Dear Friends,
It’s still hot.
We only have cucumbers. Finally, broke down and went to the farmer’s market. Bought tomatoes. They didn’t make it home with me, but some local honey and beeswax did.
I hate gardening this time of year. It feels like war.
Aren’t you glad you’re not here?
Since I have no vegetables, I’ll show you a pretty bug instead.
If anyone knows what kind of bug it is, I will identify it as something other than the above.
For more informative letters, please see Carol of MayDreams Garden and Mary Ann of Idaho Gardener.
LOL! Oh, Dee, we all get in the doldrums about our gardens now and again. I have tomatoes, and am harvesting about one every day. Three yesterday! But I’m a bit disappointed as I never got in any Early Girls. Well, I did, but too soon, and I never replaced. Instead I put in a few from the health food store. I don’t really think the health food store is the place to buy tomato seedlings! I have no idea what they are or what to expect. So every year we learn something new or have to adapt. I know you know all this. Just sharing that we are WITH you. :)xoxo
.-= Kathryn/plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com´s last blog ..Field Trip! Hallberg Butterfly Gardens =-.
Well, it has been a doldrum year for the summer veggies, but the spring ones were great! I love your comment about the health food store for seedlings. Yes, learning something new every year keeps all of us energized doesn’t it?~~Dee
Cucumbers! It’s good! Cucumber is an excellent source of Iodine. Not many vegetables have it. Enjoy them!
.-= Tatyana´s last blog ..Run! It’s Watering Time! =-.
Yes, they’re refreshing in the heat.~~Dee
I have the opposite problem, the cucumbers have failed, but I have more tomatoes than I care to eat. I am about sick of them.
By the way, I wanted to let you know that I enjoyed your article in Virginia Gardener (state-by-state) magazine on cottage gardening. Here in Aug. I am finally getting caught up on my periodical reading from the spring.
You should go make some tzatziki sauce.
Les
.-= Les´s last blog ..Some Scenes From The Denver Botanic Gardens =-.
Les, we should trade tomatoes for cukes and vice versa. Too bad none of these ship well, especially in this heat.~~Dee
I am glad I’m not in OK right now. After 2 days of heat, it’s back to normal (low 80s) here. I love those damselflies, and I know how hard it is to photograph one, so I’m really impressed with your shot of it.
.-= Mr. McGregor’s Daughter´s last blog ..Whaddaya Think This Is, A Wildlife Sanctuary? =-.
Thanks, MMD, but after looking at it again, it’s a bit blurry.~~Dee
The heat does it’s thing on all this time of year. Fall must be in sight!
.-= compostinmyshoe´s last blog ..The Wind in My Hair =-.
Yea!! Come on fall.~~Dee
As Gail said, think Fall. I’m trying my hand at fall tomatoes. Unfortunately our farmers at our little farmers market are almost played out for the summer season so we closed it down temporarily. Ironic that the rest of the U.S. was celebrating Farmers’ Market Week last week. I guess it wasn’t someone who lives down South that determined this was a good time for markets!
.-= Jean´s last blog .."Picture This" Photo Contest =-.
Yes, Jean, that is interesting about the gardens. BTW, I liked your photo for the contest. Still thinking about mine.~~Dee
Absolutely delightful portrait of your garden visitor! I hope this fall is better for my OK friends! gail
.-= Gail´s last blog ..Sitting In The Garden =-.
Thanks Gail. We got a break last night with tons of rain.~~Dee
Beautiful bug. Sorry about your disappointing vegetable year. We’ve had tomatoes but they haven’t done as well as they should. Some years go well and others don’t, at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
.-= Dave´s last blog ..Berry Good Plants! =-.
Dave, some years are just better than others.~~Dee
It is an Argia apicalis — Blue-fronted Dancer.
.-= TR´s last blog ..The Life Aquatic – Urban Kayaking in Oklahoma City =-.
Thanks Tim. I knew someone would know, and of course, you did. Thanks again.~~Dee
That’s a damselfly. Probably of the Pond Damsel family – a dancer or a bluet. Beautiful. I’ve been getting a few dragons and damsels in the backyard of late.
.-= TR´s last blog ..The Life Aquatic – Urban Kayaking in Oklahoma City =-.
Hey, that’s a beautiful damselfly. I like them. They are also very colourful. The nymph feed on mosquito larvae and adult damselflies feed on mosquitoes. Aren’t they good for our environment?
.-= Autumnbelle´s last blog ..A Celebration of Colours at Floria 2009 (Part 2) =-.
Thanks Autumnbelle. I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t have time to look it up on Sunday. Yes, they’re great and pretty too.~~Dee
So, why didn’t the tomatoes make it home with you? Did you eat them in the car?
.-= Carol, May Dreams Gardens´s last blog ..Letters to Gardening Friends, August 9, 2009 =-.
Carol, you’ll never believe this, but I laid the tomatoes down somewhere while at the market. Sheesh.~~Dee
What’s worse, to have tomato plants without tomatoes, or to have tomato plants with large, green tomatoes fall victim to late blight?
We both probably need to re-read Henry Mitchell.
.-= Kathy from Cold Climate Gardening´s last blog ..Lauren’s Grape Poppy and Dark Towers Penstemon =-.
Kathy, yes, we probably do, but I would say your situation is worse with the late blight because you actually get to see tomato fruition. Way more frustrating.~~Dee