It's time to plant the second round of summer goodies!

Here in Central Florida, we are blessed with an extended growing season.  August is the time to plant some more summer crops that will do well in this sweltering heat and humidity!  So, here's the list of what's going in my garden at the first of August, along with some companion plants that will work well together:

VEGETABLE       COMPANION PLANT
Okra                      None (there are some, but I don't use them)
Cowpeas                Squash, beans, cucumbers
Bush beans             Cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage, corn
Broccoli                  Onions,celery,tomato,rosemary,dill,sage,peppermint
Celery                     Tomatoes, bush beans, cauliflower, cabbage
Collards                  Plant alone, need lots of space
Corn                       Potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, squash
Eggplant                  Beans, spinach, peppers, lettuce
Onions                    Tomatoes,lettuce,beans,squash,cabbage,carrots,peppers
Peppers                  Eggplant,lettuce,tomato,basil,parsley,spinach
Summer squash       Nasturtium, corn, onions, radish

So, I will get my seeds ordered from Baker Seeds, Seeds of Change, and Sustainable Seed Company, three of my favorites.  My husband and I will be busy in the meantime building more raised beds and hopefully we are able to get my little picket fence started!  Happy Gardening!

Fresh Corn!

I decided to see if my corn was ready and lo and behold, I was able to pick three ears of sweet corn!  We are going to have these for dinner tonight.  I am simply amazed at how sweet this corn smells.  The water was boiling as I was pickin'!  I am drooling just waiting for it to get finished cooking.  This is some good stuff right here.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats fresh vegetables from the garden!  Happy Gardening!

Why Supermarket Tomatoes Suck | OnEarth Magazine

Why Supermarket Tomatoes Suck | OnEarth Magazine

Attack of the APHIDS!

One of the first problems I want to address is the issue I am having with aphids!  These are the gross little bugs that live on the underside of the leaves and on the flower blossoms.  I have tried the soap mixtures and I have tried malathion.  I even tried just spraying them with the hose.  Perhaps the combination of all three will work.  I have seen an ever so slight decrease but I think they are still there...unless that is just their exoskeletons I am seeing.  At any rate, I am going to try the neem oil and see how that works.  Also, in inspection this morning, I found little tiny green worms on my Burgundy okra.  I have interplanted the okra between cucumbers, so I'm not quite sure what kind of worms these are.  I have never found worms on my green okra, so I will have to investigate this.  I did spray everything down with Thuricide (BT) this morning so that will take care of them, I hope.  The BT worked wonders on the worms that were attacking my corn.

This is the damage caused by the aphids.  Notice how the leaves will shrivel up...

These are the little worms I found hiding under the Burgundy okra leaves.

This is what tipped me off to a problem.  Notice the holes in the leaves...I flipped it over and found the little worms!

I'm not sure what is going on with this squash!  The females are not getting pollinated but I'm seeing a lot of bee activity around the garden.  It may just be too hot.  I really just do not know what is happening.  I know the aphids have set up camp here as well.  I did see a video on YouTube where the gardener tied the squash up on a stake.  I think I will try that today.  So...of to the home improvement store!

Happy Gardening!

In the beginning...

Well, this is my FIRST blog entry...EVER!  Since I decided to have another go at a vegetable garden this year, I decided it was time I document my experiences, not just for others but for myself as well.  Gardening is trial and error.  Sometimes things work and sometimes they don't.  At least by having a blog, I can have a record of my successes and failures and use that to help myself, and maybe someone else, in the future.  So, here we go!  As time allows, I will update my blog with pictures and stories.  I hope everyone is having fun with their gardens!