Lots of flowers but no fruit

So it's the end of August and the garden is waning. This year was better than last, but not what I had hoped. I did get tomatoes, peppers, carrots, green beans, squash and a couple of ears of corn. The cucumbers, pumpkin, and berries were nonexistent. There were Strawberries, those that the bugs didn't get anyway. I guess I set my sights too high each year. The fact that I get anything at all is fun and delicious.

I have begun my fall garden. It is filled with salad greens and carrots. I will keep only one box growing along with some squash in the back bed. I don't have much time to garden in the fall so I will realign my drip system and get a timer for it. We'll see how it goes.

Fall Gardening

This morning I spent time in the garden cleaning up for the fall. The corn stalks are down, weeds are pulled, and irrigation drip system rearranged. I will have to spend some more time on the irrigation.  I know there must be a more efficient way to get the watering done.

My boxes are pretty much empty right now.  I have the last of the peppers ripening on the bushes, a square of carrots maturing and two squares of beans just beginning to sprout in one box and two eggplant bushes in the other box.  Today I planted lettuce, parsley and cilantro in that box. It has been such a mild summer I thought I would give these cool weather crops an early start.  I hope that doesn't mean that the weather is about to change to triple digits!

I'm disappointed with the pumpkin I planted.  It got plenty of blossoms but no fruit. Same thing happened last year. Maybe  I need to plant two vines together next year so they can pollinate each other. No pumpkins again this Thanksgiving :(

The melons are slow to produce as well.  I have no fruit from them but lots of blossoms.  The bees and wasps  are there in abundance but so far no fruit. The cucumbers are in a bad place this year. They are not happy with the sun exposure or the water drainage.  I'll have to find a new solution for them.  I can do another planting soon. They shouldn't mind the cooler weather.

Everything is slowing down, getting ready for fall. Fall is a busy time for me. Maybe I will only maintain one box of salad fixings.  The other spaces can rest for the winter until I get the bug again in the spring.

Tomato Frenzy

Well, it's been a while.  I've been much too busy to blog  or garden for that matter. The garden is producing but it shows the lack of care.  I need to remember that August is my busy month, but the garden needs a lot of attention in August. I am very glad that I didn't invest in chickens.  I just don't have time for them.

So today is tomato frenzy day.  I have pounds of tomatoes that will go bad if I don't do something today.  So I will peel, and boil, and can them. I don't have anyplace to be today, but lots of jobs around the house. The tomatoes can boil while I get the rest of the work done around here.

There are also peppers to chop, and corn to husk. Wow, I better get off this blog and get busy!

First squash!

This week the squash took off!  I have two zucchini almost ready to pick. The yellow squash is just forming now. Naomi's pumpkin plant is taking off, too. No fruit yet, but it is getting big.

 The snap peas are about done so they will come out next week sometime. I still get several off every day, so I'll let it go for a day or two more. I plan to put melons in their place, but have not decided for sure. Cucumbers are my other choice.

Naomi and Eli came and got some carrots, beets and an onion yesterday, They were excited to see what had grown under ground. They helped me find some strawberries, too. Eli really likes to hunt for them. When he found little ripe ones he said, "Oh look at the tiny one. It's so cute!" This is all new to them. I hope they enjoy it enough to continue gardening when they are older.

There are lots of green tomatoes on the vines. I hope the warm weather ripens them soon.  I hate to buy tomatoes at the store.  They are flavorless and expensive. Patience is needed when gardening.

Rearranging

One of the lovely features of square foot gardening is that one is always rearranging their produce. This morning I pulled out the spent bean plants and chard planting cabbage, carrots, cilantro and more beans in their place. It feels sad to pull up the old. but invigorating to plant the new. The snap peas are almost done producing.  I think I will plant cantaloupe in their place.

In a few short days I will see new growth. I love my garden. It reminds me of the old stuff in my life that is just hanging around taking up space and sapping nutrients from my soul. I need to do some rearranging there, as well. Plant some new seeds to enjoy the new growth. Tending the garden of my soul is well worth the effort.

Tending the garden of my soul.......

hmmmmm, there's a poem there, I just know it.  I'll be pondering that all day

What a mess!

I just got home from vacation and wandered back to the garden. My oh my what a week of no attention will do!  I have my work cut out for me. Good thing I took another day off.

There are tomatoes on the vines, and peppers on all three bushes. The cucumbers are gaining strength and the corn is getting taller.  I am excited to see what the next month or two will bring!

I need to plant some more melons. Three sisters plot is ready for beans. The weather is finally right for them. I love my garden. June gloom or no, summer is on the way!

The Lopez planting

Today as I watered the garden plot, I noticed that all of the Lopez family's seeds are sprouting.  The pumpkin, squash, sunflowers, wildflowers, carrots, and chives just broke through this week.  The children will be so excited!

My cucumbers have sprouted, but the watermelon has not. I think I will have to plant some more corn since only two of the 15 seeds I planted have germinated. The bush beans have taken over the plot where I put them.  I'll have to remember next year that they need a lot of room and 9 per square is too many.  I had to pull the lettuce up, it was too crowded with the beans. It may be too warm for them to grow now, but I think I will start another square anyway.

The tomatoes are coming along nicely, lots of flowers on each plant.  I will continue to pick out the suckers and try to contain them in their wire cages. Last year was a chaotic mess of tomatoes! This year will be nice and neat with any luck.

I love my drip watering system! Unfortunately not all of the planted area is set up with a dripper.  I have to remember to go out and water those areas. It has been fairly cool lately so it has not been a problem.  I will try to get out this week end and expand the reach of the drip system.