Midwest Gardening 2026: Veggies, Varmints and Weeds.

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Midwest Gardening: VEGGIES

This post will be quite a hodge podge, we have Veggies planted and replanted and replanted everywhere this year. 

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We have two large Rhubarb plants...and I'm waiting until next week to cut and make some jam. All our homemade jams are gone. Strawberry Rhubarb is one of our favorites.

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In the section we call the back 40, which is about 12 x 12 and hasn't been used at all for years we have planted in pumpkins and squash. So far they are doing well, and there are a bunch of flowers in there also. This gets morning sun only, I hope that's enough.

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Early morning sun was so strong yesterday...Peas need to be picked again...Totally loving the peapod peas! 

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We have two big pots full! Semi shade in the afternoon, keeps them cooler.

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Here's another shot of the pots...just thick with plants and peas.

My lettuce and radish containers are pretty much done. The radishes bolted during the rain and didn't radish...but we did get quite a few early. Those containers are ready for new seeds this week. We've had fresh lettuce for almost a month now, and it should continue with late plantings.

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I had to go and purchase 2 yellow summer squash plants and two green zucchini plants, 2 separate plantings only yielded one of each. So they are late, but are now established...Some of the 'weedy' looking plants are parsnips! Next week I'm cutting the bare fronds for mono printing and gel plate printing, can't wait.

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Opposite the zuchs are 5 tomato plants in front of the Asparagus which has all gone to seed. Next year will be the bumper crop of Asparagus I think. There are tomato plants under there!

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Across the now cardboard path are 8 broccoli plants with beets in between, I have some great grown from seed Dill going....YAY, but we are a long time before cucumbers start.

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I have 4 purchased Brussel Sprouts planted, and lots of WEEDS. Waiting for the Squash /Pumpkins for the fence to come up??? More failed seeds! or maybe critter munchers, seemed like nothing lasted more than a day when it popped up?

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I planted Bush Beans three times in 4 places...???Very hit or miss. At the price of seeds, I'm very disappointed. The Whirly-gigs are supposed to be deterrents for critters? I also have vines planted up the fence, but again, poor germination. 

I will be doing an analyzed post on the seed failures across the board this year...UGH! 

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Across the way are the big planters which are doing well. Radishes bolted, we've had some nice chard. The Chinese beans, did not come up on the end closest to the left of the pic. We also had a large burrowing animal (woodchuck, squirrel, ???) that made quite a mess in both large planters. We've sprinkled enough deterrent, that I wouldn't think anything would want to be in there. Critters are a problem...no bunnies this year, though...they are too busy eating decorative grasses and Hostas in the front yard.

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A couple of random sunflowers popped up in both the big planters, and will give some shade to the plants if it gets to hot. I have long Delicata Squash planted in the first box. 

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The back one we have big Cucumbers planted and they are doing well. 

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Well supposedly Squash and pumpkins are supposed to be coming up in the back, along with Beans...on one lattice. NO LUCK, lots of weird looking plants, seems hubby threw wildflower seeds back there, behind the tomatoes.

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New addition is the old windmill frame added to grow pumpkins and Squash up . So far I have some good growth.

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With all the repeated plantings, I really don't know what is coming up where, this is a PIE PUMPKIN though...at least I think so.

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My stool and bucket are ready for me to trim the tomatoes back (lower leaves and unproducing leaves.)

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Around the bedspring and lattice are Cucumbers on one side and climbing Beans on the other. These are going well, and a few pots of Peppers which I had started in the greenhouse.

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And LOOK, real peppers already, these I hope are long sweet peppers???we won't know until.....LOL. 

We have potatoes in a garbage can, and tomatoes, peppers, peas, lettuces, and Herbs on the front porch. 

Hopefully we will start having some fruit on the vine, soon! 

How Does Your Garden Grow? 

How are your Flowers Blossoming?

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Sandi 

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Last of OUR Midwest Gardening 2025

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On Wednesday this week, I rescued all our houseplants and our 4 blooming Mandila from outside and brought them in. Our home is a bit of a mix-up with a visiting Dog and a Cockatiel in a LARGE cage. So now, I have plants everywhere, and nowhere to put them. 

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My Ivy Tree loved it outside this year with so much rain, sunshine and heat...I think it is thicker than ever. Eventually it will land in the bedroom. I used a organic bug spray on all my plants and tied them up inside plastic bags for a half-day before bringing them in...hopefully I brought in just plants and no bugs.

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Our crazy weather year, so many plants were late...the too hot June and July was great for growth, but no flowering.  Too much rain kept vegetable blossoms from being pollinated. My Impatiens look the best right now...and the Mandilla only began blooming in September...yep, a crazy year. 

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I don't know the name of this plant but it tripled in size. It's from my Dad from 2012 and has just been existing and now it's super big. I have a little Halloween here and there.

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I did an OctoberFest Fall with Fall colors, tankards and steins, my beer truck carving, earthy pottery pieces mixed with some blue and white. I love the Sunflower stitchery from my good friend, Dot. It's a favorite and moves around the house quite a bit. The sunflower bowl I bought at a thrift store to make a garden stake...well, next year.

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I didn't do many garden posts because the garden was such a disappointment. Despite generous rain, the heat actually shut many plants down.

I still have green tomatoes now, because we had none in July. We did have quite a bit of squash, and some pumpkins and smaller squash. I have a basket on the table filled with garden produce. I had a huge Zucchini, which must have pollinated with a pumpkin...and now it's orange? I'll show it when I open it to find out if it's a Zucchini or a Pumpkin???? Love surprises!

The neighbors' Chestnut tree had mature leaves this year, and they are just gorgeous copper and rust. I brought a few in to dry and use in decorating

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I'm not sure what I will do with them yet, I'll tuck a few in the basket. I spent a hour in the garden picking the last of the produce. The two sunflower heads were on stalks 12 feet tall....and the stalks were too big for my clipper.

