I have some beautiful Rubekia that bloomed out of nowhere. I love it when that happens! I also have two eggplant. They are really beautiful. The garden is overgrown and looking really untended. With the 100 degree temps here it has been difficult to catch up with the weeds. We did get a whole load of mulch a couple of weekends ago and that has helped. I bought six tomato plants and a jalapeno pepper today. I got these really cool cages that I think will work really well. I am also going to attempt setting up a worn out old hammock so that it can be a trellis for winter peas. More on that to come. My path to freedom (www.pathtofreedom.com) are really inspiring me. Of course, Pasadena, CA is not as hard to fight with the weather. Their garden is absolutely inspiring. I have many dreams and plans and have realized that gardening is a patient craft. Waiting on each individual growth to mature in its own time. It has taught me so many lessons. I have recently realized how much I miss being out there. It has been such a bright spot on the few days I can spend digging in the dirt. Late summer is a hard time of year for me. It is frustrating to sit and look out at what appears to be a beautiful day and then step outside for only a few minutes before running back in. The early morning is nice though and what I can do is usually done then.

The animals are faring ok despite the heat. I have also been thinking alot about trying to be more involved with the bunnies though. They don't trust us and they sure don't get enough excercise. I am going to try to start putting them in the chicken coop when Bertha is out scratching so that they can be contained and safe and maybe get more used to us. I don't think they are living their ideal existence. I have never been an animal person but I have grown to love the ones we have. I think about what they would like. Looks like I'm growing along with the garden.

Fruit of the field

I have fruit. I have two eggplants, lots of banana peppers and several cool looking gourds. Not sure what to do with them all but they are there. I have started gearing up for the fall. Yesterday, Dave and I were out for almost 5 hours, clearing beds, mowing and laying mulch. With it being so hot, no one has wanted to be out there and the weeds got out of control. Things look much better now and I have gotten out the books and seeds and am starting to plan for the fall. I have decided that I have tried to do too much variety and will only plant two or three things this fall. I am definitly doing green beans (since the Verizon guys destroyed my spring plants). I am thinking I would like to try potatoes but am nervous because I have no idea how. My garden has been such a chaotic experiment. I try not to look at the loss as waste but as a learning experience. Each year it gets better, I get better at it. The pond hasn't made much progress since Dave was in Maryland for a couple of weeks. Hopefully that will be ready to go by the end of August. The animals are doing well despite the heat and Bertha faithfully lays an egg every day for us. I will be tossing some of their contributions into the compost heap this week to get the process going a little faster. The pond dirt covered up my ready compost :( so I am without that black gold. Anyway, hope to have more updates coming soon.

Herbs, among wild flowers and morning glories 

Pond progress 

Verizon, Grrr!

Ok, so the latest news in the garden is that when Verizon came to install my FiOS cable they didn't talk to me first about destroying hte green beans, digging up herbs and severing my soaker hose. I was really upset and the first person I talked to said that they don't have to let you know they are there to enter your backyard. Ok, so I understand I ordered the service but when they got back there and saw all my plants, do you think, common sense, hmmm. They should have out of common courtesy come to see what I would like them to do. I could have moved the soaker hose and we could have discussed what they could and couldn't dig up! Anyway, I'm really made because it seems every year there is some unforseen catastrophe. This year the green beans, sadly will make their way to plant heaven due to another destructive force.

On a lighter note, the strawberries have been producing much the kids delight who will run over and get a snack or two now and then. They are a bit weedy and I am thinking I will clean them out a little at the end of summer. The tomatoes look great. I really think the hairy vetch ground cover is working great. It is a little wild and I have had to keep yanking it up to keep it in its place but man my tomatoes are looking solid. The gourds are climbing their trellis and the herb bed is sadly in need of attention which hopefully I can give it the next few days.

The other big development in the garden is the addition of a big hole in the ground. We have decided to dig a small pond! I came out one morning and told Dave I was thinking of doing this and this and a little of that over in this one corner. He seized upon the idea and has taken rounds out there shoveling dirt. We alreday have some appropriate plastic for liner and the rocks to go around it. The pump and fountain will be around $100. I feel like its a great addition. I'm so pleased to have inspired Dave so.

