Saturday Morning

We are having some incredibly high temperatures and it's no fun to be outside at all. This morning I got up at 5 o'clock and was outside by 5:30 to water. I have been faithfully watering the vegetable and perennial gardens on alternating days, but haven't had to regularly water some of the shrubs because of the rain frequency. I decided that with the high heat that I need to walk around and soak the newest juniper shrubs planted this spring on the north side of the house and the north garden with the lavender, Russian sage, butterfly bushes, and hydrangeas. I also have 4 English laurels along the driveway that needed a good soaking. The temperatures and humidity were fine at that hour. It was just me out there with the birds singing.

I took pity on the frogs and couple of goldfish in the pond and ran some water in there while I took photos. Later after I came in we had a down pour. Of course! It filled up the pond nicely and gave everything a soaking though a longer lasting gentler shower would have been best.

Here is the pond overgrown with cat tails. The Joe Pye weed is just about ready to open its blooms in the background.

Hibiscus - this one has just started to bloom in the perennial garden. The one in the front had been blooming but has gotten sick. I snipped off all its diseased buds and hope it will recover to look like this again.

Tiger lily at least I think it is. It came in a transplant gift with day lilies. I have never seen it bloom before on the bank of the pond because it has always gotten eaten by the deer before it bloomed. This year I was diligent to keep it sprayed with Liquid Fence and it is lovely.
Crape myrtle - my Arbor Day Foundation free tree has started to bloom. I have 5 more of these in a temporary setting while they grow. I'll move them in the fall to their final location. It does grow fast which I like and the deer don't seem to bother them at all. I love the color at this hot time.

A bloom in the vegetable garden from one of several producing zucchini plants. The bees were busy pollinating these this morning.

I am getting tomatoes but for how much longer I really wonder. The plants are yellowing fast. Is it the heat? Is it lack of water or over watering? Don't know.

Two foot chicken wire encloses this bed to keep the bunny from eating the beans. This is my second planting of beans. I did manage to get beans from the first planting before the bunny found the plants. The bunny did bite all the leaves off the eggplants but left the leaves lying in the soil. I don't think the plants will recover but I've left them for now.

Lettuce, mesculun, spinach and maybe broccoli in this netted bed to keep the bunnies out and give the plants some slight shade.

I picked this basketful of produce this morning. Peppers are nicely producing for me. I've been enjoying the cucumbers and zucchini too. I picked some tomatoes early as you can see.

What a Difference July Makes!

It's happened! It was hidden in the leaves so when I went out for the garden update photos yesterday I missed it entirely. But later when I went to harvest the cucumbers for refrigerator pickles (a la Daphne's Dandelions) I saw it. I let it sit for the day and today it's being celebrated! THE FIRST RUTGERS TOMATO! Yeah!


But back to the difference July makes for a moment. Each of my three eggplants has a fruit hanging from it.


The peppers are loaded with lovelies in fact I picked some last night for the evening casserole recipe.


The zucchinis are producing and I have to pick every other day now to keep ahead of them. I picked four yesterday and only used one and there are more to be picked tonight.


Cucumbers are doing super. Great taste too.

The butternut squash is up. This was a late planting and I hope it has enough time to produce for me.


Tomato plants are loaded and despite the wilt I had on a few branches which I think was due to overwatering and the occasional hornworm (4 picked this morning), the tomatoes are lovely. And now my first ripe one.

Rutgers on the fence. The ones on the mesh trellis (not pictured) are responsible for the first ripened fruit.

Amish paste.

Goldie

Here's the damage the bunnies have done to the green beans. I harvested three beans today - all that was there - and pulled the plants.

The new beans are under chicken wire but since this photo yesterday some of the seedlings have disappeared. I don't think the bunnies could fit under the wire so it may be cut worms or slugs.

I made owl faces on old cds which I've hung on the fence. These and the hope that as the bunnies get bigger they won't fit through the wire fencing are what I'm counting on to prevent further damage.


Ah, July and so much yet to bring into the kitchen to enjoy!

What's Happening in the Garden on July 31st

Take a walk with me around the yard. Just outside the front door the black-eyed susans are in their full glory. The three butterfly bushes are starting to attract the insects but it always surprises me how few butterflies there are at first.


The hydrangea keeps opening new blooms in this front bed.





The sunflower is hanging its blossom head with the weight of the seeds. I frightened off some goldfinches when I opened the door. You can see where they are already feasting on the seeds.

Russian sage with trimmed lavender to the left.

Newly weeded swale to the pond.

Joe Pye weed.

Perennial beds

A lovely begonia in the hanging basket.