I got around an inch of rain, enough to put some moisture in the ground for a little while.

I replanted some winter squash and a few patty pans. I planted in a row of green beans and replanted my pea patch. As I was planting it I noticed some of my knuckle hull seed was starting to swell up from the rain. So I might end up with a double planting of peas , double rows . the knuckle hulls might have made it on up without replanting , but I didn't know how good of a stand it would be and it's getting late in the season. Wanted to make sure.

I replanted with Cornett ( a substitute for pinkeye) . , so if it all comes up I'll have quite a mix of peas.

Rick

Rick, this is the 2 rows I planted on the 17, I got a pretty good stand on the 2 rows.

This is the peas planted 3 or 4 days later, they did not do so well, so I replanted the skips over in the edge of the mulch about 3 or 4 days ago and I noticed they were already coming up. The rows are short, but If we can get enough rain I will have 500+ feet of rows in the wildlife garden.

We are getting ready to start planting turnips and greens, I may even try planting some cabbage, but I am short of space here at the house.

I did a seed swap a couple years back & got lots of beans. Most are 2017/2018 & only had 6-8 seeds, so I planted a bunch. Deadheaded my zinnias & tossed them along the edges of the garden, same with dill seeds. I think I'll try some peas too. I didn't get any this spring. I planted some squash a few weeks back that look pretty good. Lots of flowers, so maybe I'll get a few squash out of them.

I need to readjust my bed. Right now it's 2 railroad ties long & 1 wide, so 8ft x 16ft, & that center space is pretty much wasted. Either I neeed to do a row of flowers through the center & keep all the vegetables along the edge, or make 2 narrow beds so I can reach all the way around. And I quickly ran out of room, so I need more space (so says every gardener, right?)

No worries Larry, I deleted mine.

However I wish I had gotten similar amount of rain as you... here, the soil is dry about an inch down.

I put sort of a trellis up by one rain barrel, to keep the water cooler. Crossing my fingers that it will help.

Not my day today. I am in for the day.

Moni

I'm happy to say good-bye to July, and will likely be happy to say goodbye to August. We will plant some things at Lincoln--greens, cucumbers, squash. . . probably already mentioned that. And will try to grow more greens in our containers here. But the grasshoppers are getting worse and worse, of course, as they get larger. Hope the blister beetles get all their eggs.

Doc visits for comprehensive drug panels weren't all that good. And SO. We are changing things up, including our eating habits. Jennifer--you'll appreciate this--I have invested a lot of reading and studying up, and have ordered books on vegetarian, pescatarian, and Mediterranean diets. We're both really kind of excited about incorporating mostly non-meat sources of nutrition--greens, whole grains, fruits, and more fish. And now am wanting to plant more blackberry bushes! We can get that done this fall.

Pictures of the kids are so cute, Kim. I totally get you wishing you could see much more of them.

Larry--those donkeys need some livestock to guard. Then they could earn their keep!

I must have been kicked off GW,, My post are not showing up on my computer. If this post doesn't work, it will be 3 that have not shown up.

Jen, I think you are wise to toss the flower heads at the edge of the garden. I use zinnias in the wildlife garden and really like then, they look nice with little work.

We were fortunate to get over an inch of rain since Thursday night. I did a lot of praying. :D

On Friday, I started broccoli and cabbage seed for the KG and hoop house.

Tonight, I helped Rick start more for the SG.

We are going to move ahead with planting beans for the fall. We'll do it tomorrow while the ground is still moist....and will have structures set up for shade cloth.

I am so thankful for a beautiful day and evening. I was able to weed the kitchen garden a bit. It sure isn't pretty this year. I am rethinking what and how I grow in that garden. Some things just aren't working.

It is a rough year, though. If any of you watch Living Traditions on YouTube, they recently had a "keeping it real" type of video. A lot of the things they're dealing with are similar to us...only worse for them. Because they raise meat and dairy animals and their own hay. That's not working out too well for them this year because of the drought.

They are in Missouri.

Nancy, you'll have to keep us posted on your new dietary endeavors. Probably in September, I'll do a round of Eat Right for Your Blood Type. It's hard diet to follow but I always feel so good on it. I like to start off the fall with some super clean eating. Once the holidays come along, it's all about the baked goods.

Then in January another strict round. Tomatoes are supposedly not good for my blood type. It's hard to not eat tomatoes when they're in the garden.

I am tired in the summer. Ready for bed early. It's a busy time. And the heat is exhausting.

That inch of rain seemed to breathe new life into some of the near dead plants. Something about rain....

