Garden update

There is a lot of stuff going on out there.

Tomatoes are ripening (I've got a couple I need to harvest), as are some chiles. It is very clear to me that our climate is not suited to "hot" crops like chiles. Someone at work suggested that chiles in pots are more fruitful. I'm going to try that next year. Zucchini and eggplant are starting to take off as well. If only I knew we had 2-3 months more of hot temps, then we'd be rolling in these crops. Ah well. As it is, I have the most massive and happy collard plants. We eat them on a weekly basis, plus chard is integrated into rice, stirfry, eggs....you name it.

The dahlias are lush, but not too many flowers. Why is that? Sunflowers make up for the dahlias by being CRAZY tall (10 feet I think) and full of flowers. The Van Gogh variety is lovely, but definitely has its limitations. About 1/2 of the starts didn't make it...the stalks collapsed. Too delicate for my taste. I won't be buying these seeds again. Cosmos are blooming and lovely. The zinnia seeds were a total non-germination failure. I'm rather twerked at the seed company, because I don't think it is my soil or planting that was the problem. The whole packet was a bust. Bummer.

I hacked back the herbs..thyme, oregano and marjoram. They are happily growing back and plan to harvest for drying.