Blooms and Hot Wind

We have been having temperatures in the 100+ range and wind blowing. Combine the two and it starts to feel like a blast furnace. Many of my flowers look like someone has held a blow torch to them. These are a couple of pictures of my flowers and how burned they are.

 Both of these were doing good until the wind and 107 degree temps
started up last week.

My garden isn't doing too bad, but I have really been working in it trying to cut down on the weeds, watering, putting down landscape fabric and mulching. It has been a lot of work, but my husband said today he thought I had the best garden this year that I have ever had.

Here is a photo gallery of how it is looking.

 Roma Green Beans are blooming like crazy! I can't wait to pick these. After eating these I don't like plain green beans anymore. Romas are so much better.

 The yellow squash is doing great. I did find some squash bugs today, so all of them were dusted with sevin dust. I HATE squash bugs. Well let me clarify that, I HATE ALL bugs. But I really hate when I am reaching in to pick some beautiful squash and find bugs!!

 One little bell pepper so far. But lots of blooms.

 I made the mistake of leaving my camera where my husband could get it.

 I have one little eggplant.

Cucumbers are growing and have blooms on them. Can't wait to start making pickles.

 Here is the squash I picked today.

 I just got this sprinkler. I think I am really going to like it. It really covers a lot of the garden.

 Okra is trying to grow. Seems like it starts off slow, then once it starts producing I can barely keep up with it.

So far this year that is my garden. This year is presenting some challenges. Keeping it watered is a big one. Keeping the weeds out is another. But I think I am way ahead of the game compared to last year. Hope those of you who are growing gardens are having good luck this year!

It is another spring and another garden has been planted. Now I don't claim to be a master gardener. Mediocre is more like it. But this year I have really put in a lot of work trying to make my garden more weed free and use less water.

I started with the flower bed in the front. I have struggled with this area. The way it is positioned, it catches all the south wind and also gets a lot of caliche and sand blown into it. For those who don't know, caliche is a type of sedimentary rock that is comprised of calcium carbonate is used around here for roads and parking lots. It is NOT good for growing things.

So on this flower bed this year I cleaned it out, layed down a layer of newspaper, and then put cottonseed hulls on top of that.

This first picture is of when I first started. 

 Now I have newspaper across the whole flower bed and starting to put down the cottonseed hulls.










And here is the finished product.

I am watering a lot less. My flowers are doing better other than suffering from the hot wind we have had. This did so well I got motivated and did the same in my garden.

This is part of my green beans. I dug out a trench and put down the newspaper and put dirt on top to keep it from blowing.

Then I put the cottonseed hulls on top of the dirt. I have done several rows of my garden this way and still have a couple more to go.

This year I also planted three rows of a vegetable, then left an area for a walkway. On top of the walkway I put down landscape fabric to block weeds.

This year I am really working at keeping the weeds down and trying to be more efficient with my watering.

We are having days that are 100 degrees or more and hot winds with that. Our farmers are struggling. I am trying to do what I can to be more efficient with my watering, but this weather is making it extremely difficult.

Well, that is part of my garden this year. Hope you enjoyed!