The gardens are looking GREAT here on the Homestead as the Summer heat kicks things up a notch around here.  We’ve had 90 degrees and slightly muggy here, making it harder to get out and get stuff done.  On the plus side though, it’s been so rainy that I haven’t had to go out and water my gardens by hand much at all this spring/summer!  (Rain truly is a gardeners/farmers/homesteaders best friend.)

Things have been growing like crazy with the sudden heat and sun that has been popping up here and there between the cool rainy days.

 

These babies are an experiment I’ve been dying to try out this year..  You take large pots, fill the bottoms with dirt and potato starts, and then plant tomatoes on top of it!  (I chose cherry tomatoes.)  They help each other grow and they feed each others nutrients through what they give and take from the soil.  So far I’ve got to say, I’m impressed!  The potatoes are helping the tomatoes to stand up straight by supporting them and not letting them grow in some funky sideways manner (like my other tomatoes that are planted alone have been trying to do).  And the potatoes seem to be happy enough growing in a pot.  (I’m also hoping that growing them in a pot with make harvesting them easier!)

 

My lettuce seams happy to be growing in a pot too, and it is almost ready to cut.  I’ve got a LOT more to plant, this was just what I had planted to see if the seeds I got would work well.  (The Raccoons had dug up the first batch.  What Raccoons would want with lettuce is anyone’s guess..!)

 

The pole beans are looking GREAT as they start to climb up the fence.  They seem to be really liking where they are, and they are loving the fence!  Plenty of room for climbing!  (I guess instead of ‘Pole Beans’, I should really call these ‘Fence Beans’..)  Thankfully, nothing has been able to eat the poll beans yet (knock on wood).

 

From left to right in rows are; Zinnias, Zinnias, Sun Flowers, Cosmos, Cosmos, and more Sunflowers.  The Zinnias are really looking good and happy, and the Cosmos are growing nice and tall!  But nothing beats the amazing sunflowers that are getting to be almost as tall as ME!

 

 

Haha, sorry, I had to hold this little one up for a picture.  These guys just don’t want to grow up straight!  Oh well, that’s what fencing is for later!  These guys have however, been trying to grow flowers for about the past month now!  I’ve been constantly taking the flowers off because they’ve been too little and I wanted them to grow a bit more before they worry about growing cucumbers.  (They’ve been trying to grow flowers since they were about four inches tall!)  Now I’m just letting them do their thing.

 

(Please ignore all of the nasty weeds..  I’ve been sick the past week and just haven’t been able to get out and weed the gardens.)  This is just one of my many tomato plants, and it is looking great!  It should be getting big enough to grow fruit in no time at all!

 

My peppers are doing okay, they don’t seam to want to grow very big right at the moment and they’ve been the same size for a while now.  I’m not complaining too much though, considering I’ve grown everything from seeds, they’re growing super good!

 

 

I have to say, I am very proud of my gardens this year.  They are all growing extremely well and I can’t wait to expand some of the gardens next year.

How is everyone else’s gardens doing this year?  Has cold weather held you back like it has done to me?  Or have your gardens been flourishing in the summer heat?  Let me know in the comments below!  I’d love to discus gardening with you!

Also, more pictures of my gardens can be found HERE on my Facebook page.  Please feel free to go like it to be able to stay up to date on all of the little things happening around the homestead!

As always, have an amazing day, smile, and I hope everyone’s gardens are doing well! (Whether you have a huge farm, or one potted plant on a window sill, I hope your growing is a success this year!)

See more everyday homesteading stuff like quotes, lifestyle, pictures, stories, etc, at my official Facebook page here.