Kim, the kids are getting so big and are still so cute.

I'll be planting fall shell beans over at Jennifer's tomorrow.

best to get them in while there's moisture in the ground.

We'll shade them later.

rick

Rick, what type of bean are you planting? My mom and step dad grew Horticulture beans, I dont remember them growing any other type. The pantry was stocked every year with them, they were super good.

Dwarf Horticultural Taylor

https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/dwarf-horticulture-taylor-bean-seeds?variant=39391382569075&gclid=Cj0KCQjw852XBhC6ARIsAJsFPN1kwiQwjlNjfkv2Z1zNh1O6OmEZbkA7VkpTvgJoajqvkEIIxUJL0tUaAkBYEALw_wcB

Same bean I grew in the spring that did so well.

Rick

This is from wildseed farms
Thought the native lovers would like this

Rick, thanks, I will be going through Poteau, OK. tomorrow, if we have time maybe I can stop at the Co-op and see what they have. If my memory serves me right, they were out of horticulture beans the last time I stopped.

No Horticulture bean seeds in the Poteau Farmers Co-op, but I did pick up more seeds that I dont need, but fertilizer inventory is dropping. On the way back from the Dr's.office we went to Greenwood AR. to have our car serviced and stopped at the Greenwood Farmers Co-op to check for Horticulture bean seeds, none there, I also bought their last bag of urea. I dont use a lot of fertilizer, but I wanted to have some on hand, just in case.

This heat is kicking the wind out of me. The temp was running a little under 100 on the way home, it is 102 now. My Arabat pumpkins were looking good in the wet cooler weather, but look bad now. I am having trouble keeping plants happy and alive. but the grasshoppers seem happy, and the deer seem happy running through my electric fence.

Everyone must be really busy.

I am.

Enjoying this week before going back to full-time work beginning next Thursday.

The garden really enjoyed the rain. Some things are so funny....and interesting.

For the past 2 months a very, very small West Indian Gherkin sat in one of the raised beds. Not growing at all. After the rain, it began growing.

Something about rain.

Also, makes me wonder if that bed is deficient in something. I'll begin amending it this fall.

The West Indian Gherkin volunteers have NO problem growing rampantly behind the shop.

The fall corn showed up after the rain.

Our fall beans are planted both in the SG and in a raised bed. Shade cloths are at the ready. Rick will come out tonight to mulch the corn and beans in the SG.

The fall brassicas are coming up. It only took a couple of days. They're in the hoop house and I sure hope they do okay in there.

Yesterday, I shredded a giant zucchini to put in the freezer for future zucchini bread. Also, baked that big ol' Halloween pumpkin. I felt bad doing it, but he wouldn't have made it until October. He made about 10 cups of puree. My mouth waters thinking about fall pumpkin bread.

A Seminole pumpkin would have made it, but this variety hasn't in the past. When I've had other volunteer pumpkins.

He was probably a Howden pumpkin. They generally aren't the best for baking. It's not bad though. Not as sweet as Seminole or a butternut. Slightly less sweet and more of a yellow-orange color rather than bright orange.

The few elderberries that made it are now in the house. I won't get much elderberry syrup with these.

Diana won't leave them alone. Her ancestors must have been cats who lived with herbalists or wisewomen. Both she and Juno (sisters) can't leave herbs and plants alone. Even try to get into my wooden herb cabinet when it's completely closed. The herbs inside it are in glass containers.

Trying to get a crockpot meal together right now so I won't need to cook later this afternoon.

What's keeping everyone so busy? I'm nosy. :D

Those canned beans are beautiful, Rick. Ahh to be 15 years younger and have more gardening space. I'm laughing though. I have a weakness for saving beans, and therefore have an enormous number of dried beans/peas AND canned ones. I used to enjoy them now and then--now I will be eating them much more often--and yet have so many, there's no reason to grow any for a couple of years.

So Larry--the electric fence is 100% effective? 50? 80? The heat has kicked more than the wind out of us. Garry's out weed-eating right now--I hope he quits soon; am sure he will. And yes, our grasshoppers are happy. So are the blister beetles. My hope is that surrendering the yard/garden, that the blister beetles will eat all the grasshopper eggs. Then maybe I'll only have blister beetles next year. I don't think there is anything that feeds on them. Do any of you have other evidence? Still, at least they're easier to grab (with gloves on).

I'm seriously thinking about turning some of my beds back to mother nature--that would mean planting shrubs/understory trees heavily, to shade out Bermuda. We also may be entertaining the idea of selling this place. Not forced to at this point, but the writing's on the wall.

