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The water scarecrows appear to be succeeding in their mission assignment, to keep the deer away from the tomato plants they did not destroy earlier, so they have a chance to recover and produce some tomatoes.

A variety of tomatoes, including a dark purple heirloom grape and a large Amish Paste Roma variety. Although we appear to be keeping the deer at bay for the moment, the birds apparently have discovered they can light on a tomato as it is ripening, and peck the heck out of the top and upper side, thus ruining it for us. I toss them on the ground for the turtle, and try not to begrudge the birds their discovery.

We managed to keep the squash borers at bay a little longer than last year, and actually got a small crop of viable sugar pumpkins. As many had to be thrown away because the insects and various blister beetles that love to live on the moist underside of the pumpkin where it lies on the ground, or around the top stem area, had managed to bore into the skin so badly the pumpkins were ruined and could not be used or kept. We got a handful of nice butternut squash, too, including one huge one seen in the photo.

The volunteer sunflowers that popped up in four different spots were a constant source of beauty and photo opportunities for weeks as they matured and blossomed. They are fading now, their huge heads dropping, while the goldfinches come back again and again to rip the mature seeds out of the heads.

Aside from the stunning color images, it was interesting to play around with Photoshop and come up with some really nice black and white images, like this one.

Tags: Gardening by Ron
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Since I broke my ankle almost eight weeks ago, the only thing that salvaged at least 80% of the vegetable garden was our son, Tim, coming over for a few hours every day and pulling up weeds and harvesting. In the 10 days after the accident, before he got started on it, the garden was almost completely overrun by weeds, and eggplant and okra were almost wiped out.

As for the tomatoes, the war with the deer continues.

We were late setting up the water scarecrows, but about a week ago finally got them up and running. But that evening, we forgot to turn them on, not having gotten the habit going for the year. Naturally, the deer sensed this, and swept through and wiped out the couple dozen tomatoes that had managed to set, and to boot they cropped the plants themselves. They even pretty much destroyed the okra plants that had gotten a start, something I have not seen them do in the past. They had already helped themselves a couple of weeks ago to the blackberries on the one plant I started last year that was starting to bear this year.

Just to make matters worse, after we finally got all four crows set up and working, in the past four days two new garden hoses from Lowe’s have failed. One burst out of the coupling as soon as the water was turned on. Two nights ago, a second one, same brand and batch, simply ruptured in the middle of the night halfway along its length. I heard the sound of water at the spout on the side of the house when I got up about 5:30, and knew we had a problem, got dressed, and went out and turned it off. That one is going back to Lowes for a second refund this morning.

This morning, when I went out early to start to collect the ruptured hose and start the sprinklers on the garden for the remaining producing squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, and a few remaining cabbages, plus some sprouting okra and beans and lettuce we are trying to get started in the middle of what the weather service is calling an “excessive heat watch” and dry spell, I discovered our friendly local turtle had found a tomato the deer had knocked off a vine but not eaten.

At least I am happy the turtle is profiting from all this.

Tags: Animals, Gardening by Ron
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Ah Sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller’s journey is done;

Where the Youth pined away with desire,
And the pale virgin shrouded in snow,
Arise from their graves, and aspire
Where my Sunflower wishes to go!
– William Blake

Set to music back in the sixties by The Fugs, on their eponymously titled The Fugs First Album.

Tags: Gardening by Ron
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