2026 Garden Blog
June 20, 2026
It was a gorgeous day.
It was recently very rainy, for several weeks. Rainy enough to kill my spring peas and make everything else struggle. I wasn't able to hoe much from about mid May until just a few days ago, and the garden filled up with weeds. I've been working on them, and they're almost gone now.
I know the surface looks dry from all the hoeing (sun baked loose soil), but don't worry, I watered this evening after taking these pics.
Here's the only zucchini growing at the moment. I'll plant another, and then a third as the summer goes on.
The tomato plants are still small, but I already have fruit setting.
Same with the bell peppers. This tiny plant already has two peppers on it.
I've got marigolds and borage growing between the tomatoes this year.
Next to the tomatoes and peppers are a row of carrots and a row of Italian beans. Unfortunately, they look pretty shoddy. I blame all the rain.
Funny story – I dug a trench for the carrots, to clear rocks out from under them, but after I filled the trench back in I accidentally planted them in the bean row. I could have kicked myself. I ended up using a shovel to scrape up the soil with the seeds in it and then I sprinkled it down the row where they were supposed to be. I guess I missed a few. Here's a couple growing next to a lonely bean plant, lol.
More beans, flowering away.
The usual trellised cantaloupes, with the blackberries and a few beets in the background.
Some unhappy-looking lettuce transplants next to the beets - buttercrunch and romaine. There's some fresh seed planted in there as well.
Gracie in the beets, lol.
What's left of the spring turnips.
Turnips and beets, picked tonight.
Blackberries, not ripe yet.
A trellised cucumber that should be twice this size or more, if not for all the rain. It's also developed yellow spots on its leaves, probably early powdery mildew. I'll be planting another one soon. I don't know if this one will do very well.
Two butternut squash plants. I haven't grown these for a few years. They're supposed to be a hybrid giant variety. We'll see. As small as they are, I've already found squash bugs and eggs on them, which sucks.
Here's the corn. I've lost a few plants as usual, but the rest look decent.
Here's Pickles under the south asparagus.
And Gracie under the north asparagus.
Apples!
No peaches again this year. The freaky winter/spring transitions lately (very early heat followed by frosts) aren't working with this particular tree. I'm going to order one that blooms as late as possible next year. I'll keep this one, though. It'll probably be able to produce one of these days.
Coming back from the garden, Gracie runs.
But Pickles takes his sweet time.
And then takes a nap.
Summer flowers!
I've had lots of rabbits in the yard lately.
And there are finally wrens in the birdhouse on the way to the garden – fully two months late. Normally they're back and building nests by late April, but not this year. I have no idea what caused the delay.
A recent project – new garage shelves.
With a cat ladder on the back, lol.
I also scrapped an old garage dog house and rolling firewood rack and turned them into a rolling cart.
Voila!
Well, Gracie says that's all for now, folks.
Thanks for dropping by. See you next time.
Please feel free to share your own gardening adventures.
OMG! You have another kitty?
Pickles!
He's a neighbor's cat that has pretty much rehomed himself over here. They have a lot of other cats, and he was always getting attacked by some of their other males. He almost never leaves now.
I'm pretty sure my cat howard visited more than one food dish in his prime. he regarded me as his private ER doc back when he thought he was the neighborhood badass. the mrs resented him bringing home his mortally injured groceries and turning them loose in the house ...
great pictures, dig!
Thanks! These garden things are always fun.
... eh, I'm more interested in the cats. just looking at your garden and yard exhausts me ...
Lol, it's good exercise. I was going to plant another zucchini and cucumber and then mow today, but it just started raining.
That was a great photo essay. When the corn gets bigger, don't be surprised if you hear a voice saying "If you build it, he will come".
I just hope I don't hear an insect voice saying, "If you plant it, I will eat it".
But that's what they ARE saying. You just don't understand their language.
Heh. True enough.
Evening Dig..well between Gracie and Pickles you have two expert hole diggers..😁 time they earn their keep..🐾🐾
We aren't allowed to grow blackberries here and if they are in the bush they are sprayed..they are regarded as a noxious weed and are exterminated when found..
Nothing beats home made blackberry jam, pies or tarts..we know a few patches and keep it a secret as once they are gone that will be it...
Your garden and the grounds look great and I hope you have bumper crops this year..
Lol, if I saw them digging in the garden I'd be worried they were using it as a litter box.
That sucks. Can you buy them in grocery stores, for eating?
Thanks. It feels like I'm off to a slow start, but I hope so too.
I know that feeling , here its a lack of rain stunting my efforts, the 2 potato bins are about the only thing doing ok even though one was planted 2 weeks after the other.