Jennifer--my lifelong friend swears by the diet by blood type and integrated it into her eating habits 20-30 years ago. At that time we determined, mine, too. Since I was so close to eating that way anyway, I just never investigated more thoroughly. I look forward to letting you know how it's going with our new way of eating--we're off to a great start and already feel better.

I am on vacation this week. So far I have not been very productive. I usually go the convention in ft Worth this whole week. This year I went Monday. I plan to get some yard work done and some canning.

I spend too much time going to Dr. , but go out and work for short periods of time, then in to cool off and rest.

Madge and I went out to feed the donkeys and cows. The male donkey has a sore foot, so Madge likes to go out and check on him and take him something to eat. The renter does not check on his stock, and his lease is up the end of this month, so we are trying to keep the stock tame so he can get them loaded and gone. If I am going to have to look after stock, I want them to be mind.

I have been cleaning the wildlife garden and it is looking nice. The new peas are coming up and we are getting ready for turnips. The rain has really helped us also, but I am having big trouble with my Arabat squash, may be vine bores and other insects, the squash bugs are terrible.

The okra looks good but not producing much yet. The sweet potatoes are looking nice also, but having problems with insects on them also.

The deer have been respecting the electric fence, but if they cant find anything else to eat they will jump it or run through it.

I have really enjoyed the zinnias, they are such low care plant. The sunflowers do pretty well also, but the deer seem to want to eat them, especially when the plant are small.

I pushed the sunflowers down in the south garden, and will till a spot for fall plants. I also plan on mowing the lawn this afternoon if it is not too hot, I have to stay out of the heat.

Larry glad you and Madge are there to help. I heard a guy say he drove by a place where two cows were penned up and had run out of water and died. This heat is serious

Kim, I like checking on the stock, but I dont want to feel like I have to, and if I find something wrong with one, and call him, I expect him to get over here and check for himself.

I check the water through the year, especially if it is very cold. I have plenty water on the place, and plenty shade and shelter, but in harsh conditions you still need to check.

Nancy, I strictly follow that diet for only a short time but do feel amazing when following it. It almost feels like my metabolism is revved up.

Where are you thinking of moving, Nancy?

Kim and Larry, it is so frustrating when people won't take care of their animals to the best of their ability.

I'm going to rant a minute. A man in our neighborhood has chickens. I've always been worried about them. Their pen faces the west and he provides no shade for them. Their coop is a shed type of thing with no ventilation. Not a bit. As we were walking Josi the other day, he hollers at us that he just bought fertile quail eggs because they're superior to chickens. All but 2 of his chickens died on the 110 degree day--one was in the process of laying an egg. As if this was the chickens' fault.

I'm so frustrated because he's spouting off inaccurate information like it takes 30 days for a chicken egg to hatch and quail is much quicker. It does not take 30 days for a chicken egg to hatch. He said he has a few eggs (from before the chickens died) in a nest and he's waiting on them to hatch. Um....is one of the surviving hens broody? I see both of them in the pen and not on the nest. Those eggs won't hatch. (although, honestly maybe they will because it's so hot in their coop.) He's such a know-it-all and needs to research a little before taking on live creatures. I suggested that he install 2 windows in his coop that can be opened in the summer and closed in the winter. It's not expensive....he knows how to build things. But please put hardware cloth over the windows. He won't do it. Poor quail. He has them in an incubator.

Don't get me started on his 5 dogs.

Rant over.

Just saw something on the news about upcoming days with highs in the 80's. I sure hope so.

I've been a little busy at work lately, so haven't done a ton of work out in the garden. Plus, it's been hotter than hades out there of course, so that hasn't helped the motivation side of the equation.

I planted a few late bush watermelon & cantaloupe about a month ago, and the cantaloupe are starting to take over their area. I'm interested to see how they do with fungal stuff, being planted later than usual.

The cukes are still pumping out fruit and we've done a fair amount of canning dill pickles. My hope is that the weather improves and we get another flush of tomatoes throughout the fall. We have the second round of summer squash going now but it will probably be another week before we have fruit ready. Okra still isn't very tall, similar to last year and the harvest has been pretty weak so far. We'll see. The sweet potato vines are starting to take off, just need to keep the rabbits away from the smaller plants.

As for the fall:

We ended up planting a few rows of carrots last weekend, a few more Beit Alpha cucumbers & will be sowing rows of wax & green beans this week. That will probably be it for the veggies. It won't be long and I'll be scattering crimson clover throughout the whole plot.

I am still planning on planting more veggies, I am not able to spend much time working on them.

