Oh, how the garden grows!
Even though our Inland Northwest growing season got off to a slow start with a VERY cold June (sorry, tomato plans), the garden has certainly caught up! Everything is thriving thanks to the 1-2 punch that is 1) drip irrigation on a timer PLUS 2) professional hole-burned landscape fabric on all beds, in-ground and raised. Last year’s PATHETIC production was originally blamed on the soil - how else could you explain that literally NOTHING grew even close to “normally”? We really thought we had been manually watering well/fairly regularly enough. We really thought we had been weeding and caring properly. And when nothing grew, what else could we blame except the soil?
But when the soil tests came back with solidly passing grades, I have to admit - I was nervous. Did I only succeed at the other property because my garden was stolen out of a well-tended (chemically and otherwise) wheat field? Had I lost my touch? Did we build this giant garden for nothing?
Obviously, seeing this year’s production, the answer is there is nothing to worry about! All is wel in garden land. All green thumbs remain solidly earned. The magic of consistent watering and that perfectly designed fabric is the true green thumb not-so-secret weapon. So this year’s garden is a delight! And I have been feeding Steve various vegetarian zucchini-based recipes for several weeks now, and he has yet to run out and buy steaks!
This is what dinner typically looks like this summer. Zero complaints from the Husband Department - he is being a particularly good sport since I took over the cooking duties.
Toses looking beautiful, and the bees love them, too.
I have fallen in love with marigolds this year thanks to Montana. We have them companion-planted by the tomatoes and sprinkled everywhere. I would love to have a raised bed of just marigolds next year, too.
Montana planted a number of unique flowers for dying purposes - should be interesting!
Sunflowers are loving life this year. Some of them are over 7 feet tall!
I pretty much stand in this spot and take this same picture every single day, I honestly cannot get enough of it.
Cosmos are another favorite. I'm going to use them for my first flower pressing experiment.
Rangey, little blue borage flowers. Video evidence below of how much the bees love them.
Tomatoes SOOOOO close to exploding!
