But that’s a good thing, as our friend Heather is saving my life by weeding in the hoop house, among our sweet peppers, which were overcome by Lamb’s Quarter weeds. In there, it’s not raining, and it is warmer than outside. Thank God for good friends! Getting down to weed is the bane of my existence right now. I can almost get down onto my five-gallon bucket seat. Just lack about two inches more. I’m working on that daily!
Will and I got the last of the tomatoes staked and caged. We were short of cages (imagine that!), so I pulled the tall cages from the determinate tomatoes and Will cut them in half to gain enough. Just perfect!
I got the cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower planted in the Main Garden, as well as two rows of carrots. I also re-planted the carrots and Marrowfat beans in the Wolf Garden as they hadn’t germinated well. Carrots, not at all. Spots of the Central, North, and Wolf Gardens are way too wet, due to all the rain lately so I’m sure I’ll be tilling and replanting the corn that was in there. The weeds are doing great though.
Our flowers are doing so nice this year, both the peonies and iris. They sure make every day a little brighter. — Jackie
I love taking pictures of our flowers. When winter comes, I scroll through them and remember winter won’t last. That iris has a wonderful fragrance!! Better than lilacs.
Dear Jackie, Take care of those knees. Things will get better. My husband has had both knees, and both hips replaced and he says it is wonderful to have no pain and be able to do a lot. Maybe not as much as before but he says it is a miracle. LOVE the beautiful lilac-colored irises. But I love all your pictures.
I’m so happy your husband’s knees and hips are pain free! Such a blessing for him. I love the iris too! You should smell its fragrance! Heavenly.
We haven’t had rain here in far north California, since April. I’ve weeded many, many times in my vegetable garden paths and rows since sowing/planting in April. Irrigation is up and going; rows only. I have a little chair to sit in and weed, and now I have hurt my pelvic hip joint from all the bending over for weeding. Praise God, life is good anyway. I love reading your blog, Jackie. It’s like going to the mail box and getting a letter! Prayers for your knees, hon.
Thanks so much Elizabeth! I’m working on getting up from my little camp stool I sit in to weed. I can get down but up is pretty hard. I work on it a lot though!! Boy, I sure hope you get some rain. Drought is so hard and makes everything more work.
What is this cool of which you speak? We’ll be in the 90-105 feels range for a few more days. We have been getting some rain, we’re still behind for the “season” but you wouldn’t know it looking at the fields.
Will do another 1.5 hours of weeding Saturday morning. We’ve had quite the stiff breeze during this hot spell. One area of grass in the hodgepodge area – sedge, asparagus, and catnip. Plus the never ending little trees.
For the 4th year in a row, a set of twin fawns. I expect to see them at our feeder box right after the 4th of July (I snap pictures each year).
Harvested a few cucumbers. I need to take a closer look at the tomatoes. I *thought* I saw a small slicer the other day. Might have a scape or two this year but it won’t be long before the garlic is ready to harvest.
I am *so* ready for a locally grown tomato for a BLT (B from the butcher shop of course).
Our nineties quit suddenly when we started getting rain. Today, the high was 65 degrees F, and the low in the very low 50’s, with more rain. Yesterday I tilled in the rain because it was supposed to be sunny and 70 today. Well, I woke up to rain, shut the window and went back to sleep. No sun today, either. Brrr. But I like the cold better than the heat. Not so sure about the plants, though. We have seen the mama deer and her fawn down below the house and have seen the tracks of fawns and mom up by the hay yard where she always gives birth and hangs around. I think they feel safe as our dogs keep coyotes and wolves away and don’t bother the deer at all. They’ve been having their babies in those spots for several years now.
I have a garden stool that can turn over to kneel but I don’t use that feature. Works good in the hoop houses and I have 4 of 6 beds. Cleaned up and planted. A little cooler here in Copper Basin Alaska (62 yesterday) after several days in the 80’s which put us over in the hoop houses with them open. Hopefully I’ll finish them this week. I even have a few tomatoes set!
We do too, out in the garden even! It’s been cool and rainy here too. I hate the heat but sure wish it would warm up just a little bit. I’ve got a camp stool I use to weed. I can get down into it but up is pretty hard yet. I’m working at it.
Your situation this year is a perfect example of why folks should strive to have more seeds than they need and to SAVE them! So many folks that I know would just throw away those extra seeds — but we are cut from a different fabric, I fully realize.
With the CMEs affecting our soil, there’s so much in the vegetable garden, not working out. You gotta have lots of seeds for re-sowing. It really, really matters! It is essential we save our own seed, for the time we can’t order, or for all the re-seeding. Self-sufficiency.
I totally agree with you! Not many folks need, say 20 zucchini plants and end up throwing away the rest of the pack. Hey guys, those extra seeds can also be planted next year or the year after that!! And I sure wish folks would save more seeds. It’s so economical and a huge step to self-reliant living.
Climate change has really affected the weather, so I’ve found we’ve had to replant crops way more often than in the past. Too hot and dry or too wet and cold. Bi-polar weather!!
Flowers are beautiful. Here in the south, we have had way to such rain. It has rained every single day of June. Then the last 3 days the temperatures have been in the upper 90s, with the heat index around 107. It’s hard to see my strawberries with all the weeds. Like you our weeds have done really well.
I sure wish our garden crops would do as well as the weeds! But then, we also eat many of our weeds. Lamb’s Quarter and Red-rooted Pigweed are better than spinach. I even can them up for winter greens. So there, weeds!
Your flowers are gorgeous. It’s 59 here south of Superior. That Lake Wind sure cools things down 😊
It’s been pretty cool up north too Pam. And rainy. Brrr. But I like it better than the heat we have been having.
RAIN You’re so fortunate. Never got the promised moisture-shower so light, a blink an only a sniff of settled dust. Weeds,of course took off. I guess I will have to replant all my carrots as not a single sprout and start relying on irrigation.Your irises is breathtaking! Don’t over do the knees. Good friend is working hard to keep weeds down for you!
We are so blessed to have such good friends who come help us out a day or two a week, when they can. I had to replant my carrots too, as I think they tried to germinate when we got that tiny rain, then dried up when the rain didn’t keep going. We have the weeds from hell this year! Everywhere. We’re busy mulching and tilling but holy cow they sure pop up fast!
Living too far south to enjoy my northern bulbs and lilacs, I really appreciate you floral pics. Wish I could smell them.