I'm Done

Planting, that is.  It'll be quite a while before it's all harvested, but the garden is as planted as it's going to get this year.  We planted the last crops of beets, carrots, lettuce and next year's garlic yesterday.

Coffey Garden 2011

It's quite a sight.  Overwhelming a bit, when I realize that I have to eat and/or process all that food.  The light-colored rows are plantings that I covered with sand to prevent the native soil from crusting.  Also helps to know 'exactly' where I put those carrot and beet seeds.  The sunflower on the right is about ten feet tall.  It's a volunteer and, apparently, a mutant.  I'm looking forward to seeing it bloom.

The only real disappointment this year, garden-wise, is the pepper crop.  I planted bells and hot peppers and all of them have been, well, wimpy.  I think it's probably due to the cooler than usual weather that we've had this summer.  I may end up having to purchase peppers at my favorite Mexican market to bring the salsa up to its anticipated hotness.  Oh, and, ignore any weeds that you see.  I weed every *&$@ day, but they are relentless.  *sighs*  Adam's curse is fully evident in my garden.

A row of butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) forms a hedge of sorts along the back of the garden.  They have been great at attracting pollinators into the garden to increase the vegetable pollination rates.  The flowers are particularly lovely this year: