Monday, August 2, 2021

Midwest Gardening: Midwest July , 31, 2021---HOT, STORMS, SUN, and SMOKE.

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Quick post today because I have to go outside and garden again today! Temps are in the 70's so quick run outside, lol.

Shadowed in the back corner of our property is a small plot we call the 'Back 40' roughly the size of a small room. Anyway, Hubby has faithfully watered and we have pumpkin squash plants flourishing here in the shade. Very late for starting fruit, but we will see!

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Behind the lattice is the compost pile, again, full of unintentional pumpkin plants. 
Mind you 2/3 of the seeds I planted never sprouted...but the freelancers are doing well.

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On the North end, coming from the compost pile are multiple pumpkin vines and underneath is Rhubarb, I'm picking today.

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Our shade is halfsun this year with the trimmed trees.

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The on-going project, our flood plain with gravel and paver base. Eventually we will stone around the trees, too. This area dissipates our roof runoff. We had so many basement water issues, until we built and extension on the roof, and starting using paver base for run off areas.

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I haven't cleaned up here for awhile, but all the perrennial starts still waiting for cooler weather to transplant safe in shade. And all my shade pots. It was SOOOOO hot the last part of July, yesterday was the first day out from hunkering down in the house. I plan to get this area prettified this week, if the weather cooperates.

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Almost the last of the Day Lilies. You can hardly tell I thinned these out last Fall. This bed is do for a total redo this Fall.

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The garden as is...with tons of tomatoes ready for picking! I think tomorrow I will be making sauce!

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East side, is also busy being productive. I have no idea if I planted these, or if the birds did. Hoping they aren't invasive.

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The yellow chair has not been replaced. A Zinnia pot is full of flowers.

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This is two wood boxes of Hubbard squash plants and one or two buttercup squash plants. You can see the difference in the leaves..

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Yes, you can grow squash on fences. If it gets too big for the vines, I will sling it with netting. 

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The front pond area is colorful, enjoy this Rex Begonia finally coming back to life from the heat. It's been too hot and dry for this plant. 

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Always we have hoses, hoses, we are constantly watering.  The Phlox exploded, and are almost done because of the hot temps.

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Crazy spikes from the rose, and the brilliance of the Phlox. Honestly nothing is level in this photo.

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Hubby working on the daily set-up of the watering. I wish we could do a permanent irrigation system. I do the pots, he moves the sprinklers. Rinse and repeat, repeat, repeat.

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Speaking of pots, I caught our Elephant ears with perfect light---un-altered photo.

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No fifteen-foot sunflowers this year...so many did not germinate---but of course the birds planted this one right at the landing of our front stairs! The air is full of smoke again today...hard to work and breathe. 

Midwest July 2021---HOT, STORMS, SUN, and SMOKE. 

Like much of the US and Canada, we have a constant haze here in Chicagoland. 
To all everywhere, Please stay safe! 

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