All in one week

Like I wrote yesterday, things are looking up in the garden.

Still, a lot of damage in one week. Cold damage, heat damage, bugs and what may be fertilizer burn on random leaves. Not sure on that last one. Could just be leaves showing varying degrees of frost damage.

After the cold the other night, things have heated up. Nearly 90 degrees today. So the potatoes look like they're suffering.

Later, I know the pumpkin plants will grow in the heat but wilt alarmingly. They often look on the verge of dying, then perk up at sunset. Still hoping the corn will pick up soon, give some pumpkins shade.

I don't get what I'm doing wrong with broccoli or if none will ever grow here successfully. Too cold and it dies. Too hot and it doesn't flower. And it's an aphid magnet. Already getting too hot for it to flower now. Some small ones look like they've been trampled.

I do fertilize but not to an extreme. So maybe part of the problem is that I am trying to keep things at a level which will not do lasting damage to the environment. This can come at a cost of slower growing plants which could be more prone to natural damage. Not sure. Haven't been at this long enough. One thing I do know is that I live too close to a river and only a few yards above an aquifer to conscientously dump huge amounts of chemicals in the yard for the sake of one good season. Especially when the weather isn't cooperating, any way. It will get there.

Daughter and I went to the library, the dollar store and out to eat. Lots of time on the bus but we had fun. Now she's playing with a friend across the street. I need to get gas for the generator and we're going to make flowers for her mother. Painted green bamboo sticks with wire stabilized ribbon and maybe streamer paper. She already made a card at school. Plus we'll cut some real roses from the front yard.

Gonna get to the gas station.