Garden disasters

“All sorrows are less with bread. ” 

― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

I had to take some time to practice my skills...after all, the great wheat harvest of 2013 is right around the corner.

See it? Look closer...under the ragweed and the queen anne's lace. 

There's one! One of these years we're going to suck it up and use weed killer before planting. "We can handle it", "it's not that big an area", "we just need to keep up with it." Yeah right. . .

“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that theyare gods.” 

― Christopher Hitchens

Annie-cat making a rare appearance by the house. She stayed just long enough to attack Hemi and roll around in the grass before retreating to the barn. She's a nasty one. She likes the warmth of my giant puffer coat during kidding time though, and often crawls on my lap, swatting like a maniac if I dare shift or disturb her. 

“Sometimes just to touch the ground is enough for me, even if not a single thing grows from what I plant.” 

― Andy Couturier

Whoever Andy is, he's full of shit. I'm bitter and angry that my peppers look like this. Notice: no peppers.

"A weed is but an unloved flower.” 

― Ella Wheeler Wilco

Who needs tomato cages? Mine barely reach the first rung. Worst garden ever. Most of the dirt washed out of our raised beds, causing the plants to drown and yellow in the residual clay soil.

One apple tree is so loaded it has arched right into the ground.

The other played buffet to the passing deer.

This is the lone surviving hanging basket for the year. Pretty typical for August 1st. I thought this year was the year I'd keep them alive, given the non-stop rain that made watering less of a chore. Oops. . . 

Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.

Erma Bombeck 

Shhhhhh Erma. . . I didn't kill the zucchini!

My sis bought special imported zucchini seeds that grow primarily flowers and fewer fruits. We are definitely reaping the benefit of all those blossoms. Of course, they are best fried. Does that somehow defeat the purpose of growing vegetables I wonder?

We caught a swarm in the apple tree the other day, hopefully the new bees are setting up shop here and will establish a hive that we can add to our apiary. 

Freakishly large sage leaves, mild and sooo tasty.

First year for these blackberries, now to keep the birds away until they're ripe. . . 

New fruits on a 2 year old plum tree. Deer don't like plums as well as apples, I hope?

These can go in the 'hard to kill' category. My tabletop 'pinterest' display is doing well.

Also hard to kill. They are the only plant in this bed not being choked out by invasive little flowering vines.

 “The sunflower is mine, in a way.” 

― Vincent van Gogh

Somehow, he's right. But for me, these are a little taste of vacation. . . I think next year we'll scrap the wheat and plant the entire back field in sunflowers. They are certainly beautiful and thankfully tall enough to overcome the multitude of weeds that surround them.