Bits and Pieces: July 2013

Monday, July 29, 2013

It's a Jungle Out There

I try to go down to the garden every day. I read in an article that it is good to check on your plants and keep an eye on them to notice disease or pests that you would want to control. Oh, weeds, too. No pests so far this year other than the grasshoppers. They like basil but have been kind enough to munch more on the one in the front flower bed. The one in the garden shows little sign of their nibbling.

It has been so hot this summer. My tomatoes became a jungle and I could not see into the cages or walk around the plants anymore. So today I did some pruning. Major pruning. Not my favorite job. I feel so itchy when I am done.

But I can now see into the plants and even the back fence of the garden. But the best part of this task was that I found tomatoes hiding that were ready to be picked.

The jungle zucchini plant with 20 inch wide leaves.

The cantaloupe that is raiding the green beans, corn and climbing the fence.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Scorching The Books

This was the headline on this morning's paper. It has been a very hot summer. I am out tending the garden until the sun comes up and then I am good for maybe 30 minutes. At the most. The corn likes the heat. The zucchini like the heat. And so do the cucumbers. The tomatoes don't enjoy the heat and neither do I. Last winter when I normally complain about the snow, I committed not to complain once. We are in a drought situation and we needed that snow to grow gardens, plants and our yards. And I did not complain at all. But I have done my fair share of whining about this weather. However, being inside has been fine because I have been busy sewing. I raided my stash and made these skirts for Abigail.

I'm afraid the sewing will have to be set aside for awhile. We have a peach tree that is tempting the birds. This heat makes me grumpy and I am in no mood to share those peaches with the pesky birds!