Digdauberza: they are texas tomato cages. Expensive but so worth it because we threw the garden together pretty quickly. This is my first year and my husband made 2 raised beds, a compost bin, and had to do all the hard labor since I am over 8 months pregnant. We were going to make CRW cages but we ran out of time. We are really happy with our texas tomato cages. They are strong and best of all fold up flat so during the winter they will hang up in the garage. The cages showing are only 1/2 height they will be. We will probably attach the top part of the cages next weekend. In addition they also sell extensions if you have very tall plants.

Thanks again everyone! I'm inspired to expand, and to try to become more and more self sufficient. I will most likely cultivate the 900 sq ft area outside the cage in the fall or next spring. Socks, right now I've been sharing basil and Armenian cucumbers with friends as those are incredibly prolific and we are having trouble keeping up. As for the other vegetables, my family and I will have no problem eating everything - there are 6 of us and we're all vegetarian. Canyonsister, I started all my tomatoes, peppers, basil, and eggplant by seed indoors at the beginning of January. I then started all the cucumbers, squash, cantaloupes, watermelons in mid February. I transplanted everything in mid March and directed seeded beans, more squash and cucumbers. In April I direct seeded okra, tepary beans and more cantaloupe. With heavy mulching, close planting, and shade cloth most things are holding up very well to the 100+ degree heat right now. In the winter, I wasn't as well organized but I did have a small selection of greens (kale, broccoli, rapini, arugula, lettuce etc) as well as beets, carrots, spring onions, peas, bok choy etc. You can start seeding the fall/winter vegetables as early as August and September if you provide some protection from the heat incase it stays in the 90's all the way up to November as it did this last season. Basically, you can seed, grow and harvest something in Phoenix year round!

Thanks Silvia! Here is a list of varieties, starting from the top pic. 1. Green Macerata Cauliflower 2. Flying Saucers Morning Glory 3. Beets, the red one is Bull's Blood, and the one closest to the lens is Crapaudine. 4. Crosby's Egyptian Beet and Golden Beet. 5. Bloody Butcher Tomatoes (Red), Morning Sun Tomatoes (yellow grape), Cheese Pepper (sweet), Delikatesse Cucumbers (green), Crystal Apple cucumber, and I don't remember what the larger yellow toms are. 6. Red Cheese Peppers. 7. Morning Sun Tomatoes 8. Golden Marconi Peppers 9. Either Boston Pickling or Delikatesse cucumbers, Swiss Chard (Oriole Orange, Vulcan Chard (Red), and some sort of Yellow chard (don't recall the name). Bloody Butcher tomato and Crystal Apple cucumbers.

I am so envious! Beautiful yard, beautiful house and beautiful dogs. Lovely beyond words. I tell you what. All of you with your picture perfect gardens puts mine to shame. I am not posting anymore pictures of my simple gardens! I had a Dalmatian/Great Dane named Benny. I told people he was a "Damnation". He scared everyone who came to our house, especially the meter readers. He was beautiful and so playful, like a Dane, but had the not-so-friendly-strangers-personality like Dalmatians. A great guard dog for me. Poor Benny died of kidney failure at age 5. I believe it was the result of being bit by a gigantic copperhead. He developed complications afterward and the kidneys failed. He loved to go for rides in the truck, sitting up tall in the cab and looking out. He HAD to go for a ride every day. What a character. I took him for his final ride, having to lift him up into the cab and by the time we got home, he could not walk. He was miserable and suffering. The next day, I took him to the vet. My poor Benny. I love your Great Dane. He has just a beautiful coat coloration. I love how they are big, playful pups. A great breed of dog. Thanks for sharing all. ~Annie