I finished mowing the lawn, wildlife garden, and both bar ditches down past the wildlife garden. I also brush hogged the water melon patch, and the winter and summer squash patch. I caught a garden hose in my brush hog, I now have a bunch of short hoses, I had been planning on making some shorter hoses anyway, but not quite so short.

We are trying to get ready for turnips.

We have about 55 rows of new peas planted, and up about 3" high.

I was planning on making a picture of my sunflowers this morning, while it was cloudy, they looked better than any time before, but we got a very light shower, then the hot sun came out and they dont look so good now. I go go down to the wildlife garden in a bit and if they are not too droopy I will take a picture and add to this post.

Amy, while brush hogging the squash patch I almost got the tractor stuck in squash bug juice, I am sure you are low on squash bug inventory now,

I am happy about how nice the zinnias and sunflowers look, considering they have had no watering of care. I had to cut a strip down each side of the fence because they were grounding the fence out, reducing the voltage.

I usually don't plant turnips til around the 1st of Sept (Labor Day)

That used to be all the fall gardening that I did.

Not anymore, the weather is so crazy these days.

I plant what ever is plantible at the "right" time.

Never know what the world will bring today.

Rick

Rick, we are not ready to plant turnips yet. I expect we will plant at different times to try to extend the harvest. Last year neighbor was selling the turnips for a dollar a pound and greens $20.00 a bushel, I expect prices will go up this year, but we are mainly doing this just to have something to do, I am doing it to try to improve the land, and try to condition my kids and grand kids to think about what they may have to do in the future to have food. I wish I were younger, and had more time to teach them how to get their hands dirty.

I have other seeds to plant at the house, most of the turnips, and other greens, if neighbor wants them will be planted in the wildlife garden and on neighbors place. I have kale, collards, beets, and enough Florida Broad leaf mustard seeds to plant at least an acre.

Heard that some of you might have gotten rain this morning! Yay!

I'm enjoying my last Friday off work. Did some watering this morning.

Yesterday was rough. I got home around 8 pm. I really never should be away from the house that long. The animals and people who live here really don't like it when I'm away for so long. LOL

When I left in the morning, there was a crockpot soaking in the sink. Kitchen was clean and tidy other than that. I came home to half the dishes and pots/pans dirty and all over the place. Ethan did unload the clean dishes, though.

And Tom did cook dinner.

Normally I clean as I go. Rinse and put it in the dishwasher or in the dishpan of soapy water. Anyway. I was thankful to have dinner ready for me. It was something easy so I'm not sure why so many dishes were used. It was salmon, rice, a jar of our canned corn and the last of our garden carrots. Tom is also a good cook and had them all seasoned delightfully well.

But...the mess?

They did feed everyone except the cats and forgot naughty Maizey in the little coop.

SO, I fed the cats, quickly watered a few things and walked Josi before dark.

Not an easy thing because we're losing daylight now. Anyone else notice that? I was happy to sit down and eat by 9.

Does anyone else's pets act like brats when you return home? Like they're trying anything to get attention--even negative attention? Scratching the furniture, counter surfing, chasing each other, meowing, hissing, barking.

Y'all know how I've been wondering about the "coral honeysuckle" that Dawn gave to me about 4 years ago? It just doesn't seem like a honeysuckle. It's never bloomed. Finally got a plant ID app. It was identified as a Wintercreeper. LOL. Oh my word. It's supposed to be very invasive and generally not a great plant. It's doing the job of shading the chicken pen, though. I have to prune it back a couple of times a year because it gets a little out--of-hand. Dawn! You gave me a wintercreeper! I've been laughing all morning.

Our cabbages and broccolis are popping up.

I'm trying bunching turnips this year. They are sweet and so good on salads.

Jennifer, I got a chuckle out of your kitchen remarks. I have to get a "Hall Pass" to even walk through the kitchen, and I never clean anything up properly, and I never loaded or unload the dish washer properly, I did not know that you had to have a science degree to make dinner. I have ask Madge several times to teach me to cook. I have lived on my own for about 10 years and can cook well enough to get by, but I would like to fix nice meals, so if something happened to her I could care for her properly. Madge tells me that if I were doing the cooking, it would mean that we both would just have a slower and more painful death.

I have ask Madge to learn to handle the tractors so it I got hung up in one she could free me, she just tells me to stay away from them and they wont hurt me. I guess I should count my blessing, Madge drives very well, and I cant keep gas in the car. I would hate to have to put as much diesel in the tractors as gas that is use in the car.

