What Did You Do In The Garden?

[ducks4you]

Before we left for CO the neighbor 12yo came over to help and the FIRST thing I had him do was to pick the rest of my grapes. NO TIME to process, so I bagged them, put them in the lowest fridge drawer (which kind freezes) and I think I'll make them into jelly.

 

[journey11]

First of the sweet corn. There were no bugs this year! And I was diligent about fertilizing and hilling this time too. Just had an ear for a midnight snack.

 

[journey11]

A few shots of the garden with the sunflowers in full bloom... We've had no lack of rain this year. It's a jungle out there!

I wanted a pic of the kids in the garden, just like the one of my siblings and I, thirty-some years ago. Ava burst a balloon filled with lotion (stress ball...she says) on Savannah's feet, so I couldn't get a smile out of her.

Gonna need the step ladder to get those beans at the top of the kids' teepee. Didn't think that through very well...

 

[ducks4you]

D'awww!!! Girls are cute and pose very well.

 

[Nyboy]

Wow you have a sunflower jungle. Do you eat the seeds or save for birds ?

 

[journey11]

Wow you have a sunflower jungle. Do you eat the seeds or save for birds ?

The birds will wear them out once they go to seed. I am going to brown bag a few heads and save seed too, a little of each color. I figure they will all cross up more. Can't wait to see what I get next year.

 

[Beekissed]

Playing catch up, but the garden has been the worst we've ever grown in our lives, despite better soils, plenty of rain, good spacing, good seed, etc. Seems all the gardens I pass across this state seem the same way, so it's not just us.

Was away for a couple of weeks, so the weeds took over, the tomatoes grew wild~not producing much anyway, so not much of a loss, but still, and everything else started growing fungus.

The chickens and dogs took half my spud crop, located in compost rings inside the dog's boundary, but was able to salvage the lower two rings of spuds. Not much but still a good return on the little sack of spuds planted...if the whole harvest had been obtained, it would have been a pretty good crop for the number planted.

The onions didn't make....again. Golf ball size and no more.

Suffice to say, the garden was a bust this year except a few good growth items~sugar snap peas were show quality, got some pretty rhubarb here and there but one plant up and died and the other is struggling, still have one producing. The Fortex beans put on a good show despite horrible JB infestation problems. The tomatoes are too leggy, the blooms too sparse and not producing despite many, many pollinators, the fruit is quarter the size it should be and slow to ripen. The lettuce and bok choy under the low tunnel did exceptionally well, but I've been unable to replant any tunnels since then, so will try again this week so as to get a winter harvest if I can.

Didn't get a single yellow squash and only three cukes, despite many plants planted...this is so rare as to have never happened to us before in all our lives. Squash beetle infestations killed everything resembling squash or cukes and I tried everything in my natural arsenal to stop it, but there were just too, too many. Same thing happened in my son's garden.

The flowers grew beautifully this year, though they are infected with fungus right now and have been half the summer....just too much rain, too hot of weather.

So, that's the garden review for this year....worst garden we've ever had in the history of this family. Will get a very small crop of tomatoes but we'll be gone when that happens, so hoping the housesitter will pick them and put them in the freezer.

Disappointing, to say the least, but truly beyond my control, so I won't beat myself up about it.

 

[Carol Dee]

Playing catch up, but the garden has been the worst we've ever grown in our lives, despite better soils, plenty of rain, good spacing, good seed, etc. Seems all the gardens I pass across this state seem the same way, so it's not just us.

Was away for a couple of weeks, so the weeds took over, the tomatoes grew wild~not producing much anyway, so not much of a loss, but still, and everything else started growing fungus.

The chickens and dogs took half my spud crop, located in compost rings inside the dog's boundary, but was able to salvage the lower two rings of spuds. Not much but still a good return on the little sack of spuds planted...if the whole harvest had been obtained, it would have been a pretty good crop for the number planted.

The onions didn't make....again. Golf ball size and no more.

Suffice to say, the garden was a bust this year except a few good growth items~sugar snap peas were show quality, got some pretty rhubarb here and there but one plant up and died and the other is struggling, still have one producing. The Fortex beans put on a good show despite horrible JB infestation problems. The tomatoes are too leggy, the blooms too sparse and not producing despite many, many pollinators, the fruit is quarter the size it should be and slow to ripen. The lettuce and bok choy under the low tunnel did exceptionally well, but I've been unable to replant any tunnels since then, so will try again this week so as to get a winter harvest if I can.

Didn't get a single yellow squash and only three cukes, despite many plants planted...this is so rare as to have never happened to us before in all our lives. Squash beetle infestations killed everything resembling squash or cukes and I tried everything in my natural arsenal to stop it, but there were just too, too many. Same thing happened in my son's garden.

The flowers grew beautifully this year, though they are infected with fungus right now and have been half the summer....just too much rain, too hot of weather.

So, that's the garden review for this year....worst garden we've ever had in the history of this family. Will get a very small crop of tomatoes but we'll be gone when that happens, so hoping the housesitter will pick them and put them in the freezer.

Disappointing, to say the least, but truly beyond my control, so I won't beat myself up about it.

Well Shoot ! At least there is always a next year.

 

[Beekissed]

A few shots of the garden with the sunflowers in full bloom... We've had no lack of rain this year. It's a jungle out there!

I wanted a pic of the kids in the garden, just like the one of my siblings and I, thirty-some years ago. Ava burst a balloon filled with lotion (stress ball...she says) on Savannah's feet, so I couldn't get a smile out of her.

Gonna need the step ladder to get those beans at the top of the kids' teepee. Didn't think that through very well...

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Just gorgeous, Journey!!!! So good to see someone out there with a great garden in WV....I've been seeing all the familiar gardens across the state that I love to pass and envy looking much like my own...nonproductive in all ways. Just lovely to see that lush jungle of food and flowers...you have a beautiful place!!!

 

[Smart Red]

Harvested pattypan and zucchini squash, cukes, and beets to take to work at the food-shelter tomorrow.