Early August Garden

This is my garden at this point in time. Well actually, I wrote this a week ago and things have changed. This is for my own reference but might interest someone who is new to gardening and trying it in a near desert area. I've had way more success with flowers than vegetables but that's to be expected...next year I will only plant vegetables I have a real liking for as well rather than things that I thought I ought to plant. Currently growing on the south fence in the back garden

Maple tree is doing spectacularly this year- this last month alone it jumped quite a bit. It is probably my biggest pride and joy.

3 cherry trees doing all right. All had there tops broken somehow or other and consequently are growing split. I may tear them out to make way for veggies and flowers for next year.

Strawberries on the south fence did terribly. If we got a dozen that was a lot and all were piddling in size. Probably too much shade from the compost pile, east fence and south fence itself.

Beans: (scarlet runners) good location as they are now receiving a lot of sun and appear to have excellent drainage. Unlike their counterparts in the front garden...

Iris: which I don't want here but haven't got a suitable location for yet- can't tell how they are supposed to be doing as they have been moved a lot. They are my favorite flower actually and thankfully these ones are really tough.

Pepper plants that were purched as plants: one is actually producing peppers; could probably use more sun. All plants recieve some shelter from wind because of south fence.


Currently growing on the west fence:

Nettles: not a bad spot but a bit exposed to wind because of rickety fence...possibly gets to much sunlight and soil could be better.

Grape vine: actually on south wall of shed is doing well although the grapes are on the bottom. Could be it needs more support and/or protection from wind.


North side of the house's south wall:

Lettuce: to hot for it without cover although it does well with it. This is only a termporary location till they're finished.

Sunflowers: do well considering they were dropped on hard-pack by the birds and are growing randomly.


On the west fence:

4 tomatoes grown from seed have really come a long way- I'm still waiting to see if they can yet produce fruit/flowers. Tomatoe plant from friend gets a bit blasted by wind but otherwise o.k. and are now producing fruit.

Carrots, radishes, goards, cabbage, chard, bucket potatoes all o.k. but get a lot of heat and a fair bit of wind- everything is in a container of sorts or box.


Front of house, south side/north wall:

A mix of hollyhock or mallow (short), wild larkspur (good) and odds and ends that surrvived germination failures. A lot of 'throw away' things wind up in here and if it survives may make it to other locations in the garden.


On the west fence:

a Transplanted Artemesia cana does well for the little sun it gets.

Ditto for a robust columbine.

Sunflowers are doing well.

Poppy transplants are o.k.

Tomatoes are doing really well but could have used wind shelter. Fruit is tasty.

Cucumbers not so good- blame it on weather and too much watering. They're actually improving just recently.

Corn that's growing with the tomatoes is doing so-so.

Apple tree has lots of apples.

Pansys underneath apple tree always do well.


In the main vegetable garden:

The soil is really not fine enough for the carrots and I never thinned them.

Onions and garlics were to much guess work. I think I would rather buy them when they're cheap.

Peas needed more support. I totally goofed on this one.

Pepper plants from seed never really made it.

Spinach is doing really well. Couldn't even keep up with the little I grew.

Cabbage had a hard time. Did better in the back.

Chard does EXCELLENT. Great stuff in salads and probably good for winter soups as well.

Broccoli does EXCELLENT. Too bad I spaced it so close together.

Beans just won't thrive. All the wax died, so did most of the scarlet runners. Mama's germinated ones are 50-50.

Corn is finally getting bigger.

Potatos are doing well and moreso towards the middle- excellent really all things considered. (We had redug them- big trauma).

Papver somniferum, pansy, nasturtium all doing well under apple tree as well as what appears to be forget-me-not.

Semper vivum, prickly pear, snow-in-summer, rose campion, sunflowers, marigold all doing well in their locations.

One blueberry is definately dying, the other struggling.

Gooseberry is o.k.

Raspberries are 50/50- hard to say what's normal. Mama's old one is on it's way out but the other two have produced a bit of fruit.


North Fence:

Cedars are doing well. Quite recovered from their first year.

Calendula flowers are thriving.

Gladiolas are doing great although most are forking into two flower shafts which makes for smaller blooms.

Sunflowers doing great of course.

An old lupin from the coast finally gave up the ghost.


West fence:

Sweet peas did wonderful.

Columbines did EXCELLENT.

Papaver somniferum did EXCELLENT. What the hell am I going to do with nearly 4 cups of seed?!

Willows: 3 of 5 died.

Seed mix under lilac did well considering the crowed conditions: papaver assortment, cosmos, african(?) daisy, candytuft, baby's breath

Clematis finally did an about face and looked nice if not perfect.