What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

We got a lot done today. We did indeed move the Big Rock. It used to be here, outside the fence. But the fence was going to be moved toward it, so DH figured out how to get it out of the way.

Freya is observing. The Jeep is handing the heavy work easily.

And now it is at the edge of the long grass, out of the way.

Below is the "before" picture of the garden. When you were in the garden, you didn't realize how wavy and crooked the fence was. Up on the hill, it's really obvious.

And here is the new fence! Well, most of it. All the posts, most of the fence. Still need to attach fence around the south end (closer end) and up some of the west (left) side.

I will be able to lengthen the raised beds (at the north end), so more Egyptian Walking Onions, multiplier onions, strawberries, beans, and garlic. And more potatoes.

Plus, it looks really nice.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Well whatever critter the camera never catches ate all my mammoth sunflowers seedlings I finally got planted...thankfully u threw a few other sunflower seeds here and there so I have maybe 5 that are coming up...idk whether to throw more seeds in and wish em well or not.
We had 2 pretty "normal" heat days...still not a drop rain. Now we shoot back up to 100 and plus this week.

 

[NewBoots]

I will be able to lengthen the raised beds (at the north end), so more Egyptian Walking Onions, multiplier onions, strawberries, beans, and garlic. And more potatoes.

Plus, it looks really nice.

It looks very nice, you guys did a great job.

@karenerwin, welcome back!

This is DP's big pond made from a stock tank.

These are various shots of this years beds:

More garden with our sweet Penny.

And does anyone know what this plant is? The bush it forms is a good 6' tall or more but those flowers are only about 3/4 of an inch long? They're all over around here and Picture This can't identify them.

 

[ChicksnMore]

California has put water restrictions in place from what I’ve heard. No more pretty lawns. They’re coming to AZ also, not thrilled at all

I keep hoping they'll do an incentive program for grey water set ups and rain water harvesting. Right now we do both...our washing machine is set up to drain outdoors instead of into our septic and we use buckets to catch any usable water we can. Like the water in the shower when we're warming it, rinse water from dishes etc. I'd love to redo our kitchen though so one sink drains into a catchment for use on landscaping and the other goes into the septic. We have multiple bathrooms and I'd love one tub set up to drain outdoors for the family members who don't use conditioner too. I love water conservation...but wish they'd approach it from ways to get the maximum use from every drop of water rather then restrictions on what we grow.

We got a lot done today. We did indeed move the Big Rock. It used to be here, outside the fence. But the fence was going to be moved toward it, so DH figured out how to get it out of the way.
View attachment 3155128

Freya is observing. The Jeep is handing the heavy work easily.

View attachment 3155130

And now it is at the edge of the long grass, out of the way.

View attachment 3155133

Below is the "before" picture of the garden. When you were in the garden, you didn't realize how wavy and crooked the fence was. Up on the hill, it's really obvious.

View attachment 3155136

And here is the new fence! Well, most of it. All the posts, most of the fence. Still need to attach fence around the south end (closer end) and up some of the west (left) side.

View attachment 3155139

I will be able to lengthen the raised beds (at the north end), so more Egyptian Walking Onions, multiplier onions, strawberries, beans, and garlic. And more potatoes.

Plus, it looks really nice.

It does look great! That boulder looks like a back breaker!

 

[ChicksnMore]

It looks very nice, you guys did a great job.

@karenerwin, welcome back!

View attachment 3155256
This is DP's big pond made from a stock tank.

These are various shots of this years beds:
View attachment 3155258
View attachment 3155259
View attachment 3155260
More garden with our sweet Penny.

View attachment 3155261



And does anyone know what this plant is? The bush it forms is a good 6' tall or more but those flowers are only about 3/4 of an inch long? They're all over around here and Picture This can't identify them.
View attachment 3155262

Your garden and pond look amazing!

