Garden Update

The mammoth russian sunflowers are living up to their name and are growing wonderfully along the fence. They seem to really like the sun there.

The star jasmine is doing a great job in covering up the chainlink fence. This is only its second year, so I'm very impressed with its progress. Just look at all those blossoms!

The broccoli grew like crazy and produced beautiful heads, but, alas, they were infested with aphids and inedible (for humans, at least. The chickens loved them.)

The watermelon plants (with french breakfast radishes on the side) were coming along grandly until I made the mistake of transplanting some to space them out better. I've managed to save about two-thirds of them, but the shock was quite disastrous, as you can see. Of course, when I mentioned to my mother the plants' droopy appearance hours after transplanting, her immediate response was "well, yeah, watermelons don't transplant." Oh, really, mom? Now you tell me. Where were you this morning?!

Here the tomato plants have taken over the marigolds and dill that was planted with them. You can't see any of the snap peas and only the climbing vines of the beans. The spinach, cilantro, and basil are coming along nicely in the front.

I haven't been able to sprout any lettuce plants this year (seven varieties and not one lousy sprout). Remember that lovely volunteer lettuce plant we had earlier? My otherwise-lovely husband took it upon himself to harvest the entire plant (!), a.k.a. premeditated first-degree murder, after we already had dinner, so, get this, the entire plant ended up in the compost bin. Now, I normally love my husband, but I couldn't even look at him for a week!

All in all, a perfectly fine garden. Some things are great, some things not so much. But, as a whole, a very nice place to spend some time.

My only wish? Come back, bees! We miss you!