HiveGarden: My August Update

That is a Lebanese cucumber, my first one, and in my rush to try it I completely forgot to photograph it first! That was July 24th.

In August, it's normally hot here and we have had some of that, but I can count 4 storms this year of the kind where the rain comes down so hard that it overflows the eavestroughs. That means it is still pretty lush and green for this time of year. Oddly, some of our big agricultural areas are suffering near drought conditions.

I was away last week and I know I have some harvesting to do.

Let's go for a tour!

In the middle of my new garden, there are 2 trellises for beans. Look closely and you can already see the beans.

Nice! Some of them are a little bigger than I wanted but I knew they were going to be ready while I was away. I intentionally planted pole beans thinking they used less space and I'm not so sure now, they're kind of a monolith in the middle of the bed.

Green beans are usually good producers.

I picked my first peas on July 11 and this is the third time picking them. They have surprised me. First, by being unexpectedly tall and secondly, they are still producing. A couple of plants even climbed the trellis along side the beans. The others are in a heap I have to pick over to harvest.

Peas, a cool weather plant, often expire in August temperatures, but they are still getting flowers. I suspect some of the bean shade has worked in their favour. Normally, we grow vegetables in full sun.

To the left of the trellises, the Swiss Chard has barely budged. I think it was overwhelmed by the white violets I kept hacking back, and there was that rabbit, but it looks so colourful and tasty.

Further left and the taller zinnias are about to bloom.

The Thai basil is thriving in front of the beans.

Also in front of the beans are the green onions. I think I will plant them directly in the garden next year instead of transplanting and I need something to deter rabbits.

Looking tired up close, but the little zinnias are providing a pop of colour.

The Rosemary will be following me inside in another month.

Yes -- I was hoping to see more cucumbers! They took quite a beating in the heavy rains and I lost half of my plants. Then every time I rescued the washed out plants, the squirrel dug them up again!

Just a little protection.

I have learned to follow plants through the fence to the sunny side. Because you never know... and there was something there!

The squirrel dug it up 3 times so I'm going to harvest it.

Today's harvest. I'll show it to you later.

Some of the Mexican sunflowers are towering over the beans but this is the first to flower. They are along the back of the bed.

In my other garden along the back fence, there isn't much to see after the day lilies are spent. This is one of the hostas and there will soon be more Mexican sunflowers.

The Russian tarragon is doing very well there.

Keep removing the dead flowers and it keeps blooming.

The planters always look nice.

Yikes! The vines are out of control so I have work to do. They're very sneaky about spreading under the deck.

Heading through the house. Incredibly, I still have one last orchid flower.

And now out front, the fuchsias have slowed down, in need of fertilizer.

It's a little straggly.

Still pretty nice.

The perennials take turns flowering but they're mostly foliage plants and I put a few annuals between them for colour.

The Portulaca goes along the walk.

The Snapdragons are in the middle.

Has anyone shown you how to make a snapdragon speak? Just put your fingers on both sides of its throat.

Then pinch gently, and its mouth opens!

When I finished playing with the flowers, I sliced the beans and shelled the peas. That will be a side of vegetables for the next couple of days.

And now to taste that big cucumber!

Images

Photos by @kansuze taken with my Canon SX620 HS in Kanata (Ottawa), Canada.

Enjoy!
@kansuze