The End of July

The first weekend of August approaches and the morning weather guy promises it will be another "Top Five" weekend.  Low humidity.  Warm temperatures.  And sunshine.

I prefer his version over the afternoon gal's "hot and humid".  Same station.  Different perspectives.

The only color showing in the tomato patch is this purple petunia.  

I find it interesting that my top annual volunteers are always petunias and portulaca.  

I would expect at least a few marigolds, since I plant at least 50 every year.

Plenty of large green tomatoes on all eight plants.
I hope they don't all ripen at once

The sweet corn is huge.  

The ears are developing but I am impatient.

The second planting (two weeks later) is catching up and putting out ears.

And what's this?  A cantaloupe?

Too good to be true.

Bush beans will be blooming soon.  

Second planting of bush beans

 The first planting of cucumbers (SV4719CS F1) is average
but healthy and holding its own.

Cucumbers are on the small size.  I have only seen one cucumber beetle this year.

I'm picking half a dozen large cucumbers a day from the later planting (Bristol F1)

The vines are loaded

Third planting Bristol
Half a row only

These three cauliflower (Flame Star) are my last hold outs.

The plants are really nice.  Overall, my cauliflower was late and small but none of it bolted despite plenty of HOT days.

The fall crop of cauliflower

Honeynut Winter Squash
I planted 10 seeds and got three plants This is the first one to set

That's what's happening.  Although the cucumbers were late, they are making up for it now.  The tomato plants in the bed have average growth and quite a bit of bacterial speck.  There is more blight than usual.  It started one of the potted plants so it must be airborne and not in the bed I used this year. This bed has never been great for tomatoes.  I may do only containers next year.

After a slow and frustrating start, the garden is as productive and well-maintained as it has ever been but the ugly mid-summer slump is probably right around the corner.  I'll enjoy it while it lasts.