October's Garden (2026)

 

The drought continues. We have only had one inch of rain in three months. The vegetables stay on the verge of wilting even though we spend almost one to two hours every day watering. The weatherman has predicted rain once or twice a week all summer so we kept watering thinking the dry spell would end. It is in the forecast again for tomorrow. Should we believe him?

The fact that there is anything left in the garden shows how great our well is and how much we have watered.

One row at a time is being emptied, the soil prepared, and then winter seeds planted. So far we have put out carrots, beets, kale, lettuce, collards, cabbages, and onions. When space is available additional onions, garlic, spinach, radishes, and bok choy will go out. 

Because of the time involved watering, only small batches are picked. There has not been enough energy to photograph large amounts as in past years. This is how my kitchen floor always looks.  I have adapted by canning, freezing, dehydrating, and pickling daily in small batches.

I know it looks pitiful but this row has been a success. The tomatoes on the fence were from suckers from spring tomatoes just shoved in the damp soil to root (there was abundant rain in the spring). Planted underneath are the late sweet potatoes.

The early tomatoes have finished and died but the suckers are maturing now. They are for fresh eating and will be brought inside to ripen before the first hard frost arrives. We have always run out of tomatoes at the end of summer but this solved that problem.

The sweet potatoes below the tomatoes can't be dug without damaging the tomato roots. They have never been put below late tomatoes because they were dug when the tomato plants finished.  However, this year so many slips were purchased (because I can't say no to a good deal) that space was scarce. 

Now for the big news. I am drowning in yellow squash! It's fantastic! The mesh nets worked to deter the squash vine borers. When the squash underneath the net bloomed, the net was moved to a newly planted row. I kept planting rows even though it was getting extremely late in the season. In spite of having five 36 degree nights, the youngest have rebounded are still going strong. The large older plants seemed stunned by the cold, stopped blooming, and have been removed. We have seventy degree days and no hard frosts in the forecast for at least ten more days! 

Today Bill is digging sweet potatoes and tossing the vines over the fence for the horses. They act like they are candy. So far, the harvest has been decent considering how late they went out. With the warm weather report, we will pause digging for a while.

Even though it has been a rough summer and fall, there has been more than enough food grown to feed all of us through the winter but we question whether it has been worth the work. Right now we are exhausted and it doesn't feel worthwhile. However, when we share a delicious meal that can't be bought with others that are in need - we have no doubts of the value.

Last Months September Garden (2026)

Last Year's October Garden (2025)

September's Garden (2026)

 

When the rain stopped in July, it really stopped. There has not been one single shower that was enough to get the whole sidewalk damp. This is normal for our area. Hubby waters part of the garden every evening and I do it every morning after the well has refilled. Having an abundance of rain in the spring was such a blessing. Now it is parched, struggling, but still producing an abundance of food.

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The peanuts have not been watered because they need to dry out before being harvested. That huge chore should start any day now. 

The corn experiment was a dismal failure, most of the spindly stalks have been ripped up, but it was my choice.  It is a heavy feeder needing plenty of nutrition during particular growth periods; however, it received none.  Until the Strait of Hormuz opens and fertilizer is once again plentiful, I feel as if it is prudent to use my resources carefully. My panty has plenty of canned corn so other vegetables received preference.

There have been successes.

Apricot Zebra cherry tomato is my favorite and it has overgrown all of the corner of the garden fence. It has taken two years and three complete failures before I finally got one to survive.  They aren't hard to grow - I just kept messing up. There are none visible in the picture because they are picked and eaten immediately. The flavor is mild and sweet so few ever make it to the house.

A squirrel rushed across the yard and hopped into the tomato plant which began to shake and wobble. I panicked while watching him from the kitchen window thinking he would strip the plant and leave nothing for me. It was a false alarm. He buried a walnut deep inside the plant.

The big news is that the squash experiments are over. I can now grow yellow squash in middle Tennessee! It has taken 21 years of failure but I have done it! I WIN!

They cover every empty spot in my garden and we haven't yet tired of eating them.

There is even a zucchini with weird shaped leaves that looks like it came from outer space. However, since I know little about summer squash, maybe this is normal.

All of the squash planted early have been killed by the squash vine borers but the later ones are still surviving. THAT IS A FIRST! Getting past the third picking has never been done and this whole row is still producing.

Even the one with branches shaped like a tree is still alive! 

The solution to beating the borers is to immediately cover the sprouting seedlings with a fine mesh until blooms appear. The net is removed then moved to another row where more seeds are planted. Draping the fabric did smash the small leaves but it was better than a hoop house which is vulnerable to gaps.  As long as the net doesn't get blown open, it worked. The early plants would eventually get attacked but the later plantings have missed the second squash vine borer hatchings. I still have much to learn but it is wonderful to finally have a workable, non toxic solution. 

The summer plants have begun winding down in preparation for winter. It is time to begin final harvests which will make room for the winter garden. We are about two weeks from our first average frost date so we still have much work ahead.  

Last Month's August Garden (2026)

Last Year's September Garden (2026)

August Garden (2026)

It has been hot and dry - a normal August but these are some of the surprises that have happened in the garden. A month ago the sweet potatoes were small scraggly vines but now it is a sea of leaves.  They grow so fast they seem to be moving.  

This squash plant has amazed me. It is a volunteer spreading down the field fence beside the lawn. The horses can reach it but are not interested in munching - the leaves are prickly. Vines that spread into the field are trimmed before the horses trample them.

Familiar fruit are forming but I can't identify the variety. Hopefully, the fence will hold the weight.

Now for the amazing part. It sprouted in the compost pile in spring, chose to climb the fence and hasn't been watered until the leaves wilted this week. 

When removing the compost its root was uncovered and half of it had been chopped. Hubby stopped digging when he realized what it was and we have since left it alone. It might have rooted in another spot under the mountain of food scraps but I'm not searching. Vines haven't rooted anywhere along the fence due to mowers and horses hooves.  

This is either proof of the magic of compost or it shows I am a better gardener when I do nothing.

The yellow squash experiment of covering the seedlings until they bloom to avoid squash vine borer damage is having some success. When the netting is removed, it is moved to another row where more seeds are planted. There has been a constant rotation of squash. 

This row of yellow squash has been protected from the borers with the the netting. (We are still watching for signs of infestation. It takes awhile to manifest.) The squash in the middle of this row is twice the size of the others.  All were planted from the same pack of seeds at the same time but the one in the middle has gone wild. 

It is covered in blooms and fruit plus the vine has sprouted branches like a tree! Yellow squash are always a single vine with maybe the occasional extra branch but not this one. We have no idea why it is so different. It is the only plant like this and if at all possible, seeds will be saved. It looks like we might actually have a decent yellow squash harvest for the FIRST TIME EVER! My fingers are still crossed though.

Other than the heat and no rain, the garden is absolutely rocking! 

Last Month's July Garden (2026)

Last Year's August Garden (2025)