So it is beautiful and oh. so. very. hot. It has been in the mid to upper 90's all week with no change in the forecast. Welcome to summer in Texas, it is only gonna get hotter!


In my garden, times have gotten tough and now's the time we see what the plants are made of. The sweet peas are about finished for the season, they don't like the heat. My lettuce has all been pulled out.
For you inexperienced gardeners out there, it is best to pick loose leaf lettuce all along....don't wait for it to 'do' something so you'll know it is ready. All you're doing by waiting is making the lettuce taste worse! When it goes to 'stalk' it is too late and you can't eat it anymore. It tastes terrible!!
My broccoli is having serious caterpillar issues and it doesn't enjoy the heat here either. It's days are probably numbered. I have a lovely blackberry bush that is completely obscured by the corn, there were a few berries on it this year that I greatly anticipated. However, the birds ate them all. Which is why we now have an owl, pinwheels and pie pans to scare the little buggers off.

On the plus side, my cantaloupes and watermelons *love* the heat and are growing like crazy! My green beans are doing well and my corn just might make corn this year. It has grown quite tall against all odds.

My greatest joy has been the sunflowers I either planted or had volunteer in the back yard. They are beautiful, smell divine, and light up the whole yard with their bright color. They are coming up everywhere but I'm of the opinion that one can never have too many sunflowers. :) I even planted them in my garden, which you'll notice them right smack-dab in the center, the tallest plants in the box. Did I mention that they're mammoth sunflowers? They're supposed to grow taller than the house. How fun!!