulched and the warm, sunny days mean that growing is happening by leaps and bounds.  I’ve picked my first tomato; many more are set on and making progress.

The zinnia rows are taller by the day.  I added some extra seeds to fill in the gaps and those tiny seedlings are also growing.

I’m out here every day, checking the progress,  looking after my plants, and re-arranging the sprinkler as needed.  I check the blooms and admire the progress.  I daydream about the cucumbers and zucchini in my future.

This part of summer is delightful but always seems fleeting, perhaps because it’s filled with such promise.

Mulching the Garden: A Job Complete

I had expected that it would take at least three days to finish the mulch job but Sunday afternoon found me with enough time and energy to finish the work.  The wedding chore had been finished so I started by laying out the newspapers in the rest of the garden.

Then I began to cover the area with mulch.  It was a warm afternoon but there was plenty of shade when I was ready for some iced tea and the chance to cool off.

With the mulch job complete, the garden looks terrific and is ready to weather the hot days of summer.  In flowerbeds, I like the look of full and lush plants and shrubs.  But a vegetable and flower garden  needs some order so that I can look after the plants. walk the rows to pick my produce, and ensure all the plants will flourish and grow.  The look of this neat and tidy garden rather makes me swoon.

Golly, I love summer!

Mulching the Garden: Day One

Come mid-June, my garden is growing on pace.  So are the weeds.  To conserve water and prevent the weeds from choking out the desired plants, I use newspapers and mulch to protect the plants.  This solution is attractive and environmentally sound.  It’s also a lot of work, so I take care of the project in a few days.  Now that I am responsible for the care and feeding of a 16 year old, there is a ready labor supply for getting the bags of mulch from the car to the garden.

From there, it’s all on me.  The garden was plenty overgrown so I start with weed removal.  That was Saturday's first task.

Then I laid out newspapers and began to lay down the newspapers and the mulch.   The transition from overgrown to ordered is lovely to behold.

I love the work and enjoy the outcome.  I’ll be finished later this week so there will be more pictures.  

That’s happy!

2016 Garden

Each year’s garden season is a much anticipated event for me and I am excited to be getting plants and seeds in the ground.  This year’s garden started in late April, with some plants from my dad.  On Friday, May 20, I took the day off to wait for my annual air conditioner service visit and plant the rest of my garden.  The weather was perfect for being outside and I enjoyed the planting and daydreaming about the veggies and flowers that will shortly come our way.

Things are in the ground and the adventure starts now.  There is still weeding and mulching to be completed, but it’s gratifying to know that the growing has begun.