Sorry to hear about your wife. I hope she has a smooth recovery. The chaste trees are still looking great, though some of the blooms have gone to seed and have been pinched off. The rose of sharon is still blooming, but it's struggling. I think maybe I'm not watering it enough or it doesn't like the heat or something. Those lazy daisies are still blooming, but my fiance mowed most of them down a few days ago.

Whew...that air temp overnight dipped right down. They nailed it here with a low of 38F. I'm sure all the newly planted warm season stuff appreciate that. We've been running ragged lately. The two weekends before, we we're out west in Waynoka & Okeene. Pair that with baseball going full-on right now. This weekend, we were outside working to catch up. The wind still sucks! So ready for that to calm down. We've got a full garden now with only about 4 eggplants to add when they get a bit bigger. We put down a couple of double rows of sweet corn this year, so I'm hoping that doesn't bring in the worms. Last time we did corn, the worms exploded. BT & Spinosad are great, I'm sure, but the timing has to be pretty spot on. On the cool season stuff, I've got onions that are a little behind due to me burning the original planting and re-planting a lot in early March. I'm trying to push them with nitrogen, but have to be careful not to burn again. The cabbage is getting big and the broccoli look pretty good so far. Funny that there has been a lot of talk about mulch. Last season, I removed a lot of rocks out of the front beds and replaced it with pine bark. Last week, we saw a bunch of weird looking stuff that looked like spray foam except it was white on the outside. Turns out it is called "slime mold" and I guess it was in the mulch when we put it down? Strange looking stuff, but apparently harmless. We've been mulching the garden walkways with pine bark and then mulching the planted rows with goat bedding. I'm about wore out from that and still have over half to go. It makes it much cleaner, i'll say that. If I don't spray glyphosate around the border, I'll be pulling bermuda until the 1st freeze. I gotta draw the line somewhere, because I'm only one guy.

Your produce looks so good, Larry. My cucumbers are just now getting blossoms. My plan for tomorrow is to clean up my garlic that's been curing in the shop and maybe pickle some pepperoncini. But, my daughter has an infection--fever and chills. It's something that happens sometimes to new mothers. So, I will go help her with the baby in the afternoon when her husband needs to leave for a few hours. He's a good daddy and is staying up with the baby if needed tonight so she can sleep. He did the same last night. She's on antibiotics so hopefully will feel better soon. Things like this make me wish I was closer to her...and them. I can probably get some of the garlic and pepperoncini tasks done, though. And clean up Ethan's room. He was kind and put all their towels in the washer and stripped the bed. It's all washed now and I just need to remake the bed. Although, the next time he comes will be at Christmas and I'll put the Christmas sheets on the bed. SO, maybe I should just put those on now--the Christmas sheets. I'm just incredibly sad. It's not getting easier with him living so far away, it's getting harder. At first, it was just like we were dropping him off for one of his visits. But, it's real now. He had a real job. Something has happened in his life that could bring him back to Oklahoma, but he's staying because the situation he's in is very good as far as job/career goes. His "boss" has asked him to stay and not drop out. He got in so early and so quick...and much younger than most others. Anyway...I want him to stay too. BUT, it's incredibly difficult. I miss him so much. I made the right call WAY back in November and December of last year. I knew I would not be canning much. It's difficult because the tomatoes in the SG are producing well--like they did last year. We have gallons of them coming in. Like last year. The difference is I had tomatoes all over my counters and kitchen table last year. As soon as they were fully ripe, I would can them. I did many small batches all summer. That little canner was going almost every day-diced tomatoes, jelly, and pickles. I knew back in November and December that I would not have time to deal with all of that this summer. I'm staying firm on that. Because I just don't have time for it all. I've set back tomatoes for friends and family and myself, but Rick is taking the rest to his house. It's either that, or they'll rot at my house. I knew we would be going to Arkansas, I knew Ethan would be visiting. I knew I would have a grandchild and would need to be "on call" for my daughter. Pllus, I still work outside the home. Anyway, we have plenty of jelly, diced tomatoes and pickles from last year. If I have time this year, I want to focus on the peppers--making pepper sauces. Josh, it's depressing when it gets this dry and hot. Our ground is cracking already. My suggestion is try to find a place to plant the garlic in October or November. Order your garlic and then save back a few bulbs/cloves for the following years. They get better each year as they adapt to your growing conditions.

We are getting rain! I've had this thought lately. I've heard two ways to water tomatoes for plant health and good fruit: 1. water deeply once or twice a week for healthy roots 2. consistent watering is important for healthy fruit. Obviously, we can't control the rain, but which is it? Small watering sessions every day for consistency or deep watering once a week for roots? Too much water splits the fruit. I might rethink my tomato watering schedule next year. I've had a lot of sun scald even in the KG where it's shaded in the late afternoon/evening. I'm considering growing fewer tomato plants in that garden and having proper shade clothes over them. I do love tomatoes, but don't need so many (other than when I need to can them). I feel that a smaller number of plants will help me keep them in better shape. There's 24 in the Kitchen Garden now. I could half that number. I've toyed with the thought of buying a Greenstalk for the June bearing strawberries too. In a way, that seems wasteful. Using a Greenstalk for a crop that has a short season. BUT, I use other beds for the same purpose. I currently have a nice 4'x8' bed just for June bearers. All but two of the berry plants have died. Third season this has happened. I've wasted that bed that apparently can't grow berries. It's the oddest thing. Just a couple of feet over, I had a circular type of tiered bed for years that did great. It would be nice to use that bed to grow something instead of putting in strawberries there that are doomed to die. Then there's the asparagus. Two beds of a crop that's only in season from April/May through June. So maybe it's not such a dumb idea. IF the plants could survive being in a Greenstalk over the winter in the KG. The Greenstalk next to our house probably has a better shot in keeping plants alive over the winter. That's the other thing. Maybe move the entire thing to the shop during the winter? It would be nice to put that June bearing berry bed to use in other ways. Maybe add it to the onion rotation. Things to think about.... What all are you thinking about regarding your gardens?