I am still enjoying my time in the garden. I spend at least an hour a day out there, and sometimes 2, if it isn’t too hot. Since this is yet another drought year, we are saving most of our water use for the garden and the trees around the pool. The other plants are on their own. So the grass is pretty much dead and all the established oaks and pines seem to be hanging in there. We did have about 10 minutes of downpour yesterday so they all got the dust cleaned off and a nice drink. Every so often, we do get a little edge of the monsoon season from down in the southern deserts!
I am pretty happy with the flowering plants right now. Many have already bloomed but I can see the start of fall buds. The lantana is finally flowering after 3 summers of babying the plant after the deer ate it in 2020. The marigolds have beaten the earwigs which decimated the first 4 (yes, four) rounds of small plants I put in there. The four-o’clocks that I planted last year are growing like crazy too. The first calla lily bloomed this last week. And the allysum are growing like the weeds they probably are. Good thing I like a profusion of blooms!
The veggies are also doing quite well. We have gotten 3 zucchini from one plants but none from the other. They grow to a pretty good size and are still tender. They all have a crazy fat bottomed shape though. I think there is one more smaller one on the plants so far. The yellow “crooknecked” squash are flowering like mad but stay very small before they get bitter. Dave says they are tasty though. The corn is almost ready…drool. The potatoes and carrots are still in growth mode as are the green beans. The pole beans are more than 5 feet tall and still going. They are finally starting to flower so maybe we will get beans soon. There are 5 little watermelons but no cantaloupe flowers so far. There have not been many bees this summer, so I am pollinating many mornings.
So overall, we are eating $40/lb veggies or something but I am enjoying the zen time out there. I wish we had space to grow some fruit trees because I had fun going to Kathryn B’s family orchard to pick awesome flavored pears and apples. Matt and Jenny’s rental place also has a beautiful garden with fruit trees. Most of my crop is miniature ( I think we are getting 1/3 size corn cobs again) but it is a fun way to spend my mornings.
