we have... R A I N ! ! ! ! ! !

Yes!!! We have rain!!! The birds are playing in the rain and the plants in my garden are DANCING!!!

It has been so hot here and we haven't had rain in a long time!! It is 3:15pm and the temp is only 74 degrees!!! YES!!!

Debbie

It Rained and Rained Some More!

Well, Tuesday we received a good rain. Wednesday morning I woke to a nice soft relaxing rain that stopped about noon. Then... around 5:00 it started to rain again VERY HARD AND HEAVY!! Soon there were tiny rivers flowing everywhere. I wish that I had thought to get a picture of the little river that flowed through my backyard. I had been potting plants on the back deck and had used the wheelbarrow to haul bags of potting soil over to the deck. Well, typical for me, my day was busy and I forgot about the wheelbarrow. Here is a picture of the wheelbarrow and all the water that was collected in a period of about 28 hours.

When I went out to the garden yesterday morning, I thought it would be just a quick visit to harvest a few veggies since I didn't need to water the plants. WRONG!!! I am not sure if it was because of all the rain but I found caterpillars everywhere. I lost count of how many that I killed on the tomato plants. I was not happy.

 I discovered something strange. On the tomatoes that were turning red, the caterpillars only ate the outer layer of the tomato. It look like someone had "peeled" the tomato.

With the green tomatoes, the caterpillar went deep and made a hole in the tomato. Maybe someone who knows more about the habits of caterpillars can explain this to me!! Look at this guy. He is was working hard!!

I also decided to pull up the pole green beans. Something was eating them and they just didn't look healthy. They had flowers and tiny beans but they just weren't growing. So out of the garden they went!! As I was cleaning, I found a few of these little green worms.

Hopefully today, I will be planting these little guys - Jack Be Littles. My kids love to use these to decorate the front porch for fall. Pumpkins are a first in my garden!!

I hope all of your gardens are going strong!!

Blessings,

Debbie

Refreshed

We had a good rain late yesterday and woke to a soft rain this morning. My garden looks so happy and refreshed.

Below is one bed of okra. I noticed this morning that a few of the plants have flowers and one has a tiny okra growing.

This picture has plants on the left that were planted the same time as the picture above. On the right in the back of the bed is the first okra I planted. It has been producing for about a week and a half and the pace of harvest is picking up. Soon I will harvesting okra every day. In the front of the bed is the cherry tomato plant that is definately an over achiever for which we give thanks. It was labeled as a determinate patio bush plant. WRONG!! I so wish that I had several of these plants. They taste so good and it is producing lots of tomatoes.

More pictures of my favorite tomato plant. I had to improvise with the trellis. (ha!) It wasn't supposed to get this big. I have topped out several of the vines so that it doesn't get any taller. I have rooted about 6 of the suckers I have pruned from it. But it still keeps going and going and going. Since I don't know what variety it is, I have dubbed it the Energizer Bunny!!!

This bed has bell peppers, an eggplant, ornamental peppers, and a few tomato suckers that I rooted and then transplanted.

This bed has Early Girl and Roma tomatoes. Notice Adam the Owl keeping watch over the plants. He is doing a super job of keeping the birds away. I just move him around every time I go to the garden.

Thanks for stopping by to join me on my morning walk in my garden.

Blessings,

Debbie

It's Raining!!!

It's raining! Not just a quick heavy downpour that only lasts a few minutes but a nice soaking rain!! I think I hear my garden giving a sigh of relief. Wait! What's that I see? It's the leaves doing the HAPPY DANCE!!! Or maybe it is me doing the HAPPY DANCE because I don't have to go and water my garden this evening!! (smile)

Things continue to grow. I am so excited about this little guy. When I asked my youngest if she wanted to see the cantaloupe this morning, she asked, "Did it grow overnight?" Hmmm.... Was she excited or sarcastic? Doesn't matter... she smiled, grabbed my hand, and strolled with me to the garden. I love my kids!!!

Yesterday I rooted several suckers from my cherry tomato plant. I love these little tomatoes and I am amazed at all the tomatoes on this one plant. I wish I knew how to save the seeds (if possible) for next year. I also transplanted 3 green bell pepper plants and 1 eggplant that I bought at Lowes. I was also surpised to see that the cucumber, crooked neck squash, and the white scalloped squash seeds that I planted 4 days ago were already peaking up at me from their underground nest. WOW! That was so fast!!

Today I planted 12 squares of bush beans. I hope that the heat will not be too much for them. We shall see. If they do, super. If they don't, nothing lost really. I can replant again for fall.

Over the weekend, I planted these flowers! They seemed perfect to celebrate Independence Day!

This post is linked to the An Oregon Cottage's TUESDAY GARDEN PARTY

and Oh, How My Garden Grows.

Blessings,

Debbie