I am seriously considering changing the temp greenhouse from veggies over to raspberry plants .
And i as well have noticed far more cottontails in the yard than usual .
I hope you get some rain soon. I've had plenty and I'm ready for it to ease off a bit. But watch, it'll probably stop altogether and I'll be in drought by late summer.
How big is your greenhouse? Raspberries might take a small one completely over. Being brambles, you'd think they'd grow outside just fine, even with dry weather.
Not big , 12x7 x 7 high at the arch. and them taking over is the point let them and then move the greenhouse after they are real thick . kill off the weeds and strangle vine weeds i always get . here its the wind that kills the small stuff thats unprotected .
Im about 25-30 miles from the top of the wind river mnt range , and there is still snow up there and last snow storm was 2 weeks after my birthday on the 21st of may. so getting SOME moisture, just not what is really needed . and im dodging dry lightning.
This fathers day im trying to decide if i want to be a landscaper, gardener, arborist , logger or wood chipper, all need done .
I already had my Jimmy Buffet day yesterday doing lawncare , blew out my flip flop , started looking around for pop rocks , cmon you know the song, might decide today is a good day to get wasted away in Margaritaville in the sun . non- alcoholic of course
Ah, just use it to get them well established. That's a pretty good idea.
and since the green house has a mister system it will stay moist and humid inside no matter how dry it gets here .
Fancy. How'd you set that up? Is it a garden hose hookup or a little reservoir with a pump in it?
Came with the greenhouse from temu, all it is is some t-fittings , with the mister nozzles and it hooks right to a garden hose plastic tubing is 1/4 inch stuff like used to feed a swamp cooler so doesnt take much water pressure .
Morning Dig..yes we can buy blackberries in the shops we do have commercial growers, but they are tasteless to the wild ones and smaller..
Nothing beats home grown or wild in my opinion for taste..
Some of my cherry tomatoes from this year..
That makes the most sense. A pump/reservoir setup could be a real pain.
They look great. Are you still saving your seeds?
Arvo..yes I am still doing that..
Must have missed a tomato in the ground as I noticed a small seedling has come up the other day...
But I think the cold will kill it off. Was 5C this morning.. might try and save it though to see what happens to it..
I've never tried it myself, but it might be fun trying to keep that little plant going through the winter. If you pot it and put it in front of a warm, sunny window you might even get some tomatoes.
Morning...I cut the bottom off a clear plastic soft drink bottle and took the top off..plonked it over the seedling so it has it's own little hot house..
Will see what happens so long as the cat doesn't decide to dig it up..🙄
Neat. That should do it for a while. I can't remember if it ever freezes there, but you may simply be able to keep it under some kind of plastic all winter.
No it does not freeze here or get snow where I live..
Lowest temp for me is about 10C which we sook about big time..
How people live in minus 20C etc stuffed if I know..🥶
Lol. If it doesn't get very close to freezing, then I'll bet you can do it. I'm not sure what you could cover it with as it grows, though. Maybe a simple wire frame or something with plastic wrapped all around it, and a few holes poked in it for air. That might be easy enough.
It's really not that bad, you just have to acclimate yourself to it. Don't overdress, sweating is the worst thing in the cold. When working outside start removing layers if you feel your starting to sweat, I've been down to a T-shirt getting firewood in the winter. Summer heat is brutal, you can't remove enough.
for several years I have dug up some small volunteer tomatoes before frost and kept them in window with grow lights. About half make it to be planted.
looking good
Thanks.
I just had a gusty little storm blow through that tried to lay the corn over and blew a bunch of leaves down. I guess I didn't need to water last night after all.
The weather turned around again, first too much rain, then drought, now rain again. My corn went about 75% germination, but my beans and chard went 0% so will have to replant. The watermelons just stopped growing, the weather here has been cold and damp and will continue that way for a few more days, they claim.
Sheesh, still cold? It's supposed to be summer now. Sounds like you're having a rough start.
At least last night it stayed in the 60's, but we paid for it in rain, the fields have lakes in them again. On the brighter side, in a few days we're to have days where the heat index will be above 100, with all the moisture in the ground the humidity will go through the roof.
Great set of photos, similar vegetables to what we grow but in much smaller quantity. Because of small garden plot size we only grow half of what you do, but alternate crops each year.
Thanks. I try to move things around from year to year as well, so I'm not growing the same thing in the same soil all the time. Admittedly, I don't move the trellises as much as I should, simply because of the trouble involved, but I give the soil under them special treatment because of that.
Are those 4 o'clocks?
