The Height of Summer In The Garden

The placement of our vegetable garden was such because it had the widest area of open space but also because it let the most sunlight in below the canopy of the trees. This area just so happened to be at the very front of our yard near the street, not exactly the most ideal spot but it works out. While it has a lot of sun it also gets some shade which I think has benefited the garden during the heat of the summer. Full sun for plants during the height of Texas heat isn’t very good, so a dose of shade through some of the rougher parts of the day works in favor for the plants. I think it has helped out with the vegetables so far, but we’ll have to see how it continues on because we still have the rest of July, August and September to contend with. September for many folks means a cool off—not so for Texas. It continues being summer right on through then.

I’m very happy to see large fruits of Yellowed Ruffled tomatoes forming.

The tithonia…oh, the tithonia! I am loving them so much! My only problem is they are drowning out the Texas mountain laurel so I’ll have to remember to plant them elsewhere next year. I might even have to prune one out so the mountain laurel can get some more sun.

The perpetually non-fruiting squash that continues to grow gigantic.

The okra are putting out some giant leaves! I’m growing three varieties, I think Stewarts Zee Best, Hill Country Red, and Fife Creek. Maybe an Eagle Pass thrown in there, not sure. A couple of nights ago I cooked up my first harvest, fried it up in some olive oil—-oh so good!

Beans in the front, melons in the back. Which if you think about it makes perfect sense for a garden mullet!

If pollination was successful I think this will be a Bidwell Casaba melon. Very, very tasty and excellent frozen. I froze a bunch last year for smoothies.

I think the cool front last week helped set some more fruit on the tomatoes, so I am happy that I’ll be extending my tomato season a bit.

Fantome du Laos tomato.

And my cowpeas which I thought were going to be bushing but are so obviously not are on their own and will have to climb over each other. I did stake two up that kept falling over but far they seem to be cooperating.

The corn is forming ears.

The Montana popping amaranth is doing well but being eaten but something. Grasshoppers perhaps or maybe a potato beetle….not sure on that as I haven’t taken a close up of the bugs themselves, but the beetle is striped like a potato beetle. Either way the plant is surviving so far.

Lots going on and I didn’t even show you the beans and winter squash!

Drop by Sprout Dispatch today to check out my night blooming cereus photos but also on Wednesday for our Summer Garden Tour!