Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Back to the Garden -- and What a Pleasure!


For the past month the heat has been such that I've avoided the garden except for brief early morning forays to pick tomatoes  etc. The weeds have thrived (thriven?).

But a good rain and a high front have brought cooler weather so yesterday I decided to begin to bring order to the box beds and prepare to sow some fall lettuce. 


John has a plan involving PVC pipe and plastic netting to foil  the bunnies so, like all good gardeners, I'm prepared to forge ahead, eternally optimistic.


This young toad was sheltering in one of the box beds and agreed to pose. He's quite small -- maybe the size of a golf ball
 .

The peppers have done well and made lots of bell, pimento, Anaheim, and jalepeno peppers. They would have made more, had the deer not browsed the tops of the plants.  We'll try netting next year.


It's a lovely feeling to be up close and personal with the garden.


Above is fennel, going to seed. I cut some for drying.


Garlic chives in bloom. I'll have to cut them before they go to seed if I don't want garlic chives everywhere,


A lady bug hurrying along a fennel stalk path.


 An eggplant (aubergine) blossom . . .

And then a sudden cow -- NOT where she should be.  Fortunately, John was nearby and the wandering bovine was returned to her pasture. 

Layla helped.


8 comments:

Ms. A said...

That was a mighty big oops there at the end. She looks quite content to graze on that blanket of green grass.

KarenB said...

Last winter my husband tried over-wintering some of his pepper plants. He cut them back and kept them dark and cool in the basement, watering very sparingly. This summer they did astonishingly well after transplanting back to the garden. Produced peppers a month before new plants and produced a huge, healthy crop. He's going to do it again.

And for the second summer in a row, I have to thank you for letting us know of Cherokee purple tomatoes. Ever since you mentioned how good they are, we've looked for them and having found them, all I can say is yum!

Anvilcloud said...

Thriven: I like it.

Vicki Lane said...

Karen - I may have to try that. And, yes, Cherokee Purples are sooo good!

Martin said...

A surprise mini-toad and a 'sudden' cow! Wonderful.

Frances said...

Isn't it a relief to have the heat lowered a bit. I love these pictures from your garden, including the tiny toad, ladybug and adventuring cow. Happy gardening to you, Vicki! xo

Stella Jones said...

We've got the heat today Vicki and it's unbearable for me. I'm not going through that back door! Your garden has waited for you and you have to admire the tenacity of that cow. Isn't she beautiful!!

Carol Crump Bryner said...

Enjoy whatever gardening weather comes your way. Glad the heat let up for you.