Midsummer garden update...

Technically, the middle of summer is almost two weeks away, but I've been hearing the term mid-summer for a couple of weeks now, and my mind has become decidedly focused on the slow downhill slide into autumn.  

Today, is a glimpse of my midsummer garden - as it's getting a reset.

This was my garden mid-June, and is one of only two pictures I took of my corn (it's in the back - on the right half of photo):

While there were lots of weeds in the foreground (above) there was so much hope growing already.

Around 50 stalks of corn came up, and they looked so pretty.  The grass at the base of the corn stalks above got out of hand fast and eventually took over the area.  I figured I'd deal with it after harvesting the corn.

It seems it was a few weeks ago that I got two ears of corn - one good and one tasty enough, but not well pollinated.

And then the raccoons found the corn.  And for the last couple of weeks, nearly every day one or two stalks at a time were taken down and immature tasteless cobs of corn were found ripped into, nibbled...  and then abandoned, uneaten:

After four or five walks of shame from the garden to the firepit, carrying one or two newly broken stalks, I decided I'd had enough.  

It wouldn't have been so bad if the racoons had waited until the corn was mature and tasty, and had given me half a chance to get to it first.  I think I could have found it in me to congratulate them for beating me to most of it, appreciating how much they they enjoyed it.  

But the waste of ruined, uneaten ears of corn was too much. I began to regret every day that I had devoted so much space to corn.

Last week ended with four beautiful days (lows in the 50's, high temps in the mid-70's).  I seized the opportunity and spent a good part of three of those days in the garden.  First, pulling what remained of the corn stalks, then pulling what had become a carpet of tall grass that had grown amongst the stalks and sweet potato vines and a few rogue sunflowers.

Then the newly bare spaces were replanted with quick growing bush beans and zucchini, as well as some autumn loving plants - more peas, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, kohlrabi, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots...

...trying to strategize using shady areas provided by sunflowers and a nearby tree during the heat of mid-day.

More crabgrass that will just have to wait for another day to be dug out:  

I had such good intentions of mulching the whole garden to keep weeds at bay, but time got away from me, and then it got hot.  Crabgrass has become my nemesis this summer.

Meanwhile, the tomato plants have remained fairly small, but they are producing some nice-looking fruit:  

Same for the pepper plants.

Blauhilde beans have been producing pretty purple blossoms, but so far no pretty purple beans:

Kohlrabi planted early in the spring has been getting big enough to pull and eat:

In the foreground above, are more Dragon Tongue beans I planted a couple of weeks ago.

And two okra plants appear to be thriving:

...along with the crabgrass.

And lastly, the Kajari melon plants have been blooming for a couple of weeks:

 

I keep searching the vines, but so far I've only found one little nubbin of a melon that has started:

I'm trying to not give in to the nagging feeling that racoons are going to go after my Kajari before I have a chance to see them to maturity...

There's more work to be done to take the garden through the rest of the summer and into the fall, but now that it's heating back up, that work will be likely only be done in morning or evening spurts as I have time and motivation.  I know I shouldn't wish time away, but I am soooo looking forward to cooler autumn weather.

While I'm able and desire to do it, I keep reminding myself that the garden is a hobby and good exercise.  While my knee is a tiny bit sore today, my glutes and hamstrings seem to have largely recovered from all the up and down last week while pulling weeds.

At the moment, I take great pleasure that at least half of the garden is weeded and looking good.  I think the first item of business (tomorrow) is to get some more mulch out there to cover up that pretty bare soil. 

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