I planted some over 20 years ago when we first bought the place. Mr Giggles hates them and tried to destroy them, but they came back every year. Last year, I giggled as I saw them growing again and Mr G finally decided it was a losing battle and gave up. I giggled some more.
Sorry about the rain and losing your spring peas. I love peas. But your garden looks great as usual.
The wrens might have taken their time getting back if you had a cold, rainy, spring. Wrens here in Arkansas tend to stay all year round. I love listening to them sing. They are so loud for such a tiny bird
I had 4 o'clocks in the front of my first house back in the late 80's. they used to attract some kind of large moth with a long beak like a humming bird. they used to appear at dusk at the 4 o'clocks and suck the nectar out of the flowers. my nephew and my 2 sons discovered them and were scheming how to catch them. I convinced them that they were "killer millers" and would penetrate their exposed skin with that long beak and suck their blood out. next thing I know, the 3 of them appear covered head to toe in clothes wielding tennis and badminton racquets. I stepped in to quell the carnage before it began. 40 years later I still get a snicker or 2 whenever I mention killer millers ...
I am so glad you stepped in before they harmed those moths. They have a name but I can't remember what they are. There's also a bee that looks like that. I don't see them on my 4 o'clocks but that doesn't mean they're not there
meh, I just didn't want them splattered all over my home's exterior ...
... oh wait, you don't buy into that goober mothman bullshit common in that region, do you?
Morning..we use to get Emperor Gum moths here..they would fly from the East of Victoria to the West..use to love seeing them..
But now you don't, so assume insecticide etc has killed them off or you see one once every blue moon..
Use to roll up at Christmas time..
Not my photo..
I think those are actually just called hummingbird moths. I see them on the flowers here from time to time.
Wow, that's a big one. There are a couple of big ones here, too, but I can't remember their names, and they might not be quite that big.
... bloody hell, how do they try to kill you? do you need to carry a windshield spatula around in the car?
seems like I've heard that before, but it sounded a bit too convenient for me to believe it at the time ...
... but low and behold, thanks to the internet, that is what they're called ...
Morning Vangy.. perfectly harmless and certainly don't stick you with a beak not like yours..gross..
Not everything here kills you, just 99.99%...😁
everything on that rock is lethal, and in the moat that surrounds it ...
Morning..
We breed 'em tough on this rock..😁
Actually a young mum has just lost her arm in a shark attack up Sydney way..been on life support for 1.5 weeks in an induced coma..but things seem to be improving they brought her out of the coma and she has just spoken a few words..
The whole country is holding its breath for her and our fingers are crossed...
that's West Virginia. We have the Fouke Monster
I saw that on the news this morning. I hope she recovers. I never swim where I could be considered a fish dinner.
goober bigfoot ...
Sorry, no. I'm not sure which one you're referring to, but in the pics I posted, from top to bottom, are hosta and begonias, some kind of phlox, two shots of dahlias, lantana, and petunias.
It was actually warm and fairly dry from February through April, but with a few frosts that ruined all my early flowers and peach blossoms. I don't know what was going on with the wrens. I was afraid a bunch of them had died from bird flu or something. I was really glad to finally see them, and to hear them.
I'll be able to plant more peas for the fall, so not a total loss.
there's plenty of stuff you can plant now and turn out a harvest.
The phlox is what I thought were 4 o'clocks. I had creeping phlox in a pot once. They were beautiful and smelled sweet. When we moved to the house we live now, I grew tall phlox. I loved them and so did the deer
who gives a phlox ...
The tomatoes in the greenhouse are doing well. Had some cherry and small Earl Girls
Outside tomatoes are starting to go up the trellises made from old swing sets.
Peppers and cukes have been planted. I am way behind, still need to get hot peppers.
squash, okra and corn in a square patch planted. Next week I hope to get
that done.
Your tomatoes are so much farther along than mine, especially in the greenhouse.
Have you figured out what variety of corn you want to try?
Thinking about Silver Queen
Planted a square on 4th of July, I am very late. Burpee's Triple crown bicolor hybrid because that was available in packets and I didn't want a whole pound.
wait and see what I get
Cool. That looks like a good variety. I imagine it'll probably be ready in mid September. I've never started any this late, so I can't say if the late summer and early fall sun will make a difference. It'll be interesting to hear how it goes for you. Be sure to keep it well-watered, especially when it's germinating and coming up. I'm pretty sure I've lost young plants in the past because I slacked off on that.
After very hot spell we Had some rain and calling for a rainy week. .
I wanted to try the square method for some time and even late it will be interesting. I remember my father getting good corn in late September
Last week, Bailey checked the square corn patch. The rain since this picture helped it grow a lot.
