It's a Jungle Out There

 

 

 

Summer is winding down, but with all of the late rains we have had, the garden is still very green and lush. This has been one of the most bountiful and healthy gardens I've ever had. I did lose control of the weeds as we had a couple of weeks of continual rains. As the bulk of the harvest came on, my whole family caught Covid! I was thankful to feel well enough keep up with the canning. It amounted to something like a mild flu/bad head cold for us. The kids recovered quickly, but my husband and I were sick a good two weeks.

 

I have seen so many beneficials out in the garden this year. The brown marmorated stink bugs seem to have leveled out finally. They had been the worst pest I've had for several years now, sucking juices from the fruits and spreading disease. This year my nemesis was the cabbage moths. I sprayed the cauliflower several times with BT, but they were relentless. Now with all of the rain we've had, the cauliflower is beginning to rot out. I will probably just go ahead and pull those. I used insecticidal soap a couple times to get the thrips and aphids. I have seen a lot of lady bugs too. The only place had to  spot check with Sevin spray was the summer squash and zucchinis as we battled so many squash bugs. I was careful to spray late of an evening so it would dry before the new blooms opened and the bees came back in the morning.

 

 

The luffa gourds have taken over both sides of the hoop trellis now. It is an aggressive spreader. They bloom during the day, which is nice; a sunny, yellow bloom. I canned a lot of pole beans and left the rest here to go to seed. I kept hitting my head on the dangling fruits as I was picking beans. They are heavy!

 

I've had some gorgeous sunflowers this year! These are called "Teddy Bear", I think.

The grasshoppers have arrived, looking to fill their bellies.

 

 

I have lost control of the tomato patch. It is difficult to get around. I have canned up 3 wheelbarrow loads of tomatoes and saved lots of seeds. I wish I hadn't planted them so close together. I was desperate to get several varieties in the space. I have saved seeds from multiple fruits to lessen the chance of any being all crossed out. I don't usually get many crosses, but it does happen sometimes. I did pretty well photographing and documenting all the varieties I saved. You can find those on my Instagram feed -- journey011.

The Glass Gem corn reached about 12' tall. I planted densely, in a spot that was well fertilized with chicken manure and compost. Each stalk has 3 to 4 ears each! They are filling out well and I am beside myself with anticipation for the joy of shucking them when they dry. 😄

 

 

My fingers are crossed that the Thai Red Roselle will set seed before frost. I can't wait to have a glass of this tangy, red tea as soon as these buds develop. We sure could have used that natural Vitamin C while we were sick! They are just now appearing. These were started back in February. The plants are much larger than I expected and I have them crowded, of course. I am considering digging one or two up to bring inside for the winter. 

 

September and I have a love/hate relationship. I love the crisp, cooler days, but I also get a little bit of SAD as the days get shorter. I do hate to see the garden come to an end, but I guess everything--myself included--needs the break. We have eaten so well from it this summer and I am grateful. 💚