Garden Friday

Bee Happy!
It's Garden Friday!
The summer garden is moving right along.

The butternut squash is quickly climbing the cattle panel
that was erected last week.
With very little persuading, it is doubling in size every few days.
And that's before adding fertilizer!

 Thankfully, I'm still harvesting beets.
It will soon be time to start these anew,
and I intend on increasing their number in seed trays.

 This welcome sight caught my eye this week.
Flowers mean something good is coming your way.

 In this case, it means watermelon and canteloupe are setting fruit.
This is the Sugar Baby variety, a first timer for us.
We have gotten a late start,
but hoping that the summer heat will produce some of our favorites.
(I never realized that watermelons were so hairy!)

 Another heat lover, okra, is slowly inching its way taller.
We have two varieties growing in separate raised rows,
Bradford family and the conventional Clemson spineless.

 The pumpkins are doing well,
despite the fact that I haven't watered them enough.
We are promised rain almost daily,
and then nothing happens.
I will have to be less trusting and more consistent.

The two volunteer tomato plants that came up under the gazebo structure
are already forming fruit, with very little help from me.
Not sure what these are, as I wasn't planning on growing tomatoes this year.

 So far, this is the only loofah on the vine.
This shows it one week apart.
Can you believe the growth?
I will have to check today to see if there are any more gourds starting
since there are plenty of flowers on the vine.

Black-eyed Susan vine

Vitex

 The pollinators have been having a field day
with so many different blooms to enjoy!

zinnia

tithonia

 Our crepe myrtle trees have also been behind in blooming.
They're worth the wait.

I hope that your garden is relishing the heat of summer
with just enough rain to keep things humming along.
Have a wonderful weekend!