August Garden Update

I do not think it has reached 60 degrees outside! I went for a walk this morning, I wore a turtleneck, jean jacket and jeans. It is August 1st!!! We have had a very cold summer, the garden is a full month behind.

Here is my August Update....

Yellow and green beans, look very healthy and very small, not even tall enough to start up the pole.

What shell peas came up, are doing very nicely, half of what I planted.

Snap peas are thick in one section of the garden, but very short. No sign of all the sweet peas I planted, soil issue in that section of the garden.

Those are the plants that seem to be in an area that did not do as good as other parts.

Peppers, beautiful, healthy looking plants . Out of twelve plants, I have one cayenne growing. Again most are very stocky plants, with plenty of flowers.

Tomatoes are a mess. I think one of the poles might be a bit short. They are healthy, lots of flowers and small fruits. But a bit too close, I am having a problem keeping one away from my good peeper plant. Arms everywhere.

Cosmos are dancing away, they took off, the tall have been blooming for awhile. Now, the short ones are full of flower heads. But I was hoping to get some white ones , so far no luck. I must of lost all those in the freeze.

The ones I have growing everywhere make me happy.

The dill is smelling heavenly, lots of it.

I never really thinned out the carrots good, they are growing nicely under all the dill, and a few green onions also. I really screwed up this part of the garden. Did not know a plant from a weed, put the wrong plant on the graph, so I replanted dill plants, where the carrots and onions where, I though radishes where beets, Just a mess.

I do have around twelve beets growing nicely. Spinach got lost in the bolted radishes I never thinned out good. Had lots though. Will not plant next year.

Beets, growing nice, I will plant more of those.

Eggplants are fruiting. That makes me ecstatic. I will add more plants next year. Eggplant Parmigiana is a great gift, and I love it, so I make it in individual casserole dishes, freeze. I have it when I am too lazy to cook.

Zucchini ,massive leaves, lots of flowers, some going up, but, there is space to roam,where the radishes where.

Cucumbers had to be all replanted, don't know what happened. I have several healthy looking plants, a few are starting to trellis up.

Using chives all the time.

The sunflowers in the garden are doing nicely, over four feet.

And the corner with all the marigolds lining it, is really pretty. Big and small, yellow, orange, multi-color. I like marigolds when they are mass planted , or like mine, a continuous line, no spacing.

Lavender is flowering.

All the mints are really growing, those will have to be divided or re-potted in larger pots.

My scented geraniums are doing the same as the mints, looking really healthy.

Sunflowers are all over four feet. Soon I will stake each side and run twine across so they have front support. They are against the shed, probably won't need, but the wind has been horrendous.

Day lily's perk up everyday, and the Cosmo's are doing nice.

Herb barrel is getting used all the time, same with the parsley bucket and lettuce barrel. All are just healthy as all hell!!!

Rosemary is thriving.

Nasturtiums are a big disappointment. And it is all my fault. They where all planted in miracle grow potting soil, and I do a bi-weekly spraying of miracle grow. Too much fertilizer. Huge beautiful leaves, no flowers, and they should of flowered by now. I do have one really pretty red in the lettuce barrel. And seeing that makes me sad, because I love them and I have them growing everywhere, and all huge leaves. But maybe the ring around the lettuce barrel will bloom, I think I used the compost to top that off.

And last but not forgotten... THE GREAT PUMPKIN PATCH. Spreading their arms everywhere, lots of flowers, and everything in that corner looks very happy. I have a cage of cosmos that are four feet tall, a few little patches of nasturtiums.

To summarize.... I love my garden, I am very impressed that for being in a first year plot, that was all grass, then clay. For being such a cold summer and getting in late.

I am happy.