Monday, August 19, 2013

Can squash bugs gloat? Are okra zombie plants?

This year is my 2nd attempt at a true garden. Last year was The Year That Didn't Go So Well (think okra-thieving deer, cucumber-stealing bunnies, tomato-snatching birds and the drought).

I'm declaring this year The Roller Coaster Year.

Proof:

1. Late freeze (in May) meant a late garden, slow to produce.
2. 10 emerging cucumber plants were systematically reduced one by one to only 2 by hungry rabbits. I didn't know plants couldn't grow without their leaves. I guess they're like solar panels.
3. Large hail took out one of the remaining 2 (But hey, lookie here, old Lone Hearty Cuke has tons of babies right now!)
We'll get some after all.
4. I had no idea squash bugs could gloat. But I found two sitting atop my single lonely pumpkin looking up at me with smug smirky expressions, I'm sure of it. This is why I have only 1 actual pumpkin and 1 actual butternut squash out of 5 total plants.
5. Okra plants are like zombies. You can break them in half and they keep on going! The two that were severed by hail are producing okra again already.
It's alive!!

6. All the rain has made the carrots go crazy and the okra pods grow to 6 inches long. I've harvested twice this week, cooked some, frozen some and even shared some with mom. Look for pickled okra recipe coming soon.
7. The tomatoes are also loving the rain, they were late to start but they are putting on like mad now.
8. This isn't gardening per se, but the late freeze and then the hail stripped all mulberry trees of every last mulberry and there are no crab apples and very few walnuts this year. I had only salvaged enough mulberries early on to make 1 pie and 1 cobbler. Boohoo.

Any other gardeners out there struggling this year or in previous years? Or did you have a fabulous year?

8 comments:

  1. Haha! I love how you named your years "The Year That Didn't Go So Well" and "The Roller Coaster Year." Yep, I'd say this was a roller coaster year! So sad about no more pie and cobbler.

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    Replies
    1. LOL, thanks :) I get attached to the years and have to name them.

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  2. I love reading about your gardening adventures! It helps to motivate me for next year. :)

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  3. Wow. Your vegetable garden looks amazing!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! My father in law has an awesome one, but the hail got his much harder than mine so he hasn't had the heart to do anything with it :(

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  4. I like reading your gardening stories too! We didn't do a garden this year but hope to have one next year even if we have to start with containers.

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    Replies
    1. Oh I'd love to read your gardening adventures if you get one going!

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