Marigolds, Vegetable Garden

Last year, I planted Harlequin, and, I'm thinking, Court Jester heirloom marigolds, purchased from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  I was impressed with how large and bushy the plants got, I'm thinking 12ish inches tall and wide.  I didn't get seeds collected, but made sure to leave seedheads here and there in hopes they would seed themselves. I have been amazed at all the places they have come up, even where I didn't even place them.  Some of them aren't quite as large this year.  It's probably due to weather differences.  (Edit, 9/8/12:  I found the other seed packet.  It's Red Cherry marigolds.)

I was most amazed at this one, that I just realized a few days ago, is growing through one of the tree rings from the silver maple we had to have cut down.  Look at this!

Amazing!

After I took these photos, I decided to go around to different places where marigolds were growing.  I pulled out the ones that came up in this area, because I was trying to get more native plants in there.  These are growing on the grass side, and escaped my hand.

Even though I planted one kind in the front yard, and the other in the back, I'm thinking the two kinds probably got mixed.  I need to look at the photos closer to see if I can see any differences.

 Here are some by the curb that the wind or birds must have planted.

These are some that I transplanted from the yard.  The love lies bleeding volunteered right in the pot, and is staying smaller than normal.  The ones I transplanted, either to pots or another spot in the yard did not do as well as the ones that were not disturbed.  I think the main reason is because of how hot it was this summer.  Normally, they transplant OK for me.

Still, I like the shape and colors of the blooms.

As I was taking photos of the marigolds in the vegetable garden, I started including the poor, struggling vegetables.  I decided to make this post about them as well.

I am hoping the beets get large enough to eat.  We have mandatory water restrictions, so I haven't been able to use the soaker hose as often as I want to.  It doesn't reach everything, and in order to get the whole garden watered on the right days, I have been using a sprinkler.  I had been placing the hose around the unreached spots with a nozzle, and letting it soak in.  That takes longer, and there are days I don't have time to do that.

The marigolds that I left here and there to seed in the vegetable garden sure took me up on it!

I have been picking a few kale leaves here and there, but need to be harvesting more.  It sure looks good this year. I'm thinking the wasps that I see on the flowers, have taken care of the cabbage worms.  I want to try making some kale chips.  Oh, and next year, the asparagus should be ready to harvest awhile.  Those are pole beans on the fence.  To the right of them, is a cucumber hill that did not get enough water to keep going.   I did get some nice cucumbers from it, though.  On the right is another cucumber hill that is almost finished producing.

This looks like the one in the front, but I just remembered the ones in the pot were taken from the vegetable garden.

I am pleased that the pole beans are producing now.  For some reason, bush beans haven't been doing well in the garden, but this is the second year I've grown these, and they don't seem to mind being in the same spot as last year.  I noticed some smaller brown eyed Susans near by, and hope to get them moved to the front yard.

I like them just a little larger than these, but they grow very quickly, so they need to be checked regularly.

I planted some lettuce and such a couple weeks ago, when we had a break from the heat, thinking it was over.  Since these are on the north side of the garage, they may be sheltered enough to make it yet.  We are now having another break from it, with highs in the 80s, but I forgot to check the forecast for the week.

The carrots are up, too.

I think these cucumbers were planted a couple weeks before the lettuce and carrots.

Here's a view back to the east.  I like how the marigolds zig and zag through the garden.

Most of the borage is finished, but a new crop of it is coming up.  I forget to use it, but I like the flowers, and maybe one of these days, I will do something with it.

Our next door neighbors have a locust tree, which is not my friend.  It sends up little trees all over the garden, which rob nutrients from the things I plant.  I am constantly hoeing and pulling them up, and sometimes have to use pruners on them, when they get too big.  It's more irritating this year, because I kept planting beets and other seeds, but the heat got to them before they could grow.  I'm not sure if they even germinated.

I am picking one or two tomatoes, usually the grape ones at a time, every other day or so.  Normally, there are lots at a time.

Here are some young borage plants at the entrance to the garden, and a couple marigolds that I transplanted to here, that are not doing well.

These marigolds are growing with a small goldenrod in a wash tub.  The watering cans are in the area attempting to keep Heidi out of there.  She's been digging up plants that normally fill up the area, such as goldenrod, 'Wichita Mountains'.

These have struggled most of the summer.  I want to leave some seeds in here, and hope they come up on their own, and it would help if next summer is not as hot, and hopefully, they will do much better.

Yes, this looks like the others.  I wonder if next year's plants will look the same.

I hope this finds you well and enjoying some time outside.  I am pleased that I've been seeing monarchs every day.  I love it when they fly around me, and dance with each other in the sky.  A few days ago, one landed on the back of my leg, and stayed there about ten seconds.  I wanted so badly to get my camera, and tried inching to the house, but it flew off before I could get to the door.