I'm back from the vacay!

I'm ever so grateful to my dear Hubbyman for taking care of the garden for me while I was away.

He was rewarded by an amplitude of cucumbers.  I think he picked something like six during my absence.  When I got home, I was finally able to taste them.  And do you know what?  They tasted like something!  I had no idea cucumbers were supposed to have flavor!  For the first time ever, I have come to understand the familial link between melons and cucumbers.  Because cucumbers are sweet, with an ever so faint honeydew finish.  At least that is how it ought to be.  I'll be honest, I've never been a huge cuke fan.  I mean I would eat them and all that, but I didn't miss them when they weren't around.  So naturally I was a little apprehensive about growing them, because I thought, "What am I going to do with all these cucumbers?"  As it turns out, not only am I devouring them, but my children are devouring them.  Because they have flavor.

I'm also drowning in tomatoes.

By the way, no--I have no idea what the heck is up with that deformed cucumber.  I think it was picking up vibes from the crookneck squash.  Which, incidentally, is far from fabulous.

First they were a touch droopy, but only in the heat.  Then I left town.  When I got back, they had a few early patches of mildew, so I pruned them.  (As an aside, I also saw a patch of mildew on the cucumbers.)  The leaves on the crooknecks are getting pretty yellowy.  They're looking more like the zucchini did at the end, but they have only put out four squash total.  What's worse is the fact that all the flowers that are coming out are males.  Hence the skimpy production.  I think I have a nutrient problem.  Whatever the case, clearly they are less than happy.

The babes are doing okay so far, but I fear they too will develop mildew.  Hopefully I will get a last minute blast of squash before cool weather sets in.  Kaboom.

Scruffy is hanging in there.  He's been pruned a fair bit, but I sprayed him with an anti-fungal copper based spray, and that seems to be keeping things to a minimum.  I am out there picking twenty fruits a day, and I am the only tomato eater here.  Needless to say, I am doling them out to what I hope are willing recipients.  (I took this picture after harvesting, by the way.)

Sorry I'm not being very clever with my words.  It's ten at night.  I'm usually in bed by nine, and the kids get me up between six and seven.  So this is my one A.M.  Yawns galore.

Anyhoo, the beans have mosaic virus or fungus, or something screwy.  Their production sucks.  I'm going to pull them, and possibly plant kale, since I understand it to be a cool weather crop.

Oh, and Hubs missed one of my flower pots.  But he did such a great job on everything else, I can't possibly complain about one measly flower pot.  Especially when it was in a less than obvious location.  Also, a pile of dead leaves.  Enjoy!

The end.

No, Scruffy! NOOOOOO!

Little blackish brown spots.

Yellowing.

That's not a good color for anyone.

I think this is called Septoria Leaf Spot, which is a kind of tomato fungus.  I'm told it doesn't effect fruit, so that much is good.  The bad news is that there's no cure, and it will ultimately kill the plant.  But, supposedly, you can keep it under control (relatively speaking) via pruning and spraying with copper fungicide.  I did both today.  I hope we see many more orange tomatoes before Scruffy gives up the fight.

When I came in the house after spraying down Scruffy, I felt something crawling on my arm.  I looked down and saw a huge black bee or wasp crawling down my arm.  It startled me so bad, I actually screamed like a little schoolgirl (which I haven't been for quite sometime), after which I flicked it off my arm, ran away, and yelled at my husband, "Get it!  Get it!"

I sometimes like to think that I would be more composed during these kinds of situations, but then when those situations actually present themselves, well, apparently I revert to my childhood.

You might be relieved to know that we did not kill the bee, we just let it go back outside.  And by we, I mean my brave Hubbyman.  Knight in shining armor, anyone?

But I digress.

My son saw these and said, "Mom!  You planted pickles?"  He was so excited, I was reluctant to burst his bubble.  I did the right thing, of course, by explaining the difference between a pickle and a cucumber.  He wasn't nearly as interested in the concept of cucumbers.  These are no pickling cukes, and I don't know how to pickle things, so I'm sorry, kiddo, but cucumbers will have to do.  (Provided they actually develop into something edible.)

I fully admit the fact that I have never grown cucumbers, and the couple of times I saw someone else's cucumber plants, I failed to observe what healthy cucumber growth looks like.  So don't make fun of me if these are totally screwed up!

I have several baby crooknecks, but then I have a couple of these weird shaped things.  They don't look like anything normal at all.  What the heck is up with these things?  Well, whatever the case, I am getting good, tasty, normal crooknecks too.  So in the end, I'm okay with it.

Happy crookneck...

Crookneck babies, doing their thing.

Buh?  Guh.

In closing, I'd like to say that apparently tall wildflowers don't much care for heavy rains.

Sheesh, flowers, you live in the PNW--pull yourselves together!

The end.

I'm just sayin'...

Pre-rinse, by the way.  They still have milk residue on them.

The end.

The garden got a makeover...

...Because this happened:

Oh hello, Mildew!  How ya been?

And considering the fact, this also happened, courtesy of me:

At least they get a little breathing room now.

And because I decided to be lazy, they only made it this far.  Because I didn't feel like figuring out a way to get the stakes into the yard waste bin when the bin is not completely empty.

Angry little pile of disgustingness.  Oh, BTW, those squash leaves have nothing to do with mildew.

Unfortunately, the sage is suffering a bit.  I think it's some kind of insect eating it.  Not sure what.  I'm going to cut it back further, since it looks pretty scraggly.  Needs a better shape.

I think the bugs are using this herb more than I am.

These flowers seem to be doing okay, however:

Please stay healthy!

And the green beans, although bushy and huge and awesome, are not being very productive.  I wonder if it has anything to do with their slow start.  Pretty, though!

Chicken overboard!

Oh, funny story.  Actually, I'm not sure I blogged about this before, but my oregano plant was obliterated by pests, so I pulled it out (a miracle in itself).  Well, all the anecdotes about oregano came true.  Check it out!  A volunteer!  It picked a weird spot, under the hose there.  But whatever.  I'm leaving it.  Hopefully it will return to its former glory.

Hello, you tasty little herb you.

I think one of the little cucumber budlings is getting bigger!  Also Scruffy.

Not that you can tell from this picture...

And finally, I have this weird little bug.  I am told it is a type of longhorn wood borer, which is supposedly bad for trees, but a good pollinator.  So yay for the plants, but crap for the fence and swingset, I guess.

Pretty though!

The end.

Patchwork Patio: Scruffy Edition... Also flowers.

Scruffy, you are freaking huge and out of control.

Also, the fading light makes you look half dead.

But look at the glorious abundance of fruity goodness spilling forth from your trunk!

And now, some flowers.

Although this is the Scruffy/Also-Flowers edition, I thought I'd throw in a couple of extra things.

Cucumbers spilling all over the place.

I moved Squishy Jr. to the corner of the patio, and dragged Squishy's former resting place over to the side.  I went ahead and threw some more zucchini and crookneck seeds into the bag.  Never hurts to try, right?  I'll let you know how it goes!

Squishy Jr. has a new baby!

This was the old baby.  It was rather scrumptious!  Also green beans.

The end.