Our garden is changing so fast right now that it seemed a good idea to do an update mid-August. I had to stop weeding though as it was doing major damage to my hip and back... so next year I'll have to be cleverer from the start.

These pictures were taken on the 17th.

We'll start with a picture of one of my favorite herbs, fennel. Such an attractive plant - despite the fact I've had nibbly visitors all the way through the season.

Still no sign of fruit on the pumpkins, but the plants are doing well and have lots of blossoms.

Surprise! There are some beets hiding in this mess of weeds! (These wild geraniums are very difficult to deal with!) Look at the red-veined leaves in the middle here - those are the beets.

I let one of the radishes go to seed. They are such pretty flowers. I will harvest some of the seed pods when they are ready.

My two brussels sprouts plants are doing well - as are the two kale plants I realize have survived.

My calendula (pot marigold) is in full bloom. I've infused two jars oil, am currently making an extract in another jar and plan to dry some for tea.

The cabbages are doing well despite the butterflies around... Just waiting for them to start developing real heads.

The corn is doing surprisingly well, developing ears here and there... (see below - the big of silk nestled next to the stalk is the baby ear of corn developing.)

Aren't sunflowers amazing too? These guys have grown extremely well, outgrowing everything else in the garden. Just one flowering so far, but several others look like they will follow. They are so cheerful!

I'm still waiting to see whether these are pumpkins too or some other type of squash. I could (probably) find my notebook with all the information I wrote at the beginning of the season, but for now, it's more fun to speculate.

My watermelons are doing fantastically. They have sprawled absolutely everywhere and have at least half a dozen baby watermelons.

This is the largest one, about half the size of a "personal size" watermelon now. There are probably more hiding in the mass of wild geraniums. I hope those die down quickly with the first frost (maybe less than a month away now.)

My artichokes are doing okay. I plan to pot them soon and overwinter them so that I get something next year from them!

Elsewhere in the garden, the tomatoes are blooming. The strawberries (interplanted with the calendula) are struggling still. We harvested a small number of potatoes from that patch as well, leaving the smallest ones behind so that they will "volunteer" next year.

I have plans to build some raised beds in the garden and plant some winter rye to help nourish this impoverished soil. I also plan to find some leaves and manure to put on the garden before winter takes hold. I'll probably plant some garlic as well.

One final picture of one of my squashes.

Photos taken in August 2020 with my Nikon D7200. Crossposted on Uptrennd.

Past issues...

Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
(Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.)
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Garden Journal - August 2020, part 1 - Homesteading

Past issues...

Poultry

Gardening in Wyoming

Indoor Gardening