I have a package of rutabaga seeds, I have only grown them one time, 15-20 year ago, It was over at my old house in a much better garden spot, they did well, but almost anything will grow in good deep soil. Do any of you have any pointers on how to grow them in not-so-good soil? It seems that what little I have learn about gardening doesn't work so well anymore.

Jennifer, I understand your concern about your critters, I am concerned about the 7 critters on this place, and they don't even belong to me.

I have goofed around till past noon and have not done anything. I had better get up and do something.

I've grown Rutabaga. Just do the same as with turnips.

I tend to get them too thick so if you want good bulbs spread them out or thin.

You can broadcast them or plant out in a row , same as turnips.

If the ground is good enough for turnips it's good enough for rutabaga.

For poor soil a little 10-10-10 fertilizer might help it along but don't overdo it .

Don't want too much nitrogen.

Don't plant next to mustard greens.

https://gardenerspath.com/plants/vegetables/grow-rutabaga/

https://bonnieplants.com/blogs/how-to-grow/growing-rutabaga

https://www.almanac.com/plant/rutabagas

Rick

Thanks, Rick, I am glad you told me about the mustard, because that was what I had planned.

I didn't know about it either til i saw it in one of these links. I guess the rutabaga will think it's a mustard and not make a root.

Rick

I think I'll hold off sayin anything else.

I'll do my research first.

I'm gettin the itch for a full blown fall garden.

Just don't want to make any mistakes.

Sounds like a cooldown next week with some rain. Bring it on.

Rick

I picked two gallons of yellow cucumbers. I haven’t really been out there since i was stung. In the extreme heat of the day the bumblebee are not out. I am glad to get seed but I would like some more to eat too.

I am not getting out much either. I have to admit I am a little afraid, my heart, or something is still acting up. I have another procedure later this month. I am trying to take it easy and stay out of the heat.

I lost another classmate this morning, and have at least one more on hospice.

All I see in our forecast is 90s and no rain. However, 90s are a lot better than 100s. We're also taking it easy and staying out of the heat, Larry. I'll go out and water in a few minutes. May try to take a short walk.

I have a cold--but just a rather insignificant one. Cough, which is improved by taking night-time antihistamine.

Awesome about our cucumber production, Kim. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around your garden. Is it mostly in containers?

I clean the way you do, Jennifer, when I'm cooking. I actually learned to do that after my DIL's example, only about 30 years ago. And I don't like sharing the kitchen with anyone while I'm cooking, I've learned. I guess that's understandable since I was living alone for 30 years.

Our pets don't really act up when we get home. They're pretty snuggly. Titan--hard to say. He's always glad to see us, but quickly calms down. Tom's the only one who shows quite clearly that we were missed. What a psychol. Meow, meow, meow!!! Neurotic "Where WERE you" meows.

I don't plan to plant anything, or do anything outdoors, until it cools down a bit more. And then, mostly, only plans will be to weed, though I definitely will need greens, if nothing else.

HJ--your question about where we'd move stumped me! Never even considered THAT. Good question. No doubt would only be one of three places--back to Wyoming, back to Minneapolis area, or here in NE OK. That will be something fun to think about.

The thought of moving makes me hurt all over. If I were younger I think that I would like Tennessee, maybe a few other places, but not too far north or south, because I don't like hot or cold, and I get more than enough of both where I live now.

I have been tilling a little this morning. I have the planting itch, bad, I am afraid we still have a lot of hot, dry weather ahead of us.

I may have to get a defibrillator in a few weeks, and i am told not to do any thing for a month. If I have to go that route it is going to mess up my fall gardening, but sitting around doing very little is no fun either.

It seems as though I just keep getting farther and farther behind in my work. I can go out for a short time ea morn, and evening, but I am unable to do much. Getting old is not as much fun as I thought it would be.

Nancy this is some of it.

The bed on the left all died. The other one Is cucumbers.

Larry I hate to hear you are having such a time with your health. It’s hard adjusting when you have been an active gardener so long.

Kim, thanks, I expect that nearly everyone goes through this time of life, just part of getting old.

I am fighting the "planting itch' so hard, I have the tiller and tractor both sitting in the front lawn. I have the electric fence around the south garden hooked at each post, so I can easily unhook the fence and haul in compost or till a small spot, about 6 x 25 feet. having access to a spot to play really helps my itch. I dont push the urge a lot, still waiting on test, and medications for my heart, but I have no complaints, I gripe a lot, but it is unjustified.

Kim--those are great pictures! You've done an amazing job!!

That was pre grasshoppers. Most everything is completely defoliated