Gardeners: how's it looking?

[poiuy]

All your gardens sound like paradise, Eden, etc.

Here, my chili peppers are finally producing. Herbs are OK: oregano, thyme, rosemary. Tomatoes are still green, though a few cherry tomatoes turn red occasionally.  I have about 8 plants and am only getting about 3-4 tomatoes a couple of times a week.

I planted some flower seeds in pots, but the seedlings didn't live. I changed the soil and tried again, let's see. 

It's so infernally hot here now. No rain for 2 weeks.  We have been running up and down like Mickey Mouse in the sorcerer's apprentice with watering cans and hoses trying to keep everything alive. We have to do it again on Sunday if no rain.

The copperhead has relocated to the compost bin. We saw it at least twice when opening the top and dumping in the scraps. Maybe it's coming for any rats or mice, but it must be even hotter in there in that plastic done with the decomposing vegetation, to say nothing of the scraps raining down on its head. I thought snakes liked cool locations in the hot summer? 

It's presence makes taking out the compost quite an adventure. Earlier in the Spring I was on my knees in front of the bin, opening the bottom, and scraping out compost with trowel in my ungloved hands.  I won't be doing that again for a long long loooong time. I want to call in a humane snake catcher/relocator, but DH has not yet agreed.  I just hope that the snake doesn't present us with several offspring in August.

ETA: I read that snakes like compost bins because rats, mice, etc. But most online discussions mention non venomous snakes like black snakes, garter snakes, etc. Not copperheads. On the other hand I read copperheads are more active this year because the 2 waves of cicadas came out, which are apparently much liked by copperheads.
I just wish this snake would relocate out of my yard altogether, but our neighbors on both sides keep their yards well trimmed and we haven't yet done so, so the habitat is much more hospitable here.

[AmLitHist]

I have a nice crop of goosefoot going in one of the raised beds I cleaned off and planted bulbs in. It hasn't rained to amount to much for about 3 1/2 weeks here, so trying to pull it would be like pulling weeds out of concrete. Despite watering routinely, only the glads and a couple of dahlias came up, thanks to the heat, drought, and damned squirrels.

Thank goodness I can blame my awful looking yard on my lack of mobility this summer.

[AmLitHist]

I got out early yesterday morning and cleaned up the raised beds, after we'd had a couple of good rains this past week.  They look SO much nicer! Of course, I can't move today, but....

[Sea_Ice]

We've needed rain for quite a while, so naturally a series of thunderstorms dropped about 7 inches yesterday.  Fortunately nothing in the garden got beaten down, but I still have mulch to replace and fallen twigs / pinecones / etc. to pick up.

I'm hoping some of the flea beetles that are tormenting the tomatoes got drowned!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

We had some heavy rains on Friday. I seriously need to repot some of the plants I bought back in June that are in my container garden. Oops!

My banana trees are doing well. Tomatoes are producing. Chili peppers are looking good! Ginger, turmeric and lemongrass all look happy. For some reason, cucumbers haven't been producing that well. Oh, and the watermelons are ginormous!

[poiuy]

Finally!  Rain after a solid 3 to 4 weeks of no precipitation and us running up and down watering the garden.  Of course, we had watered this morning, but whatever, I'll take it.
My errands today are delayed but that's OK.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

My passionflower vine is finally blooming and it's so pretty!

[Sea_Ice]

My passionflower vine is finally blooming and it's so pretty!

I love passionflowers!!

After getting a really late start on planting okra, I harvested two this morning.  They have been consumed.

[Larimar]

My morning glories are finally blooming! Mostly they are a gorgeous "celestial blue", except for one magnificent purple bloom with fuchsia threads and a tiny bright white center. When I took a photo, the light was such that it made it look like the flower had a star glowing in the center.

Morning glories make me absurdly happy.

[Puget]

The veggie garden is almost done for the season, but I'm still getting some last tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.

The raspberries are still producing and will until first frost-- just a handful or so a day now but it is so nice to have fresh raspberries for breakfast every day.

I had my first small harvest from the two native plum trees I planted as tiny sticks 4 years ago and which are now about 10' high. I made them into some delicious jam and canned it. Also turned all the apples from the little apple tree into canned apple pie filling. These are the things that get one through a long dark winter.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

The veggie garden is almost done for the season, but I'm still getting some last tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.

The raspberries are still producing and will until first frost-- just a handful or so a day now but it is so nice to have fresh raspberries for breakfast every day.

I had my first small harvest from the two native plum trees I planted as tiny sticks 4 years ago and which are now about 10' high. I made them into some delicious jam and canned it. Also turned all the apples from the little apple tree into canned apple pie filling. These are the things that get one through a long dark winter.

That jam and pie filling sound wonderful. It's so satisfying to grow and harvest your own food.

Our garden is winding down from summer (fall 'starts' tomorrow, but our area doesn't know it since it's in the 90's F here). I started some seedlings: collards, chard, kale, cilantro, spinach. We'll probably also plant radishes and other various root veggies soon.