Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Midsummer Challenges

August has bought blogging challenges AND gardening challenges. The blogging challenge is that the new system is now the default program. We have until the end of the month to stop reverting to the workable legacy program, so I'll just keep using it until Blogger prevents me from doing so.
The gardening challenges are way easier to deal with!
cute baby bunny in the garden
It's hot and dry, and the garden has to be watered every day to keep things alive and growing. I have a very small garden this year with tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, basil, peppers, carrots, beans, and a bit of spinach and lettuce in a raised bed. It's a constant battle for the produce with the resident bunny family. Mostly they win, but sometimes we get some of the veggies.


black swallowtail butterflies-to-be
I had to sacrifice my favourite parsley plant to a family of black swallowtail caterpillars. These creatures become beautiful butterflies and they are great pollinators, so I decided to let them live here.



The zucchini is out of control! The rabbits usually only bite into a couple of them at the beginning of zucchini season. Once they realize that they really don't like zucchini, they leave the rest for the humans.


The tomatoes are late appearing this year. Maybe they are worried about getting COVID too? Should I make them tiny little masks so they feel safer being so close to their friends? LOL Covid humour :)


Gardeners' humour!

Midsummer is when I get weary of the watering and weeding. It's a predictable process that unfolds over the season... 
I can't wait to plant seeds in May, really enjoy checking on all the baby plants in June, watch and water faithfully in July, and by August I am so over all of it! 

9 comments:

MissPat said...

Let me know how the wine planting goes? I'm afraid a few of my favorite bloggers are going to give up. Seems Google wants to cater to the mobile device crowd and is satisfied to leave desktop, laptop people behind. Not everyone can avoid to update to the newest models.
Pat

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

for some reason my tomatoes are slow this year too - the early girls are full but slow to ripen and the Roma's are finally now starting - maybe that means I will have cool weather to make Marina Sauce in now instead of hot?

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Me too, August just drags for me usually with the heat and the ongoing watering. I have been harvesting tomatoes this year, the best year yet for me in this house. Tomato pie this week!

Needled Mom said...

It would be so nice to have water appear from the skies instead of having to water our gardens from seeds to harvest. BUT....it’s all worth it when we eat that fresh produce.

Deanna W said...

I hear you on the whole gardening thing. I have even started making pickles. The cukes are slow and late coming this year along with our tomatoes. Sure hope you wine garden grows...what flavour did you plant?!?!

Cheryl D. said...

I’m so glad that I’m not the only one weary of watering my garden come August. My “garden” is all in containers and so far nothing is nibbling on my lettuce or tomatoes, which seem to be taking a long time to ripen. Enjoy this beautiful day.

hetty said...

I am losing interest in my garden too. It has been too hot. I also have a resident bunny who likes to nibble. Also a chipmunk. He's very cute. I left the sour cherries for the birds. And now that my peaches are ripe I have left most of them in the higher branches for the birds and squirrels. Let me know how that wine does. I could use some of that, especially since it is cheaper than therapy and that isn't working for me.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Your garden looks so lovely. I have tomatoes and peppers but they are not ready to pick yet. I should plant some zucchini.

Louise said...

The wine picture made us both laugh! :)