MidSummer Update

It's been a very interesting growing season here in our front and back yards.  There have been great successes and huge failures.  I am coming to the realization that some things thrive in our garden AND are of no interest to pests/animals.  I will make a note to grow more of those things (asparagus, red zeppelin onions, rojo garlic, random potatoes that sprouted in the kitchen and got thrown in the garden and red russian kale)! 

asparagus fronds collecting energy for next year's harvest

There are some fruits and vegetables that thrive but are so popular with the wildlife that we never get to eat them (triple netted blueberries, double fenced and netted tomatoes, triple fenced strawberries).  We planted Jerusalem artichokes last fall and while some plants are now over 6ft tall and filled with blossoms others were mowed down to a little stump.   No pictures of missing blueberries, stolen strawberries or other eaten produce.  I can't bear to document it...

backyard double fenced garden beds

Lettuce did very well this summer.  We ate salads every day for almost two months.  This week I cut the first salad after the plants had finally gone bitter.  Our lettuce usually gets replaced around July 4th so we were very fortunate this year to get  a few more weeks out of it. This weekend, I will start a new round of planting for the fall.

The third plot into the garden is definable only by the lack of plants growing.  The tomatoes are failing this year.  The 3 tomato plants that I bought have the only green tomatoes.  They are being ripped from the vine and chewed on only to be left on the ground.  My tomato seedlings are about a foot high and going nowhere.  But with disappointment comes some success.  We were so excited to harvest all of our garlic this week.  What a rewarding vegetable to grow!

I learn something new every day in the garden.  Thank you for all of your updates.  Its great to hear how other gardens are doing!