Sunday, June 5, 2011

Hope's Still Growing!

Last month for Hope Grows Day, I was anticipating what would spring forth from the bulb garden.  Well, look and see:


Lilies!


Lots of lilies!


And alliums.


But there's a problem.

This bed is getting a lot more shade than last year.  The trees in it have grown more than expected in a year, and as you can see, the blooms are trying their hardest to get to the light.

So, my bulb bed is a failed experiment.  It was fun, but these bulbs will all be transplanted in the fall.  What I will put there, I haven't decided.  Maybe a nice flowering ground cover.  One that can take a little sun, but mostly shade.


Goodbye, bulb bed.

My other hope for June was for tomatoes.  I missed the mark.  Lots of little tomatoes, but none red so far.  I should have hoped for squash.   



So, now my attention has turned to July.  My hope for July has nothing to do with blooms.  I believe everything in my garden is now blooming, including my fall mums.  Even the bluebeard (caryopteris) has started blooming!  So, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what my hope for July should be.

That my plants won't die in the drought?  No, that's not positive, or all together possible, as I've already lost some.

That it will stay under 100 degrees?  No, that hope's already been shattered.

That I can finish some project?  No, it's too hot and dry to do any projects right now.  A recipe for guaranteed failure.

Hmmm......

Then it came to me!  I hope.... that I will have tomatoes!  Tomatoes to eat, tomatoes to share, tomatoes to can.  Hot sauce, spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, ketchup - all made with home-grown tomatoes!  Yes, I'm back to the tomatoes!

It didn't come true for June, but I have hope that it will for July!

18 comments:

  1. Same here too. Many plants are blooming simultaneously that usually are off by a few weeks. Not my lilies though, they seem to be waiting for later in June like usual. Don't you just love lily season? I have whites like you!

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  2. Yummy! I look forward to ripe tomatoes in July as well. Your lilies are so lovely...and I am sure they will love their new home. Happy Hope Grows Day!

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  3. It is so interesting to read about how other gardeners are fairing, as your garden is so much farther ahead than mine! I think my tomatoes have finally started to produce a flower...yes that would be singular. haha. Too bad for the pretty lily bulbs, I'm sure you'll find a nice home for them as they are very striking :)

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  4. Oh dear, goodbye bulb bed. Trees have that nasty habit of growing, you know. :) Maybe you can find another spot for the bulb bed?

    You are cracking me up with your description of what to hope for in July!! May you be rolling in tomatoes. :)

    Happy Hope Grows Day!

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  5. I love your Hope Grows Day. My lilies never get to the flowering stage, having been destroyed by snails and lily beetle. Looking forward to seeing your red tomatoes next month.

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  6. Lilies are such a delight...and many of mine have buds...some will still be a while in growing but I love to extend the season...tomatoes are just going in here so mine will not see fruit maybe until July...perhaps by mid August I will have some to harvest...lovely bulb bed that is not a failure...just an unexpected detour due to trees...

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  7. Donna - I do love the lilies. And the white ones are so big and pretty. I hope they take the move well.

    Sage Butterfly - I hope we both have lots and lots of juicy red tomatoes!

    Jenni - It gets so hot here, our tomato season stops in the summer. Hopefully we will get lots of tomatoes before then. It's already very hot, though - much hotter than normal!

    Hanni - I have places in mind for these bulbs. Perhaps a bulb bed in the future. These will be intermingled with the roses.

    Ronnie - How disappointing to have your lilies destroyed! I have never heard of the lily beetle. Please don't send it this way!

    Donna - An unexpected detour! :) Last year the sun shone on this little bulb bed. This year, 3/4 of it is in shade most of the day. I knew the trees were growing, I just forget how fast they grow per year!

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  8. Your lilies are so beautiful, even bent toward the sun! I love the pure glowing color. Great squash, too. I am also hoping for tomatoes, but it has been so cold that I really don't know if I will get any.

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  9. Masha - And I'm worried about my tomatoes because it's so hot! They stop producing in mid-summer because of our high temps. Unfortunately, we are already seeing triple digit temps, and it feels like mid-summer! I hope it doesn't interfere with the tomatoes anytime too soon.

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  10. We were having the opposite problem - too much rain, too cool, and not enough sun. Finally we are seeing seasonal temperatures, the pepper plants have little peppers, our squash hill has little squashes, the cilantro is threatening to bolt, the peas and lettuce are producing big time, but the tomatoes.... ahhh, the tomatoes. I am hopeful too, that next month will be the month for us. There is nothing like eating a tomato right off the plant in the hot summer sun!

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  11. PS.... LOVE those white lilies. We had to give up on them - we couldn't stay ahead of the red lily leaf beetles, so I am enjoying them vicariously through you!

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  12. Cathy and Steve - I hope we both get lots of tomatoes next month. It's frustrating to be two weeks late, or two weeks early. Sorry to hear about the leaf beetles. I hope my garden doesn't get them! Lilies are such a pleasure to see in the garden.

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  13. Hope for tomatoes! This sounds good. Maybe some cooler weather would be good too. :)

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  14. Grace - Some cooler weather would really be nice. I'm a little worried what July and August will bring!

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  15. I know we're hundreds of miles away, but we've had such similar weather so far this year that it may comfort you to hear that they're predicting a wetter than average monsoon season--dry La Niña winters = wet summers, from July on through. Your tomatoes may still have a chance!

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  16. Stacy - Well, that gives me hope! We did, indeed, have a very dry winter. I look forward to a rainy late summer and autumn, too, hopefully!

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  17. When we have just finished the dry season and approaching our 2nd and last season, you are still in your cold spring. I feel it is very nice to work in the garden in those cold temperatures, as you will not sweat and hot, unlike here! Those squash looks so beautiful, i wonder if their texture is as fine and delicate as our common roundish small ones. If only they grow here, i love beautifully-shaped squash!

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  18. Andrea - Yes, the cool fall is a nice time to work in the garden, especially after a hot, hot summer. Our squash needs to be picked when fairly small. The longer they stay on the vine, and the bigger they get, the harder they get. I agree, they are a beautiful shape.

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