How is it that I let two weeks go by without a garden update? Oh my! It's been a busy flurry of weeks - birthdays, recitals, planning a trip, getting a magazine issue out the door, and yes, lots and lots of garden time. It just hasn't made its way onto the blog. But today, an update.
We had an intense period of heat last week, with threatening thunderstorms each day that never materialized. Dry, dry, dry. Watering the garden was a huge focus, considering so many things had just been planted and really needed that water. And after a week of that heat, we did get a stretch of four straight days of rain. After that? It's a jungle out there! It's going wild, things are moving and growing, and it is ON in the garden.
Sadly, during the heat, I did lose an entire bed of onions and leeks. They're in a far corner of the garden where the hose does not reach. Not smart planning on my part, since they do love the water so much. I didn't get enough of it to them with the watering can, and they crisped right up into sadness. The silver lining is that I did tuck many throughout other garden beds in between things, so it isn't a total loss.
I've reached the point where I'm completely out of space, and looking for more places to tuck this or that in. I went outside of the garden fence for a second section of pumpkins, using the black plastic I used from last year I'm telling you, I was so hesitant to use that, but how amazing it was to peel back the plastic this spring, laid down on grass as it had been, and have a garden bed all ready to plant in. We've put it down for a patch of strawberries we'll plant next year, but for now, I thought I'd toss some of those extra pumpkins out there. We'll see how it does.
Inside the garden fence, I'm using row covers for all of my squash this year, and crossing my fingers and toes that it helps with the squash bugs. Oh, those squash bugs. They vex me so. I'll keep the cover on until the plants flower, then pull it back for pollination.
Everything else is steadily growing, even if the "harvest" is still meager at this point. Asparagus is coming in, spinach and herbs, and radishes will be next.
And can we talk garden decor? It's a slippery slope, I know I've said before, but I'm sliding on down it with no holding back. Do you see my little wine bottle (upside down) border? Silly, yes, but I do love it. Though I think I might have to start drinking Riesling just for the purpose of getting some blue bottles in there.
As always, there are so many visitors to my garden - a dog on a leash, a chicken named Lightening that I just can't keep out, and my babies. Especially, the little one with a pink house in the corner. She's my constant garden companion and I love it so. Yesterday, I sat down at her new pink table for some tea and noticed she'd been doing some of her own decorating. "Oh, honey, you drew all over your new table?" I asked. "Yes! Don't you just LOVE it?" she replied. And thankfully, I paused just long enough to be able to truly say, "Yes, yes, I really do." It's her table after all. And those are some very fabulous faces.
And now, I leave my garden. In just a few hours I'll hop on a plane and not return for eleven days. I am so nervous about it and a little bit sad too! I've never left my garden for so long, especially this time of year. I've left a list of hopes for the garden while I'm away, but I know that everyone here has their own hands full. So I'll give the garden a kiss before I go and cross my fingers. (Of course, I'll miss my babies more, you know that's a given, right?)
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During the growing season, I share a garden update once a week. If you are doing the same (on any day of the week) in your own online space, please leave a link in the comments section below so that we can take a stroll through your garden! Or simply, in your words, share what you've been up to in your own garden. Be sure not to miss the comments of these posts, as the garden wisdom shared by all of you is such a beautiful thing to see - I learn so much every week! Thank you, friends. And blessings on another year in the garden!
