Well. You've already seen the state of some of my plants after they got pummeled by golf-ball-sized hail. Here's some more.
The formerly impressive tomato plants with a volunteer lettuce carpet.
Denuded carrots.
The remains of the green beans that were juuuust starting to produce.
It's been quite a year so far. We had the three weeks of constant rain and cold temperatures that delayed any real growth. A hail storm in June that knocked back any harvests for a few weeks. The invasion of destructive harlequin bugs. This hail, that flattened everything.
AND, as if all that isn't enough, we have thousands of grasshoppers. There are so many around that when I walk through the garden or pastures, it looks like popcorn popping as they jump out of my way. The green beans were suffering already because of them. They ate all the potato foliage and were eating through the rhubarb leaves, two things which I considered immune to pest damage.
I must admit, I feel as if we're getting a taste of the plagues of Egypt. I can only hope we stop at hail and locusts.
I do think that at least some of the plants will recover from the storm damage and manage to produce something to harvest. Not a lot, but something.
Gardening is a lesson in hope if nothing else.
So tell me, my fellow gardeners: What's the state of your garden?
8 comments:
No change here from last week except everything is bigger (weeds and all). I do have tomatoes set, so that's nice to see.
I completely hate for you that the hail was so bad. And for your neighbors, in a year that finally had good grass. Hopefully it doesn't get so hot and dry that nothing recovers.
I have followed a blogger who lives in mid-coast Maine and has not only a kitchen garden, which is a large area right outside her back door, but a "religious sized family" garden and it's huge. She is dealing with rain that has flooded the big garden constantly and is saying so many of her plants were damaged and the whole season may be a loss. Opposite sides of the country, but the same problem. I hate it for both of y'all because you're not doing it for fun. I hope you can recover something of it.
Here we have a drought--very little significant rain for weeks. Mary in MN
Maybe it's time to revisit _On the Banks of Plum Creek_? I'm so sorry for all of your setbacks.
In our garden: The blackberries are slowing down. As of this morning, I saw several small zucchini(s)(?) growing, same for cucumbers, lots of green tomatoes with one cherry tomato almost ripe. Green beans have blossoms. Ditto pumpkins/winter squash and melons. I sent a boy out for a green pepper for yesterday's lunch; the peppers have several more on and nearly ready. Buckwheat is taller than I've ever seen it--- almost as tall as I am. (In case you're wondering, we don't eat it. It's for the bees.) And some beets could probably be pulled. The kale is finally starting to grow. And no sunflowers are open, but so close. The lettuce was bitter, so it was fed to the chickens. Zinnias and marigold are pretty.
When do you plant for fall?
Jody: Fall planting has not worked for us here in the past. Our strong sun makes it still too hot during the day for the typical spring and fall planted crops, but those hot days come with freezing nights too early for the more delicate plants. Bad mix. Also, our insects are in full force by late summer, and they tend to eat everything. I can sometimes get another round of lettuce, but that's about it.
Thanks to all who are commiserating with me, by the way. I know they're just plants, and I'm glad if anything had to take the hit it was my garden and not the animals or us, but it's still discouraging. I appreciate the sympathy. :-)
My garden has a look of benign neglect due to my mother and my mother-in-law both having heavy needs recently. After a hot and dry stretch, a crack in the main rain barrel, and more, I have to heave a deep sigh and face the fact that I'll be filling the freezer with farmers' market vegetables instead of my own.
Grasshoppers to boot. Yep, insult added to injury. Sure hope the remaining plants that come back don’t just get eaten by hungry pests who’ve lost their normal supply of edibles.
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