My Next Garden Winter Crops

As I've sat here and watched the efforts of this year's garden withering away in our triple digit heat, I've been depressed over my first attempts at gardening. I've made it a point to go out and water everything after 7pm at night in the hopes of pulling everything through. After the tomato plants get a drink of water, they usually will stand up, sometimes not straight and tall but at least they try. Many of their leaves are now turning brown and wilting from the sun. So far, there have been three ripe Roma tomatoes, and something has managed to put holes in every one of them. There are still two green ones on the vines and I am watching them closely.

The cucumber plants had little blossoms on them but so far I'm not seeing any development of cucumbers yet. I would have thought there would be some by now. I'm afraid the jalapeno peppers are toast!  there is but one plant that may make it, but the others appear to be either dead or dying.

It looks like only one of my pumpkin vines has survived as well and that is the one I planted in a pot! The ones out in the ground have either just shriveled up and died or something decided they were good to eat. As for my herbs, well, no cilantro, Basel, or mint for me! They are all gone too!

I guess I'm not alone, I've been hearing complaints from many of those with lots more experience than me saying they are having the same problems.  I guess we will all be looking at planting some things here shortly for winter crops in hopes that we can end up with some produce for all our efforts.

I do know one thing, I am going to order an AeroGarden or one something like it, that I can use to grow salad fixings at least in the house this winter. Amazon.com has some fantastic prices on them!



The picture of this garden is for the Gourmet Herb seed kit, but you can grow tomatoes, lettuce, even flowers in your AeroGarden. They offer a variety of types of seed kits that you can order for all kinds of things! 

I am doing an experiment which will be interesting to see if it works or not. I read where someone grew potatoes in a pillowcase, so I figured I have nothing to lose at this point, might as well give it a try.  I've also heard of using old car tires and plastic trash cans, but there there was some discussion on one of my yahoo groups about how that might not be such a good idea because of toxins possibly leaking from either the rubber or the plastic and contaminating your potatoes. So far I am getting sprouts shooting up!  Of course every time they break the surface you are to cover them up with more dirt, compost and natural mulch. I may actually end up getting some potatoes out of my efforts anyway!

I think next year, I will attempt to do some hanging tomato plants on the edge of the patio where they will get less direct sunlight. Either that or I am going to have to devise some methods of putting up a tent structure with garden netting over the tops of my beds so that if we have as hot a summer next year as we've had this year, I am able to provide some shade for them.

So now I am looking to see what fall crops I can grow in zone 6 & 7 for Oklahoma that I like and will actually eat. I guess I'll try putting out some Cilantro again (that burned up also along with my basil) and more cucumbers for sure along with some more tomatoes, summer and winter squash, more bell peppers and jalapenos and try for a few more pumpkins!  I see where they say you can grow several types of beans, as well as sweet corn and egg plant, but I think I'll pass on those.

Beets. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Irish potatoes, lettuce, onions, garlic, and spinach are all considered semi-hardy for another crop. It looks like the onions and garlic wouldn't be ready to harvest until next spring and June so we'll see about doing those.

Trip to Farmers Market

A beautiful sunny Saturday and a great way to get out of the house for awhile and go exploring. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, Norman has the Farmers Market up at the County Fairgrounds. The problem is it is only open until noon on Wednesdays and till 12:30 on Saturdays. If I work late at night, it leaves me little time to get up there. I was bound and determined I was going to get there today because I needed some tomato starts before it gets too late to start planting them. I managed to get there about noon and wandered through just a few of the booths. Some were set up outside in the parking lot and then there is a huge building filled with vendors. I parked the car up by the livestock barn and walked to the market area. As I did, I heard the loudspeaker from the barn saying "one of the things I look at when ..........." Oh dear, keep walking! I know that I am a sucker when it comes to animals, no matter what kind they are. I was on a mission and the vegetables came first!

Many of the vendors outside had vegetables from different states and some from outside of the United States. I wanted to find locally grown products so I kept searching. It didn't take me long, just inside the building and the first booth to the left was a local vendor with a table filled with a nice assortment of beautiful plants. Being the first time gardener that I am, I asked for some advice not only on the actual planting but which varieties to purchase. Next week, I will probably be going back and grab some of their patio tomatoes as well.

They also had a lilac bush and since it was close to closing time, they not only discounted my tomato plants but the lilac bush as well. She said that the lilac plant was already two years old and should produce some blooms later on for me this year. I am so anxious to see some beautiful fragrant lilacs growing in my yard.

After putting my purchases into my car, of course I had to go check out what was going on in the livestock barn. They were having a goat show! Since I've been reading up on goats, what a wonderful opportunity to get up close and personal with some. I got a chance to visit with some of the gals that were showing their goats. It was lunch time for the kids and it was fun to watch, the nannies so patient with their babies, as they nursed. I swear, they were fast little critters, took them no time at all to totally empty mama out!

I came home and got some more of the weeds pulled and the ground raked so that I could start turning some earth. I guess there are some advantages to having a yard full of weeds, underneath there isn't any grass! So I was able to get my beautiful lilac and tomatoes planted with ease.

My little climbing rose bush out front had a profusion of red/pink/white peppermint blooms this year. I was so afraid that when the workmen were here earlier this year and they helped me clear all the ivy out of the flower beds around the front of the house, that they had killed the rose bush because someone cut it way way back. Of all the things that I've planted, that has done so well. I did transplant some jonquils a couple of years ago into the front beds but the ivy overtook them and it wasn't until all the ivy was removed that they began to flourish. I do need some other plants in there since those jonquils only bloom for such a short period of time and the beds look naked!

Think I'll head to bed and have dreams of beautiful fragrant lilac blossoms and fresh red tomatoes!