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They are still quite moist. I want to harvest some seeds, and the birds/squirrels and raccoons have already had their way with them. Another blossom was ripped to shreds and dragged to the ground. These two (10-11" across) were looped over a beam across the garden. When I unhooked them they crashed down across the 10 foot high miniature corn...LOL.

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This is our miniature corn, 6-8" cobs of multicolored corn. We had excellent pollination and the ears are full except for a couple of the tips. There are still more on the stalks, (some stalks had 2-3 cobs), for later but they are still very green. Goodness it's the 3rd week of October. 

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I cut my basil and dumped it in a jar of water, and a bowl of tomatoes to ripen,

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Also a half a colander of small ripe peppers, seeds from flowers that are drying. I have more Zinnias blooming now than in August??? I have huge green Balsam plants that haven't bloomed yet? 

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Thats a 10" pie plate so those are small tomatoes, and the long squash is the last one and they are delish...I believe some sort of Delicata...I got the seeds from my friend.

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A few green beans for a treat for the dog, some cherry tomatoes, and a few mini broccoli...honestly a bunch of mini vegetables, Barbie scale, lol.

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Another garden pumpkin...and some Avocado seeds trying to start. My Begonia is coming back after being drowned and boiled in July, it was down to one leaf, but is finally coming back in the house.

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A bit of Fall, and some mini plants I'm babysitting for my friend.

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It's really Fall, finally. We expect a frost on Saturday. Hopefully we can get most things taken in or mulched. My Dahlias are monster green things and really blooming now...and they will all be wiped out. 

The Dahlia bulbs should be huge when I dig them all up.

Other Fall jobs, clean the garden, empty all the pots, greenhouse, take in the hoses and all the leaves which haven't turned or dropped yet...maybe when it snows, LOL.

Just 2025....A WEIRD YEAR!!!

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thanks ALWAYS for visiting!

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question. Please don't use my photos without my permission.

 Sandi Magle

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Midwest Gardening 2025: Large Raised Container Gardening and more.

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Midwest Gardening 2025: Large Container Gardening

Last year's purchase for container gardening. This year I will actually fill them with dirt...and herbs.

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We are definitely getting older, so I explored Large Container Gardening in the form of metal Raised Beds in January/February. I hit a sale on a cheap site  and ordered two large 6'x3'x2' high metal planters for our vegetable garden. Good quality, but of course the directions weren't great, American to Chinese to American...not so good. Many sites sell these, and I could not get a photo without attaching a specific source...so just search raised metal planters.

PS...American made would be 4 times the cost..so as fixed income seniors...I ordered these in February.

Hubby doesn't bend over, and while I do---I can't do everything on our little .27 acres, so we thought this would be a good idea. 

Think: 6 panels, 4 corners, 2 side supports, 3 cross bars and a thousand screws, LOL.

Assembling the raised beds was really a pain---but easy once you figured out a system. We finally set up two table surfaces out on the patio, placed the walls half put together and then worked inside between the walls of the planter. Between Hubby's shaky hands and my hand-numb finger weakness we got them together in about 6 hours for the two. 

Lightweight we carried them into the garden. That was the easy part. Now we had to fill them with 32 cubic feet of something.

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  I filled them a third full of brush and branches, neighbor's bamboo stalks, and lots of leaves. Then came the dirt...we ordered two pallets of 40# -150 bags of dirt, a good mixture without fertilizer. Alternating with our compost dirt and the new dirt, they got filled to the top. I stirred it all up and we watered between the layers.

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Hubby built a plastic conduit trellis frame between them and I used some wide netting to make the sides and top. The idea is to train Zucchini and Yellow Summer squash to go up the trellis, so we can walk through and pick them...HA, we will see. 

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The mesh is hard to see on the sides, but here on the top it's visible.

On the fence raised bed (we added 6 more bags  of dirt to that) and I planted Pickle Bush pickles in one and Bush Beans in another along with squashes to climb up the grid on the fence.

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I'm hoping to freeze a ton of beans which our favorites this year. So easy blanch, chill, drain and bag. Mesh helps to keep out the squirrels and birds from eating the seeds. 

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So this week we are planting the beds and lots of pots.  Hopefully I can get the greenhouse emptied this wee. We think we have the bunnies ostracized from the garden at this point, I did see one hiding under the grill...but no sign they are eating anything...two bags of Critter-Rid has also helped so far.

I am moving the sunflowers all into the garden or fenced areas, so they have a chance to grow from the large seedlings we have in the greenhouse. I hope to plant Tomatoes in pots, I did get some Pepper Plants in pots before the rain.

Last night we had quite a rain, FINALLY, so we can til the rest of the garden after we get rid of all the WingyDingy's the Maple trees gave up in the wind last night. 

We were spared the worst of the storms that traveled across the Midwest  last night...So glad we had the plants were safe and sound in the greenhouse. Leggy tomatoes wouldn't have made it outside with the pelting rain and the WIND...!

We had over 90 yesterday and high 80's today, so I have to plant, PLANT, PLANT!

Some pretty...Transplanted Hydrangeas 

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I did get all the beds cleaned out...finally this week. Our tulips were so gorgeous.

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Our Viburnum isn't very happy this year, I will cull many branches out of here to encourage the new growth. This shrub/tree is over 38 years old best we can recollect, and the heat and dry of last year took it's toll.

Wasp catchers are everywhere---because I'm allergic, they really do work as do the Fly catchers which reduces the flies, too.

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Tulips were gorgeous....and the colors were super!

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I have two pansy pots with a Peppermint plant in them for bee protection.

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

Thanks always for visiting, 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question. 

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown.  

 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission.  

Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi