I cannot believe July is almost over. My brain cannot fathom how quickly everything has gone in just the last few months, much less years. My intention was to keep a journal of sorts of my first ever gardening triumphs, and so it seems downfalls. It seems like yesterday I was so excited to see the green beans, carrots & corn stalks sprouting up through the newly mixed soil, and the basil was becoming almost big enough for it’s first cuttings.
There is much to be happy about, as well as grieve, with this garden of mine. As I was not prepared for the onslaught of insects and critters that had me in tears a lot of the time, and almost had the entire garden up in flames just to be done with it all. I was so certain this garden would be the happier of recent times in my life. But the Sun, Ants, Grubs, Grasshoppers, Mockingbirds, Squirrels, Raccoon’s and Deer did not get the best of me in the end. Before the Squirrels and Raccoon’s took control of all 20 tomato plants, I was able to harvest enough tomatoes for at least a year’s worth of homemade sauces, that are already roasted, canned and/or frozen. The Okra seems to have made it through the attack of Ants and Grasshoppers well enough that the freezer section of Okra will feed anyone who wants them for quite a long while, so far. Although, I had no idea that the Okra plants would get so big. They probably shouldn’t have been planted in the raised garden, since I will be needing a ladder to reach them in the coming days.
A learning experience it has all been. What have I learned that will help the Fall garden live longer than Spring’s?
Full Sun does not mean FULL Sun in Florida.
Not all Organic pesticides are what they claim
God’s critters are hungrier than you, so plant them their own garden – away from yours
Fruit Trees are a birds best friend… Protect them.
Flowers are not meant to be grown in close proximity to your vegetables, even though they are pretty to look at
Don’t believe everything you read on the bags of soil
Ants are a gardener’s worst nightmare. How do the Farmers do it?
Tall Fences make Honest Neighbors
Don’t get me wrong, I am still quite eager to get rolling on the Fall Garden. This photo is from today… Tearing out the flowers and tomatoes were not exactly fun, but everything will be out by the end of the day except the Okra and Italian Basil. I will continue fighting the good fight with the grasshopper-looking things that are trying to eat them, while I am prepping the rest of the garden for next month’s plantings.
As hot as it has been, Heat Index today will be around 114*, I know I have time for the dirty work of plucking out those daggum grubs and grasshoppers. Fried Protein anyone?
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