Harvest Totals July 28th

August is going to be very busy for us so I wanted to make sure to post an update on the garden before things become hectic!  Although this has been a very cool and wet summer we have still had success in the garden.  Some plants have struggled (tomatoes, cucumbers and onions) but overall things have gone well.   

 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.  Proverbs 12:14 

Below are some harvest totals up to this point: 

Flowers in full bloom

I have loved looking out at the flowers which border either side of the garden gate.  This year I tried new types of Sunflowers and Zinnias and I love picking some of the flowers to bring indoors in arrangements. The textures and colors "pop" when they are up close and inside.

This year I have had the same pests and issues as last year (sad to say).  However, I haven't been able to get out into the garden everyday to try and prevent problems so I am half to blame.  I also discovered that the Asparagus Beetles overwintered in the soil so I couldn't have prevented them from coming back.  Cucumber Beetles have wilted the vines on the Cucumbers again and I find them to be very challenging pests to eliminate.

Ladybug (a beneficial insect!)

The Squash Vine Borer (SVB) has attacked again this year. So far I have noticed that only 1 Zucchini plant has been affected.  I noticed a sawdust like substance which is called "frass" around the base of the stem.  At that point the plant is infested with the larva and they are eating the inside of the stem.  I pulled up the plant and split the stem to find the pests munching away!  Then it was time to throw the plant and pests in the trash. 

Squash Vine Borer Larva

Despite the pests this year has still been a wonderful year in the garden.  There are 3 more Zucchini plants that are producing!  The Summer Squash are also happy and so far we have picked 3 colanders full of green beans.  There are 9 Tomato plants in BED #2 that have lots of green tomatoes!  We have been harvesting the red tomatoes on the deck and okra.  The harvesting is far from over.

I have especially loved the Sunflowers this year and so have the yellow finches!  The one below almost appears to be artificial but its real!

July 4th Garden Update

 This has to be my favorite month of the year in the garden!  The flowers are blooming, some vegetables are ready to eat (with more to come) and everything looks good!  

When I am cooking or doing dishes in the kitchen I love to look out and see the garden. Especially now with the Zinnias and Sunflowers starting to bloom in the 2 front beneficial flower beds.  Zinnias are great flowers to grow and they come in an array of beautiful bright colors. This year I tried several different kinds (more details below).

Beneficial flowers starting to bloom!  

The beneficial flower beds are not just for looks.  They bring good bugs to the garden (especially bees).  Check out a previous post of mine called:Attracting Beneficial Insects for more tips on this!

Zinnia- Senora

Zinnia Senora: Eye-catching 3" double blooms feature the unique color of salmon pink. 

Blooms all season 
(summer to fall)

36" height

Zinnia- Envy

Zinnia Envy:
Vigorous plants produce spectacular 2-3 flowers in the rarest of colors, chartreuse. 

Many bright 2-3" blooms

30" height

Zinnia- Purple Prince

Zinnia Purple Prince:
Intense, rosy purple, large flowers. 

Blooms for 10 weeks

36" height

Sunflower- Italian White

Sunflower Italian White: An abundance of 4" creamy white to yellow blooms form on multi-branching plants.

Blooms all season 
(summer to fall)
5' height






We also added a new flower bed around our Red Bud tree.  Next year we hope to make the bed even bigger (back to the tree line).  The more flowers you have the more bees will come to your garden!  I should add that I started both the Coleus and some of the Inpatients from seed indoors. 

Red Bud tree with Inpatients, Coleus, Ferns & Hostas

PESTS: Every year there are bad bugs in the garden!  We garden organically so I don't spray our plants with pesticides. I expect that some plants are going to be a loss and we do our best to get the plants as healthy as possible before we remove our row covers (which protect them from bugs) until they need to be pollinated.  So far this season we have been battling 3 different types of Beetles:

Relinquishing Control

He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.  He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. 

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.   

Psalm 147:10 & 11

There are so many times when I attempt to control things in my life.  I have recognized this tendency and everyday I am working to give my day and schedule up to God.  I read the verse above today at lunch and it reminded me of how I still have areas that I need to remember to trust God with.

Gardening has really taught me this life lesson in a tangible way.  Everyday when I walk out into the garden I see how things have grown and changed and how little I can ultimately do to control the plants outcome.  Yes my family and I take care of the plants to the best of our ability but there are so many other things that we just can't control.  

Growing plants is also work.  One can't expect to just put a seed in the ground and walk away.  You have to take care of the plants and monitor them.  You could read all the gardening books in the world and you would still learn that its the actual daily experience of working with the garden that teaches you the most.   It is the same with our lives.

If you are reading these posts my hope is that you would be encouraged.  I have very little actual experience up to this point in the garden.  My goal is to share with you our successes and also our failures so that you can learn along with us.  Along the way I will share truth that has transformed my life.   May you find it to be authentic.

Downy Mildew and Striped Cucumber Beetles

We have had rain for the past 2 weeks and cooler weather and it has felt like spring outside.   Earlier this week it warmed up again to very humid and hot air and was very uncomfortable.  Then the past 2 days it has cooled down again.  I started noticing some yellow and white spots with some brown on the leaves of the cucumbers last week.  I should have researched it right away but have finally gotten around to it.  I have discovered that the cucumbers have Downy Mildew.  

Downy Mildew patches on our Cucumber leaves

From my research this disease occurs mostly in moist cool weather (normally occurring in spring and fall).  You discover it most of the time after rain or lots of dew.  Sometimes it goes away after the weather becomes warmer and the sun is out more often.

BED #4 with Cucumber vines in back (July 9th)

I have removed most of the diseased leaves in hopes of stopping the spread of the infection.   I could choose to use a copper fungicide, which is an organic fungicide but I have decided against that.  I have read that the copper can be toxic to worms and microbes if it builds up in your soil.  If I have enough time I may try aerated compost tea which can prevent the spread of the disease.  I did save some compost just to do this!

Striped Cucumber Beetle

I have also spotted another type of beetle in the garden!  The Striped Cucumber Beetle is on our Cucumbers and Winter Squash!  I went out tonight and using my glass jar filled with water and soap I knocked them into the jar with a Q-tip.  They fly away if you try to use your fingers so I found that this method worked well.  I found many of them in the yellow flowers on the Cucumbers and the orange flowers on the Winter Squash.  I am going to be on the lookout for them each day!  The best thing you can do is to keep preventative measures in place and continue to trap them before they do harm!

June 15th Row Covers still on

June 20th Row Covers removed on Beds #3 & #4

The good news is that we did keep our row covers on the Cucumbers long enough so that the plants had time to mature.

Cucumber seeds started indoors: May 1st
Cucumber seedlings planted outdoors: May 18th
Row Covers removed: June 20th  (plants 7 weeks old)

Hopefully this extra time the plants had to grow and develop will allow them to withstand some beetles.  I am going to be on the lookout because I read that the Striped Cucumber Beetle can transmit Bacterial Wilt, Squash Mosaic Virus and increase Powdery Mildew (which we already have on the Zucchini) and Black Rot.  Yikes!!

Yellow Zinnia

On a more helpful note I am going to start to read up on the different harmful insects so that I have a more educated understanding and a visual picture for the future.  I think I saw this Cucumber Beetle a couple of weeks ago, but I was too busy to look it up!  Here is a helpful link to Identifying Harmful Insects