Yesterday we viewed the good at The Funny Farm. Today we must deal with the bad and the ugly. July is just not what any Texas gardener ordered. Except for okra, and I’m even having trouble getting okra started.

Well let’s start with the best of the bad.

Chuck, the bad monster kitty

Actually Chuck is usually very nice in the garden. It’s in the house in the middle of a hot afternoon that he gets crazy. Right now he’s playing with a ping pong ball and a golf ball. The golf ball sounds like the house is caving in. But back to garden reality.

This was the corn in May

The corn was delicious, though the ears this year just weren’t very big. And actually, now that all the corn has played out and I left the shucks to die, I guess it’s not really bad.

I cut them all down

Then I put them in the garage. I plan on making bundles of corn stalks for fall decorations. Looks like I need to find some scarecrows to go with them!

Tomatoes? Not so good

Actually, I am trying something new with this bed. I cut the plants back around 35% and I’m going to go in and trim out everything dead and fertilize heavily. Maybe I’ll get some fall tomatoes out of these, maybe not. They’re not really producing now. I went ahead and ripped out all the Romas. They were toast.

This is my bed of okra

Yes, there is only one plant growing. I’ve reseeded twice, so guess I reseed again. I think the pill bugs were getting the small plants, so I treated with Sluggo II yesterday and I’m waiting a few days for the pill bugs to drop dead.

The cukes are dying, too, but I can’t get the picture to display here. That makes sense; the cukes have been difficult since day one. First I had to replant three times, then they didn’t produce that great and finally the squash bugs took them over. Humph.

The beans are done, too, but I’ve got a trick to try with them that I’ll show you next week. At least I’ve got plenty of these.

Peppers – a variety of kinds doing just fine

Most of the garden will be gone this month, but not only is it too hot to play in the garden, it’s almost time to start working the beds to get them ready for a fall garden. Can anyone say Blue Norther?

Spreading laughter throughout the world…one chuckle at a time. Pray for DDM.

Mikie Baker
www.mikiebaker.com