My garden updates are a fun little way for me to keep visual track of what's working for me (and what failed miserably! Because that's all a part of the gardening journey as well.) in the garden. I share these publicly and just hope they bless you as much as they help me!
My last garden update was already 8 weeks ago in June, and 8 weeks into mid-summer things change rapidly! Here are the way things are going for me after a really cold spring and cold early summer, then a crazy heat-wave that finally broke for a couple of days a month ago, and then sadly came raging right back!
Back in mid-June I built these window boxes on my garden cottage then planted English Daisies in them. I'm quite delighted with the way they turned out. 💖
I think next year I'll plant some mint, or basil, or some other edible herb in them.
Out watering the garden one day and heard a rather loud conversation across the fence. I see my neighbors have some rather adorable pool party guests. 😁
Loads of garlic scapes right on time in late June just before the 4th of July garlic harvest date.
These are all diced & dried and used in my pantry stock of dried garlic for a variety of seasoning blends. You can also freeze them, use them in soup, stew or even summer salads.
My cucumbers struggled considerably this year. A colder than usual spring, and colder than usual early summer created a most unpleasant result. I spoke to several local growers and we were all having the same experience. I finally picked up some seedlings in mid June and they've taken off quite well for the last 8 weeks. So far I've processed 3 batches of garlic dill pickles and it looks like batch #4 is coming this week and then they might be done with. What you're seeing here is pine shaving mulch (pet bedding) that helps to regulate water retention in the soil, as well as the soil temperature. This is my first year trying this method on cucumber vines and I have to say after 8 weeks, it's worked quite incredibly well. Weed suppression was nearly 100% and that allowed the plants to really thrive without any weed pressure at all. I will definitely give this another go next year and see if the results are the same. 👍
(Sources I've researched do say to skim the shavings off the soil surface at the end of the season and dispose with any other composting methods you're using for green/brown compost layers.)
My tomatoes haven't done well the last few years so this year I tried a new variety for my slicing tomatoes. This year it was Bonnie Best. You can't tell from this very early image but recently I sliced a ripe one and put it on my hamburger. I never do that, but wanted to see how it held up.
It tasted as if I 100% added sweet ketchup to my burger.
I was considerably impressed, to say the least!
I'll be adding this variety to my preferred list for next spring.
Speaking of tomatoes... this year's cherry tomato variety was Chocolate Cherry. It's been a rapid producer and the fruit is nothing short of incredible. Everyone in my family that has tried them is really impressed at how delicious they are. It truly does have notes of chocolate, cherry, and tomato in every sweet bite. These are a keeper for sure and I'll be growing these from now on 😋
The other cherry tomato variety I grew this year was Tiny Tim. I've discovered I absolutely hate this plant, 😂 even though I love how well it produces. The branches grow so close together it creates this really compact shrub that makes it nearly impossible to harvest fruit from. The fruit is sweet and lovely but you can get the same thing with a much less fussy plant. I wont be growing this one again.
I don't have an "official" drying/curing rack for my garlic or onions so, in this case, the metal cart is the go-to drying rack. Once I layed all the garlic out I had to chuckle as it looked like something you might have seen on Gilligan's Island, in one of Mary Ann's huts. 😄
This is just one of the many volunteer sunflowers came up in the garden this year.
I staked them all up as needed, and the bees and butterflies loved them. 💖
Okay so... no, this isn't garden related.
It's a beautiful sign my sister Lora sent me that **immediately** had to be hung in my foyer. 😂😂😂
BEST. SIGN. EVER.
Same bed as the earlier shot with the pine shavings. My local nursery's seedlings were quite strong and did incredibly well here.
Sometimes you just sit on the lawn swing and take in the view, and thank the Lord for His incredible mercy and grace, that allows you to have this. 💖💖💖
My Chocolate Cherry tomatoes showing off with "you're not the boss of me!" stems falling off the side of the deck rail after a super windy day. Indeed I was not the boss of them, but I've let them be and have been harvesting off them for the last few weeks. 😀They are 100% the boss of me.
It may not look like much, but this is my 2025 garlic harvest. 29 heads of garlic. Most will go into wee jars of raw honey infused garlic for cold and flu immune system aid & the rest will be dried and used for all sorts of homemade seasoning blends that include garlic powder. Since I started growing my own garlic in 2021 and learning how to dry it and process it , I haven't had to buy garlic powder from the store at all. It's he tiniest changes that make the biggest differences.
All but one of the sunflowers in my garden this year, were 100% transplants. The one that was intentionally planted was a winter sown plant as an experiment.
It's now nearly 15 feet tall. (seen below).
I will 100% attempt another round of winter sowing.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you're encouraged by what you've read here, and if you have any thoughts or suggestions or questions please feel welcome to leave a comment. 😊