I love growing

Going out this morning to the garden was very relaxing. Its not that hot in the earlier hours, so I went out and watered and turned the compost pile and just enjoyed being out there. I added some of my homemade compost to one of my plant boxes that Dave made for me. I planted some lemon basil, radishes and watermelon seeds in there. I am greatly encouraged by the seeds that have germinated in the butterfly garden area. I have genovese basil there and some zinnias that have sprouted. Yeah! So I'm encouraged to plant more and more and more....oh and some more....

Backyard heaven 

Veggies 

The flood

I have discovered that the soaker hoses I have put in all my beds are not such a good thing. I turn them on and think "Ok, I have about 10 minutes and I'll go back out and turn them off" It doesn't ever work out. I came out to go to church this afternoon and there was a flood going down my driveway from the backyard. So at least my plants are not suffering too horribly in this awful heat. It hasn't been as difficult to deal with (the heat, I mean). It seems that so far everything is holding up well. We did seperate our rabbits. They weren't really fighting, just gnawing little places on each other. Apparently that's not good (Thanks Juli) so we separated them. Unfortunatly Max is our little Houndini and Dave has to keep reinforcing the divider we put in their hutch. Hopefully, they will figure it out soon and leave each other alone. I think one Mr. Bugs episode in my life is enough.

Progress!

This morning was very busy. I got an early start and decided to just get to work. Wesley sat in the excersaucer and Jared and Ayla got their little aprons and tools ready to go. There is this area that was looking pretty sad and I wanted to jazz it up a bit. I had decided to do a butterfly garden there (see previous post). So we had this salvia and I went through my seeds to see if I had any we could throw out there. So, I got the plastic pulled up and started with the shovel attacking the weeds everywhere. Then Wesley decided he needed a nap, so I go wash my hands get him off to bed. Come back outside and Jared and Ayla are fighting over who's going to use the tiller! Anyway, we got three lindhauri (sp?) bushes moved to the front yard. While I'm at the front the kids decide to ride their bikes. Get the plants in the ground and watered and then have to rally the kids back to back again. Ahh! Then we finally got the tiller out. Jared and Ayla are the cutest little tillers ever. If I would have had an extra hand I would have totally taken a picture but I thought that might break some safety rules. They both took turns getting that thing in the ground. So we got their two little flowers planted (I don't know what they are). I got the salvia in the ground and moved some feverfew I had in another bed (I hope they make the transplant). I also planted chamomile seeds, basil, yarrow and zinnias. Hopefully those will germinate (they're old). I am loving being out in the garden. There are birds everywhere. I saw a monarch butterfly today and it just really lifted my spirit. There is something so connected about digging in the dirt. Everytime I come away so fulfilled and....satisfied. It is just in me. Now if I can just get away from my sewing machine.....

Spring Garden

Ok, things are really going good so far this year. I had shasta daisies just appear out of nowhere and are blooming like crazy. My herb bed is looking mighty crowded now that all the plants I put in in the fall are spreading out and looking better. My veggies are not looking so prolific and I'm somewhat concerned about their well being. We have several gourd plants that are doing ok and then the peppers, squash and cucumbers are taking their sweet time. My strawberries have lots of buds and I'm hoping that they are going to ripen soon because they are Junebearing (crossing my fingers on that one). We went tonight and bought a salvia to put in by the butterfly bush that is now 6 feet tall. I am in the process of planning a butterfly garden in that area. I feel like I really have a working garden now instead of just a work in progress. Also I am a little surprised at how much I am craving flowers. I want more and more color. I might even decide that they have some inherent value :) So tomorrow the plan is to work until we are too hot, getting hte butterfly bed ready. I am also going to clean out from under the rabbit cage in an effort to boost the veggies. I am thinking of having the kids make some fairy type art to put in and around there. I think that would be way fun. We planted a sunflower fort and Bertha has decided that she would rather eat the 3 packets of seed we planted than let them come up! Bertha is quite the character. She has a mind of her own and will sqwak at you if you don't take care of business. Sounds familiar, eh?