A Challenging Garden

The other day I had gotten some time to work in my garden. I haven't had the chance to do it much with everything going on so it was my husband that would water it every now and then but that's it.
Well when I went, oh boy. It is a jungle out there!

I'm guessing this big heat wave and the humidity just made the plants grow like crazy. The zucchini is bountiful, and well so far, that is the only crop doing well.

Love how the zucchini flowers swirl up like that.

The pumpkin has grown wonderfully. So much it started growing in the neighbor's yard. Oops.

As I was looking around I noticed that something was missing. My red onions are gone. All but one. I don't know of any animal that would take off with onions. So perhaps I have someone snooping around in my garden. I had nice long green stems to nothing but this one tiny nongrowing onion.

I was able to collect 3 zucchinis and some beat leaves. The beats are still too small to collect, along with the carrots, turnip, parsnip etc. All the root plants are far from being ready.

So this is really the 2nd time I have a garden going, the first time planting outside since living at this house. I am getting a bit more luck with outdoor growing but I am running into many different problems which has already gotten me to think about next season. Hoping that I can plan it successfully this time.

Some of the problems I have been facing with the garden outside is the bugs eating the leaves and root maggots. I had pulled a carrot some time ago and found the little white worms devouring the tiny carrot. The root was about 2 inches long and was already full of holes. I honestly think that I can only grow zucchini successfully here.

In the greenhouse, oh in the greenhouse. It is a sad, sad looking greenhouse.

I am learning what things I can grow in there, experimenting what will do well inside and what would do better outside. I know tomatoes do great inside. I kept the spices inside away from the bugs. I thought to try broccoli and cauliflower along with bell peppers and hot peppers.

The tomatoes this year are not really giving any fruit. I was hoping that I could have a really good plant to clone off of but that will not be happening.

The peppers are at a standstill and so is the cabbage. The cauliflower, I was surprised to see some growth from them.
But here is why things have stopped growing in the greenhouse.

I believe they are spider mites. And they are everywhere. I have even gotten rid of some plants and leaves hoping they would disappear but it would seem like they came back twice as strong.

They are even on the cauliflower and cabbage.

I read that spider mites will drink the juices of the plant, basically sucking it dry and then move on to another host. I think that explains why nothing came from the pepper plants. Although my question in all this is if they are draining my plants, how am I still getting some cauliflower growth? And would we still be able to eat from it, thinking that all the vitamins and minerals will be depleted?

Looking at that cabbage I am not interested in eating it. But I am keeping it there because I do want to see what happens. How long will it take for them to eat it all, will it dry up and crumble or will it just yellow and die? Or do they only take a certain amount so that the plant can still live for a long time thus giving them longterm food?

I need to buy some organic products that will get rid of them so that I can plant in the greenhouse next year.

As for the flower bed, I have gotten only 2 roses and the other flowers are doing great aside from the lavender. I thought I was maybe waterting it too much so I stopped and watered less, and well it seems to be doing the same thing. The bottom leaves have changed colors. But they are still alive. That counts!

The colours of the flowers and plants are just so vibrant. These two plants I think are my favorite ones in the garden bed.

Next summer I plan on growing more ground covers in order to help with the weeds. I don't have time to weed out the garden as much as I would have thought. Also perhaps plant something that would help keep the new puppy out of there too. She is enjoying it, digging holes in the bed and tearing up some plants in there. The only place she does dig. She has something for roots, light earthy roots.

Well hopefully soon I can start picking some root veggies and have a good bountiful harvesting season. If not, I am thrilled for the experience and to have some zucchini too. It is my favorite vegetable.

Happy harvest!