Backyard Garden Update - August

In August I started to notice that the plants were a bit behind,  We were not getting much produce, but the plants were going well so I realized it was just that we did not plant until well into June because we had to build the beds.

We did have one big disappointment in August.

corn before the carnage

The lovely corn plants in the three sisters garden tasseled, and grew ears which produced silk.  This happened around August 1.  According to literature corn should mature 10 to 12 days after you see the silk, so I was planning for a corn harvest, my first ever, around the 15th of the month.  This was not meant to be.

 The only photos I took of the ruined corn

after first attack a couple of stalks left

I did not take many photos of the corn stalks bent and torn and tossed around the yard, which happened in three separate attacks.  It was just too sad.  I yanked out the stalks and placed them in the compost bin because they were so bent and broken, there was no saving them.

Otherwise the garden did well in August.

We harvested tomatoes several times and made and froze three batches of spaghetti sauce. We harvested and replanted the kohlrabi and actually started to get some jalapenos and green peppers. The green beans were prolific and very tasty.  We grilled them, marinaded them and pickled them.

better boys 

                                            

Romas

Acorn squash

Green bush beans

cucumbers

 
 These Zinnias planted in shade (oops, my bad!) took forever to get going, but once they did the blooms have been lovely.


The Hyacinth Bean has out done itself.  I have killed the plant in the past, so I over planted the seed and every single seed germinated so there are 8 plants growing on the little trellis.

The beans are in bloom now at the end of August and I expect to get a bumper crop of beans to plant next year and share with others.  I think next year I will find a way for them to grow sideways along the white fence, because the flowers are striking pinkish purple and stand out on the white extremely well.