2012 - July 31 - The Stuff that Makes it All Worth it.

There have been some really amazing things that have been going on amidst this crazy drought.  I was watering the Butterfly Bush and about freaked out as I saw this yellow buzzing bug almost beam me with it's presence.  I thought it was a huge bubble bee or yellow jacket.  As I calmed down, I took a more cautious look at it and didn't quite recognize what it was.  At first I thought it was a hummingbird, but it was far too small.  As I looked closer, I noticed it had a proboscis.  Wow!  A Hummingbird Moth!  Holy Cow!

 As I was leaving for work, I noticed this cool little, bug eating machine, Mr. Tree Frog.

The faucet does not shut off properly in the front yard.  As it slowly drips, a few plants get some relief from the heat.  I wound the hose around the pots so that they could keep the trees and bushes in the pot alive. 

I finally pulled the last four Beets from the Raised Garden.  I also pulled up some Parsley to make room for new seeds.  I learned something new from this herb.  The root of the Parsley is also a root vegetable that you can put in stews and other root vegetable recipes.  It looks very similar to a Parsnip.  I tried to dry the Parsley, but on day two in the oven, Evan preheated the oven for some pizza and burned up the leaves.  Oh well.  I also cleaned out the Mesclun on the backside of the Garden.  The Kale, pictured on the far right, was really pretty, but very bitter, so Evan and I did not eat it.  The last thing that I pulled out was the Carrot.  I wanted to see how they were growing and they needed thinning anyways. 

This short, stubby orange bit of a carrot was very flavorful!  I know now, that they need lots of water to get bigger.  I am excited about getting them to do better on the next batch.

2012 - July 28 - Getting Ready for Fall Crop

The blazing heat took a toll on the Raised Garden.  I did some cleaning and took some of the plants that were no longer producing well out.  The most notable were the Sunflowers as they were finishing their last blooms and their massive leaves had turned yellow.  I chopped the stems down to two foot tall stems.  I need a saw to hack them better since I do not want to just yank them out and pull all the dirt and fresh roots with them.

This Brussels Sprout plant is surviving well despite the heat and the hungry critters that I could not cage out.  These small bugs have definitely left their mark on it's leaves, but the sprouts on the stalk look great!  I use a tomato support to hold up the plant to keep it off the ground.  This should be a taller plant in the garden, but some how the plant does not want to stand straight up.  I knew nothing of this plant when I got the seeds from my mom.  They came in a plastic bag and I threw four seeds in the square at the beginning of spring.  Two sprouted and I tore the second one out due to size and the malicious attacks the bugs had on it.  It was skeleton leaves stuck on a stem.  As I did research on it, they should grow around 4 feet tall and have brussels sprouts all along the stalk.

Amongst the Sunflower stalks, I threw some Kentucky Bean Pole Seeds in a few weeks ago.  They are coming up quite nicely.  The roots of these guys are now intertwined with the Sunflowers' roots and I don't want to disturb them.  At the time I planted the beans I didn't know the Sunflowers would be done so soon and not have a cool place for them to climb.

On the backside of the Raised Garden, the Mesclun has bolted.  I would have taken them out sooner, but the flowers have been pretty.  Since they set to seed, they are too bitter to eat.  I have been waiting for the heat wave to break to pull it up and reseed.   It sure smells good.  I love the peppery Arugula aroma.

Purple flowers pop out of this unidentified Mesclun variety that towers over the white Arugula blossoms.  The critters have skeletonized the Kale variety.  These guys are on their last days.  The heat looms today in the upper 90s as I keep the garden dirt moist.

Panda acts afraid of the water puddle I just splashed on the porch.  "Ew.  Wet."

Early morning light puts a neat glow on the garden.  

This Mammoth Sunflower is weighed down by the swelling seeds that fill the head of the blossom.

More of the Mesclun that is growing in a pot back by the deck.  All bitter.  Even though these guys were not in the direct sunlight, they had the same growth consistency as the others on the backside of the Raised Garden.  They too have bolted and became bitter with the heat and lack of water.

2012 - July 21 - SUNFLOWERS!

Mammoth Sunflower

Cut Sunflower from 10 foot stalks.

2012 - July 15

One cool looking Mammoth Sunflower opening in midway, looks like it has teeth and whiskers.

Our Brussels Sprouts are sprouting!  Look at all the little buds on the stalk.

I pulled the first Spaghetti Squash.  Pixie and Panda check it out with a few sniffs.

I found my frog that guarded the Living Room Garden in the Winter and placed him on the Squash to watch over it until the it cures.  That will be sometime at the end of July.

2012 - July 9

They turned YELLOW!!!!  The Squash are finally ripening and looking more like a Spaghetti Squash and less like a Cantaloupe.

The Cherry Tomatoes have a Red one on the vine!  

Tasting Time!  Wow!  Lots of Flavor, but a tough skin.  Something to do with the heat and lack of adequate water.

I knocked this sunflower down as I was watering.  So I stuck it in this beautiful vase full of Roses from Evan!  <3 <3 <3

2012 - July 5

These Sunflowers are SO tall!!!  They tower over 10 feet! 

The Strawflowers are so cool to watch open and close as the sun goes up and down and when the rain pours (during the few times it has).  The squirrels keep digging in the pot for something and knock out some of the flowers.

When I cleaned out the Butterfly Garden at the beginning of the season, I pulled up a portion of the Mums by accident and thought I had pulled it all out.  Here it grows in my disbelief!  Grow baby grow!  Fall flowers, here we come.

Panda checks out the Tomato pot under the Rose-of-Sharon bush.

The first Pepper!  It is small, but it is FULL of flavor.

For size comparison, Evan and I decided to place it next to a Roma Tomato.  Not very big.

Along with the Pepper, the Kentucky Pole Beans had some dried pods.

I took them out and put them in a bag for safe keeping.  I will be using these later.

Here are all the Snow Pea, Radish, Dill, and Cilantro plants that have been pulled up.  They are drying so that I can pull the seeds from them for keeping.

Coriander seeds from the Cilantro plant.