Our Garden In June

I thought it was time to do an update about the garden. I was going to start a whole different blog for it to keep track of what worked and what didn't as we were growing things but I don't see that happening. Kelsey posted a picture with our garden in the background that was taken about a month ago and I can't believe the jungle it's become since. So I snapped some pictures yesterday.
What I've done is stopped gardening for the past month. We were planting things at the wrong time. We can't use even the warmest zone on the seed packages because it gets just too hot. So I found a zone 13 planting guide for Yuma. According to the planting guide June is pretty much a dead month. The only thing to plant in June is some type of bean I've never heard of. So I thought let's just stop. That is what we've done.


Here is what is left. We have cherry tomatoes and two varieties of beefsteak. They went in really late because that is just when we got around to it. So while everyone else is picking tomatoes ours are just putting on. Between the tomatoes I have basil that is growing like a weed. You need basil just come and get it. I keep topping it off to make it bush and it just grows back in two days. We also have garlic in there. I bought two cloves at the grocery store and now we have 17 cloves growing.



We have summer squash and zucchini. One plant of each. I'm definitely planting more next year. We have green beans here and there. They were planted at the wrong time so they didn't come up well except in the first bed. We have voluntary peas. I did not plant them. They came up under the ones that Ian killed with the flair. We have carrots, jalapenos, leeks and onions. In our last bed (the newest one) I had two cucumber plants going but Jade picked one. The one we have left is growing like crazy so maybe she just knew we only needed one. The romaine I planted way late in the summer is just thriving.



I have two more beds planned for August. These will be 8'x4' each. I already have written in detail what will be planted where and when. I'm looking forward to a really successful garden this coming season. I knew all along that this first planting was going to be a learning experience but it was hard not to get much or anything from a lot of the things we planted. It was harder watching a gopher eat most of it before we could. With this new planting guide and the success we've had lately I'm feeling very confident we will have a good year with our garden.

Oh and don't let me forget the watering system Ian put in. He did such a good job with it and everything is growing so much better now that it's getting a good deep watering. Thank you sweetie. I can't say he was really excited about all this at first but he has really come through. He comes in and tells me about the new tomatoes he has found and he checks for bugs, moves plants around and prunes things. I think he is hooked now. He is not excited about building the new beds but I told him I didn't need them until July. Some how that made him feel better.



Last but not least our chicks. They are getting big and ugly. Wow are they ugly. They look like little raptors when they walk. We lost two of the bardrock chicks for no apparent reason. All I can think is maybe it was the heat or something they ate because two died at the same time. They looks pecked but that may have happened after they died. So we have six left which is actually a better number anyway. Our big coup was going to be crowded when these guys start laying. Now we should be good. I can't wait. Grow chickens grow.