Get Me To The Country: June 2018

June's garden is still being planted and is much smaller than any previous year; however, it's compensating by growing extremely rapid. The front arch was bare one month ago.

May's Garden

This month it's almost covered with leaves. The cucumbers are growing up the back wire fence support, pole beans and tomatoes are going up the center pole and side arches. The leaves have been removed from the lower part of the bean vine to allow sunlight on the tomatoes. What I didn't anticipate is how the cucumbers would grow toward the morning sun (which rises on the right side of the picture). I assumed they would fall over the top of the fence but instead, they are growing up toward the top of the arch. I keep unwinding the vines and moving them to the left side but they ignore me and grow toward the right.

The center tomato going up the pole is a Yellow Stuffer which is hollow on the inside and will be stuffed with salads. The two tomato plants on either side are White OxHearts which are white and shaped like an oxheart. They have a mild flavor that I love. Both are heirloom varieties that I have not grown in a few years.

June's Garden

Underneath the arch are two bell pepper plants with carrots below them. The Kuroda carrot seed packet was not very full (considering what I paid for it) so I did a second planting of Danvers variety a few days ago in the empty spots.

Don't be impressed by the big pepper. When I bought the plant from the store it was already half grown. You can be impressed by the cucumber.

Directly behind the cucumber arch on the right, are sweet potatoes. The next row going toward the left is Henderson Bush Lima beans and Dixie Butterpeas. Next are Giant (and they are giant) Peruvian Bush Lima beans and the empty spot in front of them is planted with green beans. They did not sprout so it was planted again with another variety a few days ago.

At the far end of the bean and sweet potato row, is another arch. This one has Calico Lima Pole beans. The support pole in the center has a surprise tomato that has sprouted.

Behind the Lima Bean arch is the area where the Collard Greens grew for two years. These run parallel to the other rows. Potatoes are at the bottom of the picture. The empty spot above them has green beans which were planted a few days ago. Above the bare area are watermelons and cantaloupes. They will grow toward the sun away from the shade and should overtake the beans and potatoes. The beans should grow higher than the melon vines. When we dig the potatoes, it will be easy to push the melon vines aside. Well, at least that is the plan.

The tomato row is beside the bean area and will take some explaining. This year I decided to use an old piece of fence with four-inch squares for support. It will require less time tying them up since they can be threaded through the holes.

My preference is heirlooms because I know exactly how they will produce. Every year my few local stores usually sell hybrid plants - they always stock the newest varieties and it changes every year. Most of my tomatoes came from the local garden center and are hybrids. This year I didn't have the time to grow my own from seeds. These tomatoes are Hybrid Big Beef and I will probably never see them again for sale. So far, they are doing great.

The tomatoes are running up the fence and underneath carrots are growing. A few flowers, one Malabar spinach vine, three peanut plants and one mustard plant have all sprouted in the area. It is a bit crowded.

Beside the tomato fence, is the row of everbearing strawberries which are dormant now. They will begin producing again in a few months and will continue until frost. A watermelon plant appeared in an empty spot and looks like it will take over the area.

The left row will be okra and herbs. Nothing is tall enough to photograph.

Strawberries & one watermelon

Okra and herbs

When I said everything was late this year, I meant it was really late. Everything in these two rows should have been planted at the beginning of April.

Both rows will be my hoop houses this winter. Since I am so far behind I decided to try putting them up early to see if it will make a difference. Only one is up now and the other one will go up in a few days. I am trying to see if using them will keep bugs away and shade the cool weather plants in the heat of summer. The second row on the far left is in the process of being planted.

Soon to be a hoop house

Uncovered hoop house

All of these are cool weather plants which have been sitting on the porch waiting for me to get them out in the garden. My assumption was that they would immediately bolt and die from the heat but they haven't!

Blue Curled Kale

Nero di Toscana Kale

What a surprise, Siberian Kale is loving the hot weather! The Scarlet Kale is not very scarlet because it is the cold weather that changes the color.

Scarlet Kale

Dwarf Siberian Kale

Tronchuda Kale

All Season Cabbage

Brunswick Cabbage

Swiss Chard

This was a shocker, Michihili is loving the hot weather!
UPDATE: I originally called this Green Seoul but later found the name tag buried deep under the plant.

