Garden Woes

I've reached the point in the gardening season where I begin to hate my garden. Instead of weeding with love and the purpose of homemade salsa, ketchup, pumpkin butter as well as onions, potatoes, and frozen beans, I dread having to go out there and pull the crab grass and other plant-choking weeds. The only thing that keeps me going is my Ipod, and today even that wasn't enough. I tried to calm myself with Nora Jones. I tried to keep upbeat with the Dixie Chicks. Even Metallica couldn't keep me motivated. I did weed, however, but I didn't enjoy it. All I could think about was, "how soon will it be before I can pick the onions so I have three feet less of garden to weed"? Once I start reaping the harvest I will feel better about weeding (sort of). But until then, I will continue on with grim determination.

One a happier note, almost everything in the garden is thriving this year. My tomatoes, however, are out of control. Never have I had plants that have done so well (it helps that I didn't forget to stake them like I did last year). I continually have to straighten the cages as the plants are so big they fall over. The only downside to this is that they have crowded the green peppers and are robbing them of nutrients. That is my only explanation of why they look like sh*t. At first I thought it was the hail that had battered them. Then I thought it was the week of dry weather we had. They should be twice the size they are now and producing more peppers than I can handle. I tilled up a section in the other garden and transplanted the pepper plants. I also worked in some composted manure in the hopes that it will bring them back from the brink of wilty death. I have no idea if this will work or if it will kill them; but leaving them where they were would have killed them, too, so I don't really have anything to lose.


The out of control tomatoes



Transplanted peppers