The amazing 2.2 ounce Watermelon Radish! I have a couple more in the garden now -- I'll try to remember to take pictures of the inside (which explains the name) before devouring them. I sauteed this and some other radishes with homegrown spinach and a little chard.
I found my thrill... we will only have a handful this year (provided the birds don't find them!). We planted four additional bushes for a total of six.
The citrus trees and stacking pots full of marigolds with the vegetable garden beds in the background. Looking forward to relocating the blackberries (where? don't know yet) and putting the citrus in bigger pots on the south side of the house. This is a location where we can erect a temporary greenhouse over them each winter, and not have to move the pots! Two Mexican limes (no fruit right now), two Satsumo Mandarin oranges, and one each Meyer Lemon, Lemon Drop, and The Valley Lemon.
This box has served as an orphanage of sorts. The fig was rescued from a backyard where the resident dog thought it was a tug-of-war toy. The wandering Jew came from the blackberry bed. It was in the yard before our in-laws rented the house six years ago. The beans in the pots are from the thinning of the bean/pea bed. The side of the box you can't see is also full of beans from that thinning. And the chard is in the box next to it. I'll take out the remaining chard soon to make room for the next planting.
TOM-TOM! And some (blurry) beanie-babies.
Baby zucchini (finally!) and a wee-baby watermelon!
This month we are "supposed to" plant melons, pumpkins, gourds, okra, and southern peas. I have a couple of special projects planned for the pumpkins and gourds, as well as some sunflowers, morning glories, and yard-long beans. Of course it requires more work of the digging and raking variety. I've spent the last two days clearing the weeds from the patio around the pool. I was too embarrassed to take before pictures, but really wish I had! Now my shoulders have had it, and my blisters got blisters, so I'm not sure how I can keep using a shovel unless I learn how to walk on my hands and hold the tools with my feet!
I'm also starting to do some long-term planning with the yard and finding a place for everything. We cleaned out the tool shed and the garage last week during Jeff's staycation, and he got the pool in swimming condition. We are hoping to have a good grasp on our vegetable gardens as we go through our fall planting so we can get our ducks next spring. I did well as far as not planting more than I could handle, but need to plant a little more for the bugs. Our organic methods are serving us well, but we could use at least a little buffer. For the fall garden we need a better watering system in place. I have made some clay pots for irrigation, and we may try to set up a drip or soaker system. We've been shopping for rain barrels...and the list goes on!
On the energy conservation front, Jeff has been installing soffit vents and a radiant barrier in the attic. The whole house fan will be next. With these changes we should be able to shorten our use of air conditioning by two weeks on each end of the season. I'm going to try to position the grapevines so that they shade our AC unit and the south side of the house. I still have to make the insulating shades. I keep thinking a rain day will come so I can do some housework and sewing projects, but the rain keeps missing us! Please come this way!
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