The dog days of summer have arrived in the Tri-Cities. We just survived a week with temperatures lingering past 100 F. While the garden has indeed exploded with lush greens and harvests, the intense heat has made it difficult to work outside. Additionally, my garden plot has become conquered by weeds despite my (and the stirrup hoe’s) best efforts to keep them at bay. So to continue enjoying a garden, I succumbed and purchased some planters, dug up several plants, and started a mini garden on my patio. Funny that the planters were more costly than an entire 15′ x 15′ plot at the community garden. Yet, I do find having the plants right outside my doorstep immensely more enjoyable. This also gives me a chance to grow the plants that got attacked by rabbits and voles.
South-facing patio garden: 2 chili pepper plants flanked by 2 brown planters containing Casper eggplants (front), Bountiful Beans in the rectangular planter, Dragon carrots (back).
Chili pepper (my seed starts didn’t fare well, so I inherited these)
Casper eggplant, transplanted from the garden plot
Bountiful green beans (direct seeded in the planter)
Dragon carrots (direct seeded in the planter with sowing markers)
North-facing patio garden: fall seed starts and herbs (front), cilantro, lettuce, trellised peas (middle), worm compost bin (back)
Fall seed starts (plus a late second attempt at watermelons)
Thai basil (left), Sage (middle), Lemongrass (right), Thyme (not visible), transplanted from the garden plot
Cilantro (front left), Speckled lettuce (front right), Golden Sweet peas (back), all direct seeded