right now

right now

Jun 19, 2010

It's too hot to garden!

...so we're going to the beach! It was not too hot yesterday evening however, to shoot a few photos of what's going on while I am hiding from the garden's oppressive heat and humidity!

Enjoy...


"Vorlon" Heirloom Tomato


"Red Zebra" Heirloom Tomato


"UFO" (unknown) Polish Heirloom - 1 lb sizes and still going....


Grapes


Colonnade Apple Tree


Edamame - needs to be harvested TONIGHT!


"Bush Baby" Watermelons, just starting to get fruit


Blanketflower


Celosia - easiest flower seed to grow!


Self Seeded Cosmos from last year, they are all over the lawn!


My favorite Basil "Pesto Perpetuo"


Blackberry Bushes


Figs


The pond area, filled with hummingbirds and dragonflies this time of year

Time to go beat the heat - beach report later, stay cool!

13 comments:

  1. Oh lucky you! I wish I could grow grapes :( I dream of someday being able to make grape jam with my own grapes. Right now I'm still waiting for my grape tomatoes to turn green!

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  2. Wow, Erin - everything is looking so wonderful! I'm jealous of your zebra tomatoes.. mine haven't started flowering yet, but hopefully it won't be long.

    How do you like the colonnade apples? I've been thinking of purchasing a few, but wasn't sure how they taste or how difficult they are to care for..

    By the way - I'm sorry I haven't posted many responses on your blog lately. I do most of my blog reading while on breaks at work and for some reason I'm never able to access the comment box on your blog from my work computer.. Must be one of those annoying firewalls.

    Hope you enjoy the beach!!

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  3. What a plethora of GORGEOUSNESS! Can't wait for you to move up north so you can show me how to grow tomatoes. (And I know you WILL figure out how to do it!!!)

    Enjoy the beach time and try to stay cool. No sense passing out cold in the berry patch!

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  4. Everything looks so wonderful -- the lushness and colours, divine!!! Those grapes look just perfect and the tomatoes are oh so lovely. I recently discovered blanketflowers -- so pretty!
    Enjoy your day at the beach! Hope the bathing suit shopping trip wasn;t too traumatic!! ;)

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  5. OMG, those are some beautiful tomatoes! I especially like the red zebra....

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  6. Alison, grapes? Not so much! The wasps will get them before they ripen fully, but I always use the leaves for the bottom of my pickle jars to keep them crunchy, and at least they are pretty to look at for awhile! It takes a lot of effort, netting, spraying and such to nurture these all the way, and I can never seem to find the time to care for them properly.

    Caffeinated Mom, no worries! Glad to see you stop back in. I LOVE my colonnade apple trees! Virtually carefree, and the little care they get in the way of spraying is easy since they are only about 5 feet tall. I had them in containers last year, but dug them into the ground this year because I felt sorry for them in the heat! Last year was year one, bare root stock, no apples but pretty leaves. This year is year 2 and I was amazed by the quantity of flowers and fruit set. All the fruit is set in clusters tightly around the trunk, pretty cool for small space fruit fun! I got mine from Stark Bros. online, and got 3, one each of all 3 varieties they offered. Can't wait to taste them, I think even if they suck, I will like them since we grew them LOL!

    Mama Pea, I have already been reading on what different strains of tomatoes I would stand the best chance of growing, I know for sure it wont' be a Brandywine! Better believe I will listen to you though and grow lots of short-season varieties, but you know I will have to dabble - I seem to thrive on challenges and heartbreak LOL

    Fiona ugh - the swimsuit shopping trip! Actually the kids were pretty good, they sat on the floor outside the dressing room and I had to keep saying "keep talking to each other so I know you are still there" LOL. I only went to one store, and picked from the 2 racks they had. The first rack was $170 "Miracle Suits"... yeah, right! So I ended up with a two piece tankini that is basically a tank top with little shorts/skirt in plain black, yay for me! It's okay but not great LOL! At least now I can enjoy the beach and work on getting rid of my t-shirt farmer's tan. The kids complained about shopping until I told them that unless mommy gets a swimsuit, there's no beach - that straightened them up. And it only took me 30 minutes, not too bad. I think some moms shop for hours and hours but not me, I hate it!

    Okay, headed to the beach for real now, gotta go pack sandwiches!

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  7. Your garden doesn't look like it's suffering a bit of stress from your heatwave. Glad to hear you and the boys are escaping from it today, have a great time!

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  8. Holy Smokes! That's quite a garden you've got going on there!!! I'm so impressed! And yes, it is too hot to garden. Blerg.

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  9. Hope you and the boys are having a great day at the beach!

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  10. Erin, I love all your pictures especially the figs! I love to eat them fresh!! Reminds me of my grandmother. It looks like the heat is starting to take its tole on my poor garden. I had to pull the bush beans this morning. (sadness) Upper 90s temp and 100+ index = too hot!! (and it is only mid-June!) Summer is not officially here!!!!

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  11. EG, thanks! It has been a struggle this year, and it's pretty much my fault for attempting to restrain my heirlooms in containers this year - I have learned my lesson, LOL!

    Gran, Kate, Dani - I intend to have a great day at the beach, I finally got the swimsuit buying evolution over with so now I can enjoy the water along with the boys, didn't even bring the knitting today!

    debiclegg, thanks for stopping by! I am not really a fig person but who can resist those cute mitten shaped leaves? Hubby loves them and I am hoping at least one of my kids will, too. Things look beautiful over on your page, family and garden! My prayers go out to your state for all the people and industries affected by the spill.

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  12. Look at those tomatoes and figs! You might not be enjoying the hot weather but your crops sure are. Will you be growing a Winter garden this year? By the looks of your veggies, your winter must be milder than ours.

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  13. Thomas, my winter garden is onions, garlic, leeks, lettuces, spinach and peas up until November. The lettuce is the only thing I need row covers for if I want it to keep on all winter. Our winters are usually wet, just an occasional snow (2-4 times) that melts right away, and ranges from about 20-40 degrees - usually! I do not bring that fig in, either! Surprised me by wintering over in a pot on the patio, good thing since there is no room to drag it in the house!

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