Late but interesting experiment.
Glad to see that it came up well.
Corn on the 4th of July, with butternuts on the side. What a difference 2 weeks can make, once things get going.
Italian beans with a carrot poking through in the lower left, lol.
A cucumber on a poor, sick plant. Unfortunately.
Cherry tomatoes.
Baby cantaloupe.
Baby zucchini.
Baby red-bellied woodpecker, being fed a little suet by daddy.
Happy Independence Day!
Happy 250th, Dig.
Thanks, TiG. You, too.
... and to both of you.
Right back at you.
Yesterday was hot and today was to be almost as hot. It might be difficult for the sun to heat it up here again today when you can barely see it because of all the smoke coming from Canada, again, this seems to be on repeat every year.
Was trying to cool the shop by opening the doors in the morning, but with all the smoke, I will need to close them.
The garden is a little slow, but coming along. The watermelon plants finally are taking off, but the late start may not be very productive.
Wow, midday and you can look directly at the sun and you can smell the smoke with every breath.
My brother has a solar setup that he can go off grid and it has a generator backup that rarely runs. It has been running non-stop today.
I didn't even know there were fires up there. I've been having relatively frequent rains here, as if we're back to the normal of decades ago.
Something like 830 wildfires across Canada and the US, mainly Canada. The high pressure ridge pushing rain through your area has been dragging the smoke down across the great lakes. Later today a front is to move through and push the smoke to the east, but the backside will drag more smoke down later Saturday.
July 17th, about 2 weeks since the last update on the 4th.
Thick with ears.
They might be hard to make out, but there are 6 ears on 2 plants here, right next to each other. The smallest ones won't fill out, but that's still pretty cool.
So far the butternuts don't look like the hybrid giants they're supposed to be. I hope they're still growing and won't mature at this size.
Squash blossom.
The tomato plants are still rather small, which seems odd. They're healthy, though. The carrots, beans, and cantaloupes are fine as well. The first zucchini got sick and died, but I don't know why. More are coming up, but won't produce for a while.
A big mole hill right outside the garden. Darn things.
It's almost time to plant fall beans, peas, and beets. Probably in the next few days.
Great pictures and beautiful garden, Dig. Good job!
Thanks, Raven. It looks like I'll be picking corn later today. It's ready. Figures it'll be during a heat wave. It hit 101 yesterday, and will probably get close to that again today. Humid, too. Ugh.
I picked some samples this morning and had myself a garden lunch (mostly). Some of the corn, and a romaine, cucumber, and cherry tomato salad, with only the butter, Italian dressing, and shredded cheddar coming from the store.
Yum.
Good eating!
Your corn looks very tasty and robust. YUM!
I've been gardening since I was 6 years old, helping and learning in our garden at home, and at both my grandparents garden when I visited them alternately each summer. I loved working with Mother Earth, the smell and feel of the soil is so very invigorating and inspiring. When I grew up and lived on my own, I always had a garden wherever I lived if there was room. watching the seeds sprout and raise their little heads to the sky as they grow is always so enjoyable. I planted much of what you have in you garden, and veggies for the Mexican, Italian and and Asian dishes my family enjoyed. And...of course lots of yellow corn.
When I bought my one and only house in my life, I made sure it had a very large back yard so I could have a large garden. My garden was 75' long by 50' wide. And I created a simple watering system to take care of that job. It was indeed a lot of work, but, it was a true labor of love.
Your garden reminds me of how much joy my gardens gave me and my family. And there was always a lot to share as well.
Evening Raven...nice to see you..hope all is well in your neck of the woods..
I am not a fan of corn but must admit that really does look nice and would be more than happy sink my teeth into that..😊
salsa gardens are very popular where I live ...
I make my own salsa, so I grow my own makings. I make it with green tomatillos, serranos, poblanos, jalapenos, anaheims, habaneros, onions, garlic and cilantro. The salsa can be used in many other food dishes as well.
That made my whole day.
I'll remember to bring a big bag of tortilla chips with me next time I'm in LA ...
Out of curiosity, when you're working with the corn plants, do you ever hear voices?
Haha. Just Pickles (the orange cat) constantly meowing at me to pet him. He's a chatterbox.
July 28th
Here's the corn I picked yesterday. Not as much as I was expecting. I had to leave several on the stalk because they weren't quite ready when I got in there and started checking. I remember the rains earlier this summer really gave the garden a pounding, and the corn didn't end up growing uniformly. Some of it was temporarily stunted, and never caught up to the rest. That stuff is still in there and needs a little more time. I'll have to get it later.
So far I have 136 pieces.
You will enjoy that corn this winter