Garden clean up

[The Mama Chicken]

I had to go in and tidy up my herb bed this week.

Before

I had put a single tomatillo plant in there along with my other stuff and it had gotten huge! It was nearly 6 feet across and about 5 feet tall. So I pulled it out yesterday I also pulled all 3 of the nest egg gourds I had growing on the trellis out there, as they was harboring cucumber beetles and trying to choke out the tomato plant next to them. Now there's more air and light getting into the lower growing plants. And I even discovered that the moonflower vines I planted did come up, they were just buried under a million miles of gourd vines.

After

 

[digitS']

You gardeners in the South are just going to . . .

. . . when you see my "progress!"

It is fun working with herbs, isn't it TMC? (With that picknic table in the shade of the big tree, there in the distance!) The fragrance of the herbs get to me every time

.
Oh, but be careful with that garden torch! Dear Son was inquiring about our torrential rainfall yesterday - via text message. I told him that after I'd been out in it from about 6 to 9 in the morning, it stopped. By the time he'd asked I was standing in the garden looking up at what I believe is our local Forest Service plane that drops fire retardant!! What he was doing out at this time of year (when we can still see snow high up), I have no idea! Probably, testing the controls or sumthin' . . .

Steve

 

[The Mama Chicken]

I actually just used the torches to prop things up. They don't even have any oil in them right now. One is holding up the dill that tipped over in the wind and the other one had been holding up the tomatillo. I keep meaning to get an actual stake and put the torches back where they go, but then, 2 seconds later, I forget.
And don't feel bad about your short season, Steve. My garden will mostly shut down in July and August because of the heat. If I can shade some things and keep it watered enough I might get a few things, but it gets pretty sparse out there in high summer.

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

Looks good...
I have a feeling my beds will be done before end of June.
TOO MANY GRASSHOPPERS!
And the caterpillars have eaten ALL of the kale, chard, collards, and what beet greens I have left.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

I know what you mean about the grasshoppers! They are everywhere right now. And caterpillars have been a big problem for me too, they haven't touched the chard but every other green I had was wiped out. Then there are the hornworms, and the cucumber beetles, and the squash bugs... The bugs are bad this year.

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

They are HORRIBLE...

And did you get the 60 mile/hr wind on that storm Wednesday night?
That just about did in my zuc and tomatoes...

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Oh yeah, I have a couple of tomatoes leaning drunkenly out into the paths after that storm, but at least we got some rain out of it too. I'll put up with almost any weather if we can just stay out of drought this summer. Except tornadoes, I draw the line at tornadoes

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

Yes, grateful for the rain for sure .... we never turn our nose up at raindrops, unlike the WEATHERMEN in this $@%$@$# state!

 

[Jared77]

Sounds like someone needs guineas. I keep reading they are the best thing to combat against grasshoppers, ticks and other bigger bugs.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Sounds like someone needs guineas.

I've thought about it, but hubby doesn't like them. I'm working on him though, one day I'll get my way.