People afraid to confront reality, that's what it's coming to. Apparently it's much easier to lie to yourself than tell the truth. Even if it means innocent people die.

No coyotes in my yard and garden, although I hear them most nights. I just have squash bugs and horn worms. The hornworms want to fight, though. The poor volunteer halloween pumpkins are at the end. I tried hard early on, to help them live. Dug SVB out and wrapped their stems in foil, but they probably won't make it another day. I just don't have time to keep babying them.

K, do squash bugs bother seminole pumpkins?

Hazel, I had squash bugs eat away at my c. Moschata pumpkin plants, but that was because i had just fed them pepo squash early in the season. They invited all their immediate and extended family members and all the kids along with them as well as the neighboring squash bugs and their spouses, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and full extended family members. Had a party. Then they all laid eggs and had more. When they devoured the pepo, they had nothing else but the pumpkin vines. They destroyed all the leaves, as in completely decimated the plant from leaves, no leaves left. The vines were untouched. I thot it was a goner and blamed myself, but the variety I grow sprang right back.

But I wouldn't worry if you have discouraged family reunions.

The news is killing me. I work via facebook. I have clients on there as well as my finance acquaintances. I must visit it. I have trouble with distractions, to begin, and this whole islamic crap just kills me. Triggers (unrelated) trauma, triggers my empathy for the victims, triggers my disgust for politics and politicians and triggers despair by reading online comments.

Yeah, that was harsh but ....

The sun is still HOT in July and August. It's horribly hot, but I take some eerie comfort in knowing I can count on its reliability. The seeds will always sprout when encouraged by shade, moisture and food.
My compost pile awaits me like a long-suffering friend.
The plant life graciously appreciates my attention and loving care.
The animals, the birds, the butterflies ... still there.

and THE DRAGON FLIES ... oh how I love the formidable dragon flies fluttering like kings and princes guarding the air

the trees bring comfort as though they are speaking.

Our Oklahoma sun and wind sterilizes clothes on the line while I capture more beautiful black-eyed-susan seeds (the plants you and Amy identified a while back. They were beautiful and I enjoyed them.)...

Seeds bring me hope for another year ... next year ... once again... reliability. It will all be there.

I can count on the beauty and the blessing to spring up again ....

So much reliability in turbulent times. So much abundant life, giver of life, givers of peace and serenity in the garden.

To garden is to caress the soul, to sooth away the splintered edges of the mind.

It has become my refuge in troubling times.

Lately, I just want to hide there. I would if it weren't too hot.

bon

Bon, I understand completely. I didn't say what I would have liked to say, because I don't want to get banned. There is not a whole lot I can do about any of it, because there are "important" people who are making choices for all of us peons that I fear will impact us, our children, and our grandchildren... for years to come. I don't see anything getting better anytime soon. Your words are very poetic, and it reminds me somewhat of the Dorothy Frances Gurney poem. I have a garden sign with a piece of it..."The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth, - One is nearer God's heart in a garden, than anywhere else on earth".

That is exactly how I feel. When I can't see my way, and I feel lost and small, I can always find some peace in my garden. It doesn't matter that it is small, or weedy, etc. It's where I find life, and some peace with things.

Mary

Oh I love that. Thank you for sharing it. It's a keeper.

Hazel, Squash bugs sometimes get on the foliage of Seminole, but I don't think they have caused much harm. I don't know if Seminole has better tolerance of the diseases squash bugs spread or if squash bugs don't like the taste of their leaves or whatever and just don't stick around long enough to spread enough disease to harm the plants. I do try to kill squash bugs when I see them, even though I feel like the C. moschata type plants can just outgrow them. Any squash bug you allow to live is going to be breeding the next generation and the next one and the next one....and one of those generations will overwinter and attack all your squash plants next spring.

I make no attempt whatsoever to grow C. pepo or C. maxima varieties at all, except under netting or summerweight row cover. There is no point. Either the squash bugs spread diseases that kill them or the SVBs get them, so why even plant them and go through the subsequent heartbreak of losing them. However, I got to grow all I wanted for 7 years here before the squash bugs and squash vine borers even found us, and those were the best 7 gardening years of my life because I grew every kind of squash and pumpkin that I'd ever wanted to grow.

Bon, It is in the garden that I find hope for the future of this world, but then when I go into the house and hear the news, it sure gets discouraging. Why can't people everywhere just love each other, help each other and get along. You know, it is hard for me to understand someone so filled with hate that they want to kill random strangers. I'd rather be out in the garden any time, but the heat does make it hard.

I do love the dragon flies too. I find them adorable and cute, and am astonished how many hang out in the garden with me all the time. They are just everywhere. Our little cat, Pumpkin, thinks I am the worst person on earth because I chastise him when he is chasing dragonflies and if he doesn't stop chasing them, I take him indoors for the rest of the day. He's learned he'd better not chase and catch butterflies, dragonflies, moths, birds of any kind, lizards, frogs, toads and rabbits. He thinks I am mean and ruin all his fun. He's pretty good now about following the rules, and mostly confines his hunting and killing to rodents, but he and I have gone round and round over whether or not he is going to kill indiscriminately. He's not, and he's finally learned that. I think of the garden as a peaceful place, and in one way it is. Yet, within/among all the non-human living beings in the garden, there are lots of life and death struggles between predator and prey. Life in the garden can be pretty violent, in its own little way. Still, I find more peace and happiness there than anywhere else. In the heat of the summer, I feel like I suffer from too little time spent in the garden!

Mary, That is one of my favorite garden sayings too!

Dawn

Dawn, I don't remember the thread, but I wanted to thank you for your offer on the County Fair seeds. I thank you so much for that! I've got so many new in the ground, and growing under the lights that I am about cucumbered out for this year. I picked 7 this evening and added them to the few I picked last night, and I will cut them tomorrow to see if they are any better. Honestly, I think it is just the heat. They were really good before the temps got so wickedly hot. I was hoping to get to use the other half of the trellis for some peas or something. Almost all of my seedlings are up and growing. Broccoli and cabbage sure do sprout fast!

Mary

Yes, isn't it odd that the cool-season seeds sprout so well in heat. No wonder we have to baby them along when sprouting them indoors in winter.

With cucumber plants that have turned bitter, sometimes they will return to normal and give you non-bitter fruits after the weather cools and sometimes they won't. I don't know why it is inconsistent that way.

I'm so cucumbered out that I don't even think I'm going to grow any for fall. I thought I would, but I'd rather use the space for other stuff.

If this wicked heat doesn't abate somewhat, I don't know how much of a fall garden we'll be able to have. I hope the rain in the forecast comes and I hope it brings falling temperatures with it. The plants need a break and so do we.