 

[TJAnonymous]

Something is eating my carrots from below ground. No telltale mounds though that might signal a mole, vole, or other similar critter. I noticed some of my carrot greens were bunched on the ground and wilted. When I picked them up I realized they had been pulled into the ground. I pulled them out of the ground and, sure enough, the bottom half of the carrots were eaten off. How do you possibly battle an assault from underground? Mind you that my carrots are inside my hoop house. Here's a picture of them from a few weeks ago ... They are planted in between the tomatoes and the aisle and surrounded by cardboard.



There's also something attacking my potatoes. It's a bug that looks very similar to a squash bug but different. It's nymphs are orange and black. Anyone know what it might be? I'll see if I can find a picture of one.... Need to know how to fight them.

Also battling mildew starting on my corn and the zucchini plant next to the corn. I sprayed it tonight with a mixture of castile soap, neem oil, and water. I was actually spraying the tomatoes because the white flies and aphids are getting ridiculous again. I noticed that the tomato plant I put outside the hoop house to act as a trap crop looks impeccable. Not an aphid or white fly to be seen... But the ones in the hoop house are covered... Same thing happened last year too. Next year I'm going to plant all the tomatoes outside the hoop house and see what happens....

 

[Acre4Me]

Something is eating my carrots from below ground. No telltale mounds though that might signal a mole, vole, or other similar critter. I noticed some of my carrot greens were bunched on the ground and wilted. When I picked them up I realized they had been pulled into the ground. I pulled them out of the ground and, sure enough, the bottom half of the carrots were eaten off. How do you possibly battle an assault from underground? Mind you that my carrots are inside my hoop house. Here's a picture of them from a few weeks ago ... They are planted in between the tomatoes and the aisle and surrounded by cardboard.

View attachment 3155335

There's also something attacking my potatoes. It's a bug that looks very similar to a squash bug but different. It's nymphs are orange and black. Anyone know what it might be? I'll see if I can find a picture of one.... Need to know how to fight them.

Also battling mildew starting on my corn and the zucchini plant next to the corn. I sprayed it tonight with a mixture of castile soap, neem oil, and water. I was actually spraying the tomatoes because the white flies and aphids are getting ridiculous again. I noticed that the tomato plant I put outside the hoop house to act as a trap crop looks impeccable. Not an aphid or white fly to be seen... But the ones in the hoop house are covered... Same thing happened last year too. Next year I'm going to plant all the tomatoes outside the hoop house and see what happens....

Colorado potato beetle is possibly your mystery bug. Eggs are on underside of leaf, bright yellow. Pick them off by hand, remove all eggs.

 

[Acre4Me]

My neighbors came over to see why I had “fishing net” on my plants -told them it was bug netting to keep out the Squash Vine Borer and the cabbage looper. This neighbor takes their Halloween pumpkins and lets them disintegrate in their garden and allows the pumpkins to grow for the blossoms. They have a million squash bugs, and likely squash vine borer….so I definitely know I won’t get rid of those bugs!

On the plus side, I prepped one bed for planting and while turning over the dirt, I found several grubs and also another bug that hadn’t “woken” up yet for the stardom….I’m pretty sure it was the SVB moth that hadn’t emerged yet! Killed both of course. This was the bed with most of my squash in it last year.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I think this is what I saw on my potato plants.... A leaf-footed bug.

https://durhammastergardeners.com/2015/06/25/whats-that-bug-leaf-footed-bugs-in-the-garden/

 

[Elyrian1]

It looks very nice, you guys did a great job.

@karenerwin, welcome back!

View attachment 3155256
This is DP's big pond made from a stock tank.

These are various shots of this years beds:
View attachment 3155258
View attachment 3155259
View attachment 3155260
More garden with our sweet Penny.

View attachment 3155261



And does anyone know what this plant is? The bush it forms is a good 6' tall or more but those flowers are only about 3/4 of an inch long? They're all over around here and Picture This can't identify them.
View attachment 3155262

Escallonia rubra​

Here you go! Plant.id worked and then I went to wikipedia to get more info.