The weather has settled out some. Several days of hot and dry and then some rain. That I can live with.
On an amusing note, apparently I didn’t need to worry about mosquito larva in my rain barrels this year:
There’s upwards of a couple hundred tadpoles in each barrel!
Went out to the garden today to do some weeding and thinning. Came in with a handful of “baby” carrots, 5 or 6 early tomatoes, and then had to go back out for a handful of Miniature White Cucumbers.
The Hollyhock is blooming.
The Noir d’Comes Melon is taking off.
But most of them melons look more like this one (Kaho Watermelon).
Most of the giant Sunflowers are looking good, this is the biggest of the bunch so far, and its just a bit taller than I am.
The garden appears to be home to a bunch of Garter snakes this year. I always see a few, but this year every time I turn around I see another, and they’re all different sizes too, so it’s definitely different snakes. Everything from a little tiny fellow who was MAYBE 6″ long, all the way up to this one, who was bigger around than the garden hoses and had a head the width of a quarter!
One would think that melons would love the rainy weather, but apparently not. I only had a couple of years that I got any melons, so finally gave up.
I love the barrels full of tadpoles for larvea control – planned or not. Snakes alwas startle me, but they are great rodent and insect control too.
That sunflower stalk looks massive!
It was TO wet, and bordering chilly, and apparently they don’t like that. Nothing liked that really. I’m just hoping that I’ll get a crop of much of anything this year. Besides carrots anyway!
I’ve had the occasional frog in the barrels before, but this is the first year I’ve noticed this many tadpoles, I’ll take it! And yup on the snakes, I’m not a fan, but they’re welcome to all the rodents and insects they can find!
This type of sunflower is supposed to be giant! And so far they’re living up to the name, crossing fingers.