It's difficult to get excited about gardening when the hundred degree heat is ON and the Spring that I was loving has so quickly disappeared. The weed patch went from good to bad in a hurry, and I can't figure out exactly what to do with it. My 'hands off' approach didn't last long, since some of the dried up flowers needed to be removed and a grass that I haven't identified yet began to seriously take over. The heat and lack of rain haven't allowed new surprises to pop up, so it's looking a little barren. The sunflower continues to be a prolific bloomer, but I must admit that the plant itself does not strike my fancy. The size of the plant (it's taller than me and has enormous 'branches') does not make it a good specimen for a backyard. The amazing cut flowers make it easier to cope with the obnoxiousness of the plant.While the sun is baking outside, I've started plotting my plans for the Fall. Hopefully, by the time Summer rolls around next year, I'll have a few more hardy plants in the ground that will be providing color and a bit of cheeriness that the landscape is currently lacking.
I picked my first bell pepper yesterday! It's a quite a bit smaller compared to the peppers that I buy at the store (not enough fertilizer? not as many chemicals?), but it's a gorgeous lime green color that I've never seen before. The plant has two other peppers that are almost ready to be picked. The golden Swiss chard is still producing, and the color is so vibrant that I'm sad when it's time to cut it down.
