We’re on the outer edges of a ‘heat dome’ that’s centred over Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee. With our humidex temperatures approaching 40 degrees celsius (more than 100 fahrenheit), I can’t imagine what it’s like further south. A side effect of this dome appears to be random, rambling thunderstorms that have brought flooding to many areas west, north and east of us but just the right amount of rain here. June was, overall, a cool and wet month which means things in the garden have grown exceedingly well, keeping gardeners very busy weeding, mowing, harvesting and admiring. (I should add that the rain has created challenges for some local farmers trying to find a window in which to bring in the hay they’ll need to feed livestock over the winter…four dry days before the combines hit the fields is key, I’m told.)
All this to say I have a few things to join in Jim’s Saturday feast of gardens around the world, and also to say I understand – a bit – European gardener’s angst with the Omega heat wave they’ve been experiencing. First, the flowers.
And now to the kitchen garden, where most seeds and plants have really appreciated the heat and rain.
Egyptian walking onions, red lettuce, beans and garlic are all quite happy. I’m happy that the local rabbit population has all but disappeared this year – not sure why, they’ve always been quite adept at hiding from predators. Last year the beans were wiped out overnight just as they started to flower. Also happy that the lettuce hasn’t bolted yet and is quite tasty! Garlic is scheduled for harvesting mid July.
Finally, here are two views of the main bed in the kitchen garden. The big leaved things are Brussels sprouts – with no cabbage moth damage yet. Tomatoes are already rising above the sprouts, Calendula and Tagetes line the front, onions and a Clematis tuteur anchor the ends. There’s a patch of poppies (California and Lauren’s Grape, including the ones at the top of this post) near the end, with a Nepeta and a few other self seeded annuals as well. Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Things seem to be flourishing in the heat, looking great. My LG poppies are blooming as well, so grateful for your sharing them! 🙏🏼
I remember last year you mentioned thinning them out, which is what I did this year – the results are much larger plants and blooms. Thanks for that tip!
👍🏼
😎
Your photos always make me want to be a gardener, although I lack both the land and (I suspect) the dedication to make one as productive and lovely as yours! Are those marigolds I see? I’ve read that they help to repel insects; is that true?
Two types of marigolds – Tagetes, the one you’ll see in Garden centres, orange and red with petals tightly packed, and Calendula, yellow, looking like a low growing daisy. I save seeds from each every year to start again, but for the Calendula, the strongest plants each year come from seeds overwintered right in the garden. ie I deadhead and they sprout the next spring.
Garden lore is marigolds, I think Tagetes, repel all sorts of things – insects, rabbits, slugs, mildew… but I’m really not sure of that (he says looking at the holey leaves of all the plants in the garden). 😄😄
Blimey, that is hot, but I suppose the thunderstorms mean less watering. I love that lily and the arty effect, very Matisse! Your veggies look very healthy, fingers crossed the bunnies stay away. Have a good week, I hope the weather breaks soon.
Thank you! Everything in the garden (aside from the human gardener) is loving this hot humid weather. I can manage about an hour at a time before heading to the shade and a glass of water. More thunderstorms today…cooler next week, I hope!
My Coreopsis will be blooming soon, but physocarpus was done ages ago. Chard – so jealous! I need to fence mine in. The bunny family find it iresistible. Yours looks mouth watering. How do you like to prepare it?
I wonder if it’s possible that my ninebark are delayed in blooming this year because I gave them a pretty severe pruning back in March/April…For chard, I love adding it to soups and stews, of course, not much of that being cooked in the hot summer… so simply added to a wok with other veggies and drizzled with squeezed lemon…wilted over scrambled eggs… How about you?
I meant to say also that your Papaver are the color I was expecting for mine! The miracle of genetics gave me pink.
I have purple. I have pink. And this year I have a red one… a cross maybe between pink and purple? Certainly nothing I planted…
I hope the weather cools down there soon. That lily is a beauty, as is the purple poppy.
Your flowers and veggies look awesome! Chard must be delicious. I’ll look up what to prepare with the Walking Onions. I picked my 1st 7 Sungold Cherry Tomatoes this past week…deeeelicious! Supposed to be cooler, tomorrow. We definitely need rain, our town wells are at critical level.
Chris: I found an interesting & helpful article about the Onions: groworganic.com
Ah, I’m not the only one neither with the lilies nor the coreopsis !
My walking onions are really vigorous here too; even though the stems have turned from green to yellow due to the lack of water, I’m certain they’ll bounce back.
So pretty poppies in the header photo !
Everything looks lush and inviting and healthy! How nice that you’ve had a break from the critters that usually like to share your bounty. Lately I am content to live in suburbia because I have no rabbits or gophers, and the squirrels don’t eat my vegetables.
Yum, those edibles looks so delicious! I’m not a huge fan of Swiss Chard, but I made some roasted chips from the foliage last week and it wasn’t bad. Kale chips are better, though. Those Poppies are gorgeous! And one of my Asiatic Lilies is similar to yours. Love it!
Ninebark is rare here. We got a few at work now, but I do not remember ever seeing it anywhere else. I am interested to see what it does. Asiatic lilies are nice. I worked with them as a cut flower crop in the summer of 1986.
I so admire those poppies. What a lovely color. Sound like you’ve had pretty decent gardening conditions and you pictures prove it. It was 99F here today and we’ve not had rain in weeks.