Hot, humid, intolerable to be in between the hours of 7:30am to 7:30pm. That’s our garden right now. Our temps are hovering around 110F with a mid-month peak of 118F (48C). The added humidity has been what’s really pushed us over the miserable edge.
Our tomatoes are very stunted, our corn is anemic, our melons are stagnant. The ants and aphids seem to be the most prolific commodities in our yard and we (Justin, the beneficials and I) can’t seem to catch up or get ahead.
Not all bad news, however. We have more jalapenos than one family needs. Our basil are all very happy campers. Our cukes have only just begun to slow down. And our tomatoes – stunted though they are – still taste yummy. We’ve also harvested quite a few sunflower heads for drying (but we left plenty for the birds).
Soil fertility is still our biggest adversary. The fact that anything is even growing at all is a real testament to the miracle of life. 
We spent last weekend with an organic fertilizer recipe and this weekend we’ll spend our time with an organic foliar feed recipe. We’ve seen some growth and recovery from our efforts thus far but we still have a long way to go.
I’ve seen so many exciting and yummy garden photos lately. One of these days mine will look just as abundant! 
Here are a few recent photos:
Now that Justin and I have read Gaia’s Garden, we’ve been rethinking so much about this garden. We have a lot of new plans that we hope to get started on this fall when the weather dips back down. Justin has promised that we would soon work on a post together to share our thoughts on the book and how it’s shaped our ideas in regards to our own yard and goals. (Co-blogging! Yay!) We have other exciting additions to our “homestead” to share soon too! (Good news! Yay!)
Update: Gaia’s Garden review found here.
How is your garden growing…Or not?
Your garden looks like it’s thriving – a green, shady oasis!
Mine is just starting to ripen. My lettuce is done but I put in more seeds in a new bed. My basil is also thriving; I planted a lot more – despite having a lot of plants, I’m eating too much fresh basil to get any extra for pesto – fresh basil, I love you.
I have cucumbers ready for harvest (yay!) and hot peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and cantaloupe on the vine.
I first saw the photos on flickr and came over here to congratulate you on the beauty of the garden, only to read your words… the amount of work you all have put into that space, it’s just gorgeous. I love watching your garden grow!
Isn’t Gaia’s Garden the best! That is another one of those world shaping reads….life can never be the same! lol!
Our tiny porch garden is in a sad state. Container garden requires so much watering and we were away for a bit and things got out of hand.
It still looks pretty and we have managed to get a lot of lettuce and herbs. I can’t wait ’til we have land and can have ponds and fruit trees and veggies in every nook and cranny!
Well, it looks amazing! I am having the same problems – some things are flourishing, and others (corn, cukes, zucchini) are just stunted. But our hottest month is yet to come…
Small urban Garden Report from GA:
Basil and tomatoes and jalepeno and zuke and squash = all good.
Cukes = all yuck. Yellow and white and contorted and bulbous and straight to the compost.
Colored bell peppers = still waiting
Lettuce and eggplant = all gone
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Love your sunflowers. Gotta plant those next year.
Gorgeous gardens Tara! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the comment today. I’ve spent ALL day on WP.com……now I’m off to WP.org. I didn’t even know there was a difference. Your site is so beautiful and organized so well, the inspiration I needed after a long day of research.
Lisa
Your garden looks much more alive than ours does. This is our first year with a yard, though, so all the plants are still pretty much babies (didn’t plant any vegetables this year, just fruit). We have only four tomatoes, still green. We are waiting on a few grapes and blueberries as well. Don’t expect to get anything else this year. Oh, yeah, we have a goodly supply of basil, that would be our strong point.
Looks fantastic! Be very proud.
My North Las Vegas garden went down hill while we were on a mini vacation…. some how the water system failed and we came home to fallen sun flowers, wilted and browned zuck & pumpkin plants…
I am keeping them watered and will be happy with whatever ends up growing….
But the bugs are YUCK!
I think everything looks great! It’s green and alive, that is an accomplishment in this heat. Our garden, well, it went to the dogs, literally. Two of them thought our raised bed with thriving marigolds, tomato plant, basil, cucumbers and melons was all for them! Who knew dogs like cukes and melons (in combination with the moist soil)? Now we know and our fall beds will be protected, lol.
April, that sucks! We keep our dogs out of most of the yard (they have their own run) because I know they’d do the same.
Dana, I swear irrigation is the biggest headache! We’re going out of town in Sept and it’s been on my mind constantly. I think we’re gonna find a garden sitter. Any volunteers?
Garden sitter is a great idea. I have a really nice neighbor who hand waters his front yard plants nightly…. I should have asked him to watch over our garden. He would have done it, and liked doing as well.
Lesson learned =-)
I’m totally drooling over your garden . . . it’s beautiful! I especially love your veggie gardens and sunflowers. One of these days I’ll have to join a community garden (we have a townhome with a small yard; I’ve already maxed out our gardening space, lol).
Anyway, glad to have found a kindred gardener,