Friday, July 29, 2011

Garden Fail

I am so disappointed in this year's garden. I was so excited to get everything in this year since we really didn't do a garden last year and even though we got a bit of a late start I was staying optimistic. Then it flooded, twice. And we replanted, twice. Everything started to take off and I thought we would be in good shape. We were very proud of our first ever strawberries and things were looking up then summer came. Wow did summer come. This is the most ridiculously hot and dry summer that I have dealt with for sure.


Dry Corn Pic 2

When the corn started to look like this I was a little bit sad. We've never had good luck with corn it seems but we kept right on watering and hoping for the best.

Corn

We didn't win. The drought won this round for sure. At this point we are watering just the tomatoes, watermelons and pumpkins and hoping we can keep them alive long enough for fall. Everything else is done for and we just can't keep up with the watering, and the water bill is scary high.

I was really hoping our corn would do well this year because this baby loves some corn.
Corn Loving Baby

(And yes I realize that she is half naked in pretty much all the pictures lately. It's HOT here and I don't see any since in her being miserable. We do have to use a diaper cover of some sort though or she'd be completely naked.)

It's hard to explain why it makes me so sad that our garden just isn't making it this year. There will be no blackberry jelly, no apple pies from our apples, no fresh salsa... I was so looking forward to canning so much from this year's harvest. But I know that there are others who are affected so much more by this drought. Families that depend on their harvests to feed their family and provide income. Hay pastures are burning up and cattle being sold simply because it's too expensive and there is nothing to feed them. Our entire state needs rain so very badly, and I am sure we are not the only one. My heart goes out to these families who are being hit so hard and I just keep praying for rain. In the meantime I will be happy for what little productivity I see in my garden and maybe I'll pick up some strawberries today from the grocery and make some jam. It is something at least.

4 comments:

  1. Be sure and save the corn stalks for fall decor. At least you will get something from it.

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  2. Sounds like it would have been an amazing garden! Hope the weather gives y'all a break soon and the rest of your garden makes it!

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  3. Thanks for the idea about the corn stalks. I honestly hadn't thought about it yet.

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  4. Mine are actually FULL of weeds....but the veggies are thriving from the humidity

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