Early July Garden

If you look closely, you'll see the garden gnome working away.  :)  Things are really growing nicely (I love the splash of color the marigolds bring to the garden) and we are on the verge of counters mounded with produce.

I started counting the zucchini/summer squash and lost count at 18 over 3 plants.  The cucumber plants are covered in yellow flowers and 1" fruit.  The beans are all about 1/2" long.  The tomato plants are getting heavy in green globes of all sorts of sizes.  We have had a few cherry tomatoes already, much to Timothy's delight.  The corn grew from knee height to shoulder height in a week.  The only thing we have really been harvesting is herbs (I have been running oregano, parsley, basil, and chives through the dehydrator), salad greens, green onions, and broccoli.

It is that moment in time for the gardener to rest.  Sure, we are propping up plants here and there, pulling a few weeds here, stewing about this or that insect.  But the entire garden has been newspapered and covered in grass clippings, the fruit is not big enough to pick, and the canning and freezing in earnest has yet to be started.  It is time to gaze approvingly and give prayers of thanksgiving, along with requests for protection from hail.  :)

We have a problem though.  You see that netting we put around all of our cabbages, broccoli, kale, and brussels sprouts?  It didn't work.  We are probably going to clear out that entire bed of half eaten, cabbage worm covered mess.  Sigh.

Raspberries will be coming in soon, though.  That makes us feel better.  :)

Here is the other side of the garden.  Jared is putting in tomato cages among the beans.  Our bush beans decided to climb and were taking over tomatoes and squash nearby.  All that green in the bottom part of the photo is a mess of 4 squash plants and they are LOADED.  We love squash and I am excited!

This picture of our Tiger Lily is for my mom.  Yes, those blooms reach the top of the deck rails and I think since I took this picture 2 nights ago, they have gotten taller.  The tallest flowers are taller than we are!

And a few pictures of Timothy, enjoying the July 4th carnival.  :)  Videos of Timothy riding the now mastered trike will be coming soon!