I think the daylily you have pictured came from another swapper - I don't have that one.

The garden isn't going to end for a while, even though my back hurts enough that I wish it would.

Charlene your garden is wonderful! I am impressed!!!!

What soil mix did you use to fill your raised beds? Those veggies are huge!

I am getting wistful about the end of summer, too. I keep thinking next month is September! How did that sneak up so soon???

Cheers,
Michelle

Thanks Michelle! The first four beds I put in last year and ordered/filled the boxes with a mix of top soil, compost and manure. But honestly, when it got here I wasn't so pleased with the mix so I added several bags of compost last year and this spring, kitchen scraps also to each bed, and sprinkled with an organic fertilizer in the spring. I've also sprayed the veggies this year with a liquid kelp/fish solution diluted with water and I think they like it!

The next set of raised boxes I put in this year I wanted to save money and collected garden waste and various mulch contents that neighbors dropped off for months in large garden trash bags (there was a joke that they were body bags at the Spring Swap) but I put them to good use layering on top of newspaper and just adding a bag or two of mushroom compost and topsoil.

End of summer...maybe I was thinking that because last year, being the newbie Colo. gardener that I am, I was a little nonchalant (cocky) about "what's the big deal with a mild frost?". Well I sure learned the hard way as it wiped out almost all of the warm season veggies in one swoop very early Sept. and then we got warm weather for another month or so but most everything died with that frost so I was out of luck in the gardening dept except for the only frost tolerant veggies I had left which were swiss chard and parsley!

Summer is going by fast. I reallly like fall though; it's probably my favorite season.

Cheer back to you,
Charlene

So you're the one I got my cauliflower from?

I noticed you said you didn't like it? My whole family liked it - it was nice and mild.

Cnetter-you didn't get the cauliflower from me. I think we got it from Billie Ladybug. I also have another broccoli plant coming up from her too (thanks Billieladybug!!). Did you tie up your leaves of the cauliflower so it stayed white. Maybe i picked too late because it was dry. I have a few more coming up that I'll pick earlier. I love cauliflower!

Nope, I didn't tie the leaves because the whiteness doesn't matter to me. It was still pretty white though.

Picking it too late really does make a difference - it'll be stronger and dryer. I've got to keep an eye on the other two.

I really like those raised beds. They have a nice formal structure that is very appealing. The sunflower bed is really cool, too. I didn't grow any (on purpose) this year, though I wish I had. They are so pretty in the late season.

Cleo looks like a good garden buddy. :-)

Cheers,
Michelle

Your garden is what a garden should look like, all full of green, healthy, productive plants. I envy you your space.

Maybe Sunday I'll be able to get out and take some pictures of mine. The plants have been loving the recent weather they've been having. The dirt hasn't dried out in a week, and the seeds have been able to sprout.

Charlene, I also think that your plants like what you've been doing for them! You've made good choices of plants and good use of soil amendments.

I'm agreeing with your family - that arugula is an acquired taste. Parsley in smoothies!! Good Gracious! I think I'd like to try parsley pesto. Is it kind of impromptu or does a recipe help?

Cherry bomb peppers - - Oh boy, they're hot!

Think about cutting that dill and drying it for your later harvest of pickling cukes. That approach may keep you from going out and stomping on your plants in frustration. The dry herb should be as good - I think.

I'm picking buckets of cukes but your Early Girl tomato (July 27th) was ripe about a week before mine. Can you tell us what varieties of eggplant those are?

Not too many folks would post pictures of spoiled hay and straw obtained for free. See, you've got the right orientation for making good use of these sorts of things and the results to prove it.

About as panoramic as a camera can capture, I'd say . . .

digitS'

Sorry for the delay. Thank you for the comments :)

Cnetter - I picked and ate a steamed cauliflower tonight for dinner that was delicious because I picked earlier (broccoli too). When I plunged it in water in the kitchen sink to wash, a million earwigs came out. Yuck!

Lilacs - my garden has been enjoying the rain too. I should take pics again as it seems everything is twice the size in just the past ten days or so.

Michelle - I like the raised beds for their ease and also for the look. My dream for the garden was to be French Potager style but the flower seeds I planted didn't work out like I'd hoped. Better luck next year eh!

Digit - Thank you for your thoughtful comments and the time to browse. Parsley- anyway to get those greens in! You can't taste it with all the fruit.
Parsley pesto - no recipe just to taste: olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesean cheese and a little basil.
The long skinny eggplant is 'Ichiban Hybrid' and the round one is 'Satin Beauty'. It's been really prolific this year. I've eaten a bunch and there are quite a few ripening with new ones forming.
I did cut some of the dill for drying, thank you. My new oven has a dehydrating setting, so I'll try it and see how it works.

I finally got two cukes today. We ate some green beans, a few carrots, and a purple pepper as well as gypsy pepper. I used a cherry bomb pepper in a saute. Something is eating my cabbage. I suspect earwigs; they are everywhere ick. I'm going to make some cole slaw tomorrow before they get it all.

I planted swiss chard, spinach, leaf lettuce, beets and more carrots for a fall harvest hopefully.

Happy Gardening :)

Charlene

It could be the cabbage worm or looper eating your cabbage. I had alot of them this year. The pretty white adult moth was constantly flying around the cauliflower, probably laying eggs.

I hate earwigs. They give me the heebie jeebies.

Something's been chewing on my brassica. Other than flea beetles, which are still around. These are big holes, not pepper shot. It may be grasshoppers. Every time I step, half a dozen of them spring away.

But the brassica that survived the heat and the flea beetles are growing big.