midsummer garden

Hi there folks!

This is my "obligatory" garden update post, which is a tad image heavy so I hope it doesn't take too long to load.

All the sod has finally {!!!} been dug up...

{sod pile}

and everything that needs to be planted is pretty much been planted. I say pretty much because there are somethings that I have had to keep re-planting thanks to some dastardly pests eating the seedlings.

Trusty staples such as beans and sunflowers have been mowed over in an evening. They were not the only victims though! My peppers, watermelon and cukes as well as new perennials have been nommed to shit as well. It took me a few days to figure out who the culprits were and a few more days of frantic experimenting on how to take care of them. It turns out my arch-enemy the earwig has shown up. In droves.

After talking to some other local gardeners, apparently they are over-ran with these little nasties as well. One fellow gardener said that he hasn't seen so many before on his property, which he has been gardening on for 17 years. His peonies are just about done. So I guess I don't feel so bad now.

Anyhow, I have tried some earwig traps in the past, but it turns out that some olive oil and water in a shallow dish works wonders. I have laid out dozens of these traps and have been catching hundreds. I exaggerate not.

Some of the targeted plants now have a chance, and I will keep on starting seeds and laying traps and hope for the best. And I will have to find replacements for my poor aconite, Jacob's ladder, and mayapple.

It has not been all doom and gloom though. We have been getting a steady harvest of greens and herbs {another post about that to come}.

All of our greens and other shade-loving veggies such as radishes and peas are being grown on the balcony in containers. It is quite nice to have a home with a variety of growing conditions {our front is North-facing and the back looks to the South}.

In the back we have three veggie patches and we have some edibles being grown in containers.

{tomatoes: black krim, roma, tigerella, red plum cherry, and orange blossom}

{red and orange sweet bell peppers before they were pretty much destroyed by the earwigs}

{summer ball squash}

{acorn squash}

We are growing a variety of edibles in our backyard: squash {winter & summer}, pumpkins, corn, various pole and bush beans, nasturtiums {climbing and bush}, corn, potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets, parsnips, tomatoes, peppers, cukes, watermelon, dill, cilantro, borage and sunflowers. There are also other different annuals being grown out back such as wild tobacco, datura, cosmos, poppies, scarlet runner, and sweetpeas.

{poppies}

{datura before opening}

{datura again}

{datura seed pods}

There are also three perennial beds in our backyard with different pretties in them.

{turkey tail on a log}

{moss, columbine, and sweet woodruff}

{a "rescued" wild rose coming back to life}

{mullein}

{daisy}

{comfrey}

{comfrey again}

{chives}

{feverfew}

{the foxgloves the day before they were blown over in a storm}

I am also quite smitten with the lane way in the back that I have shown before. Right behind is a gaggle of raspberry bushes and other pretties.

{bittersweet nightshade}

{foxtail grass, I believe}

We are still working on gussying the yard up, adding more plants and working on the front {lower} garden as well. Updates will come eventually.

In the meantime wish me luck! ;)

Sláinte!

Laurel