Michihili

Not everything loves the summer. Tokyo Bekana has not done well at all - it can't take the heat or dry soil. I must water it every other day and if the ground is anything less than soaking wet, it wilts completely. Bugs seem to find it irresistible and I have had to spray to keep it from being devoured. I think it is because the leaves are thin and tender. Anything that requires spraying and constant watering is not for me. In the future, it will only be grown in the spring and fall.

Tokyo Bekana

Aichi, Komatsuna, and Tyfon are oriental vegetables which have thin, tender leaves but seem to be able to handle the weather. We will see how they do in July.

Aichi

Komatsuna Mustard Spinach

Tyfon

This year's garden has been different than years past because everything has been planted one to three months later. My growing season is six months long from April 15th to October 15th. We have rainy springs, then the rain stops in the summer. It has always been a rush to get everything planted so it can either be finished before the sweltering dry heat of July or so it can be established well enough to withstand the droughts. Even though we have unlimited, practically free well water, I hate to spend hours watering the garden.

Some of the things I noticed that are different is that my okra missed the onslaught of Japanese beetles; however, the one and only hibiscus in the front flowerbed felt their fury. The flea beetles also did not have anything to feast upon when they hatched (ha, ha). The cabbage looper butterflies are circling the garden looking for delicacies and are finding none - all are under the hoop house. There will be no summer squash because of the squash vine borers. I can't win against them. Planting later has its pros and cons. I am undecided as to which way is the best, early or late.

June Bug

"It is hot outside, hot in the garage, hot in the basement, hot everywhere!" moaned Scooter. "Dustin has moved his smelly technical thingies into the living room so he can work where it is cooler. I am helping him by blocking the air from the fan. It would be a shame if he got too cold."

Links mentioned above:

Last Month's May Garden (2018)

Last Year's June Garden (2017)

I suppose by now everyone who reads my writings is aware of how I am a bit relaxed about my garden. I let things get out of control. Since today is Wildflower Wednesday, I would like to focus on some of the "wild things" which have seeded themselves all over the garden. Drawing a map in the early spring designating the location of each plant, is something I never do.

First, I will provide a follow-up picture of last months wildflower Daisy Fleabane. It appears if you don't mow it down, it will expand.

The best place to see impromptu sprouts is in my exciting compost pile. Last year's compost pile held various other surprises. Every year is different. Doesn't this look like an exciting place?

On the right side of the compost pile are parsnips romantically intertwined with Love-in-a-Mist.

The one parsnip I forgot to dig and accidentally allowed to go to seed last year was in the strawberry bed. It caused this situation. They are delicious roasted so it is impossible for me to weed them out. I will wait and then rejoice at the work saved because they planted themselves.

There is also a bourgeoning watermelon which magically appeared in the strawberry bed. How the seed got there and its variety is unknown to me.

It has escaped the netting and is marching across the path.

It seems popping up in walkways is a popular idea. Red Amaranth is everywhere, but I throw it in salads instead of the compost pile.

Here is an unknown tomato plant in the middle of the path right where I walk. Its fate will depend upon the type of tomato it produces. It had better be good because I will be avoiding it constantly.

UPDATE: It wasn't anything special and was sent to the compost pile.

This tomato was a bit more considerate. It sprung up beside the Lima beans where it will be easy to tie it to their support pole.

The area around the fence which is supporting the tomatoes is full of more surprises. Last year this spot held the peanuts and three have popped up in the same place. Evidently, they were missed during harvest and somehow managed to survive the freezing cold winter. Since I still have peanuts left from last year's bumper crop, I have not planted any this year.

Malabar spinach has decided to join the tomatoes on the fence. It will be kept under control by being tossed into salads. I don't cook it because it becomes slimy like okra.

A Green Wave Mustard plant also appeared in the fence row and even though it is my least favorite of the mustard greens, I did not have the heart to rip it up. I will cook and feed it to someone.

A red Spider Zinnia decided to grace my garden with its presence. All zinnias are welcome in my garden.

Not everything that pops up is welcome. This is a tiny Poke Sallet plant which sprang forth in the watermelon patch. It was removed as soon as I took the picture. The adult plant which probably dropped this seed is growing happily in the field fence next to the garden. It is up to hubby to decide whether or not to chop it down.

Persistent as always, these Cockscomb flowers are trying to take over the walkway. I do not approve of their behavior and grind them under my shoe as I pass by yet they continue to return.

The worst trespasser is this newly discovered patch of POISON IVY which has overtaken a tree in my front yard. It will receive a death spray as soon as there is no rain in the forecast. Sorry, no close-up pictures.