Make Hay While the Sun Shines

This is my new motto.

With June and the weather god smiling upon us, I have taken every opportunity possible to be outside in the garden. No TV and computer time at a minimum if the sun is up! The garden will not get away from me this year; I am more committed than ever.



This picture is for Layanee - this is what the raised beds look like right now. The picture I posted last time was from last August when the garden was in full bloom!


August 2008

Things are just starting to grow - but we did get our first sunflower bloom today.




Nothing says summertime like sunflowers.

After seeing all of the beautiful gardens while we were in Chicago last weekend, I was inspired to make a couple trips to the nursery to pick up some color for my yard. My red daylilies and selected Nasturtiums are blooming in the backyard, but I needed some other color - I planted zinnias (orange), cosmos (purple), daisies (white), sweet potato vine (black), moneywort (lime green), and verbena (pink). It's looking better already.

We planted pop corn when we got home where we just pulled out the garlic and greens that had bolted. Hopefully we can fend off the racoons! I know they sneak about the garden at night, without any damage right now.



The tomatoes and peppers are looking great this year! I am really looking forward to canning and preserving. The tomato cages are concrete reinforcing wire (huge thanks to my father-in-law for giving it to us), and typical tomato cages work very well for the peppers. I've been feeding them weekly with half-strength Peaceful Valley Farm Supply's OMEGA line of fertilizers - at first using the 6-6-6 and then moving to the 1-5-5 when flowers appeared. They seem to be liking the attention. I also bought some Sluggo Plus to take care of our roly poly problem (never mind the slugs that love to live in the mulch), only around plants I want to keep and not indiscriminately around the garden. Seems to have helped the peppers and tomatillos.

Tomatoes
Aunt Ruby's German Green
San Marzano
Abraham Lincoln
Amish Paste
Gardener's Delight
Old German
Garden Peach

Peppers
Habanero
Jalapeno
Serrano
Greek Golden Pepperoncini
Plain Golden Bell Pepper
Green Crimson Bell Pepper




After writing all this down, it doesn't feel like I do all that much in the garden. I know weeding, mulching, watering, fertilizing, and tending to plants takes much of the time I am outside, and I love every minute of it.