Dead heat of summer

And I MEAN dead heat, as in, if I go out there and weed, I'll be dead.    It was hot when I went out to get the paper this morning at 4:30. 

Indiana is at the eastern end of a huge heat dome over the continent, and the worst is yet to come.  I know this because I am a scientifical gardener, and  I watch the weather to decide if I should go out or not.

I decided not.

The tomatoes are finally starting to come in red, they are a big tease, sitting there on the vines, doing nothing but staying green.  Oh, and the black spot  leaf virus on them I can't seem to get rid of.   The one cure I read about was to bleach the ground and then put black plastic over it to kill the virus.   Oh, sure, like I have time to do that, or even want to.    I have been pulling off bottom leaves to increase air circulation, that seems to help.  Then destroy the leaves, don't compost.

My green beans have had some company, I can tell by the way they have been munched on one side that deer have been visiting the garden, along with that $#$%^^$  groundhog.

I finally succumbed and starting mowing a path between the beans and the sweet potatoes, saves a lot of cussing at the weeds.

I looked up pictures I took of my green beans two weeks ago, but they don't look anything like that now.  They are over the top of the fence and flowering.  If I get a picture on here, there is to be no criticism of the weeds that surround it,   I can't keep up right now, we had record rain in June, and now it's just $%%## hot.

 I have two fences topped with beans, with white potatoes planted in between.    I planted them under a long pile of yard and garden waste for mulch, and they seem to be thriving.  The yellow flowers at the end are "cup plant"  a prairie wildflower.  Where the leaves attach to the plant, it makes a shallow cup, hence the name.  A favorite watering hole for bees and small birds.

 I should go out and start the hunt for Colorado potato beetles.

These are nasty little fellows, they can deleaf and kill a potato plant in a short amount of time.  I know that Bill got away from me last week and sprayed with Sevin, but sometimes that is the only thing that will save a garden.   One of the summer garden jobs is to go out to the 'taters with a bucket and gather these suckers, then skvish  them, skvish them all,  mwahahahaha!!!

Here is my passion in my flower garden.  These are Asiatic lilies, both planted out of bags from Home Depot, or from the discount shelf at Lowe's.  These are about the easiest to grow, and you get a lot of bang for your buck, since they are also great cut flowers.   Pictures compliments of my talented 15 y.o. darling daughter, Alice-Ann.   These prove that she can do  more than eat and dance.

Last week at church I was chatting with a new member, Maria,(not my fellow blogger) and told her about the Sugar Creek Daylily Farm, in Darlington.  She told me this week that they drove out there after church, and as soon as she saw the flowerbeds, she took off her shoes and wandered around for a while.  Here's a picture of that wonderful place.

People, he has 1600 different KINDS, not just plants, but KINDS of daylilies.  This is a picture of just a tiny part of it.   I bought Challenger, Black Plush, Catherine Neal, and some other stuff, they went immediately into the garden, and are growing well, since I have been watering them almost daily.  I love the spider-type flower, and deep reds. He doesn't have a website, you just have to go there.  If you can't get here, I suggest finding a public garden, or a passionate gardener in your area to visit this time of year, to see how things grow at a mature stage, so you can tell how that little plant in the pot will look in two years. 

Here is a "shout out" to my friend, Donny, who has had both knees replaced, cares for his homebound wife, and yet, still gets out there and works the yard, and his neighbor's.   Keep it up, Buddy, not every hero has a t-shirt, or an action figure.........If you ever move back to Indiana, be close enough so I can come over and steal stuff out of your garden..

I also want to compliment the Weir family, for diving straight into gardening and chickening, with raised beds,  and a coop.  I have permission to "help myself" while they are gone to camp and Guatemala on a mission trip... does she know what she has done????


Things we have been eating out of the garden,,,, zucchini, beats, (duh, BEETS, I have played too many band concerts this last weekend), broccoli, finally tomatoes, the first green peppers, and cukes.   I have been pulling up brocs that have flowered, but the ones I have been harvesting, just keep growing, so we keep eating them.  Just watch for those little green cabbage moth caterpillars, they look just like broccoli.  Soaking in salt water brings them out of the stalk. 

Next on the list,,,,,,, black raspberries..........yyuuummmm......

Stay cool, hydrated, and healthy, by eating your yard...

Dianne
dirt, sweat, and all.