The Garden's Heating Up!

Why do I always let the garden get out of hand?  The RD has been kind enough
to use the gas trimmer on the grass in the tomato strip.

Although they looked to be the feeblest plants at first, the
Greek and Italian pepperoncini is producing
prolifically!

Tiny fruit on the brown turkey fig tree!

The heat is shimmering and the grass is growing so quickly you can almost see it spreading through the garden.

The gardening is most effectively done in the morning and the evening so I was out early while the grass was sopping wet with the heavy dew.

The Resident Dragon has been kind enough to "weedeat" my garden after I let the grass get out of hand despite the heavy mulching.  I've gathered more mulch and will soon add it on top of the existing for both fertilization and weed control.

More peppers among the grass!

Because they were set out in late May, the tomatoes are just now beginning to come in.  The currant tomatoes have been producing for a while, but are setting fruit nicely.  The other varieties should begin coming in late this week, with the Black Truffles leading the way.  The Florida Pinks have not set fruit well, but the Creoles and the Italian Tree tomatoes have a few large and many small tomatoes.

After I fertilized all the plants--bone meal for the tomatoes, and a balanced fertilizer for the rest--I noticed a beautiful luna moth on my daughter's window screen.  I could not resist taking the picture, never realizing I was in it, too!

This okra has "volunteered"
in the compost pile.

A beautiful luna moth on my
daughter's window screen.
My reflection is behind it.

I had almost despaired of having any figs on my tiny trees this year but, surprise!, there are several of them.  Now if the deer (who have discovered the tomatoes) will ignore the figs, I might be able to prepare one elegant dessert from the crop.

The muscadines also surprised me with three tiny fruits on one of the vines.  Hopefully, this is the beginning of many fruitful years.

A trip to the compost revealed that the "volunteer" tomato plant was thriving, although not fruiting yet.  The volunteers I had thought to be squash turned out to be okra!  The okra loves the heat and will produce well with minimal amounts of water.

Once the heat of the day set in, I set about pickling the pepperoncini I had planted especially for the RD.  Already, the plants have produced four pints!

The continuing grass problem has me thinking about next year already.  Do I want to try something new, like raised beds and purchased soil?  I don't know.  Until them, I have plenty to keep me busy.

How are thing in your garden?

Nancy

The first of the pepperoncini crop:  four pints!