Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

I am missing the bells, shells and maids but have the other prime components of a successful garden this year. I had (2) 4x8 raised boxes with amended soil.

• Tomatoes: Early Girl, Sweet 100, and Yellow Cherry. All worth doing again but do higher cages - they went crazy. Try a Yellow Pear and a Roma next year
• Cucumbers: Armenian and lemon cuke. Pass on the lemon next year but the Armenian is a winner! Taller cage on Armenian - huge producer!
• Peas: Did not plant enough and need to trellis better
• Yellow bush beans: Good flavor but go with pole beans to climb next year
• Zucchini: One plant is always enough
• Pumpkin: Find a better place - they take over every inch!
• Strawberry: Not successful this year. Must not have the knack yet.
• Lettuce: Easy, always good
• Spinach: Didn't do well this year
• Radish: Plant further apart, did OK
• Carrots: Still waiting to see if it's worth the effort
• Onions: Started with red and yellow sets, should be good
• Jalapenos: Not terrific, don't bother next year
• Tomatillos: Fruit way too small, not worth it
• Swiss Chard: Plant more than 4 next year. Took too long to get enough to cook for Tal with just 4.
• Green onions: Not worth the effort
• Herbs: I think I am going to use fresh herbs but never do. Don't bother.
• Sunflowers: Did well. Do again for some height and color variety in boxes
• Flowers: Those in between the veggies in the boxes didn't do well but the front planters were great. More petunias next year.

This is the first year I experience squash bugs - nasty little things. I finally Googled an remedy and it worked just fine. Fill a spray bottle mostly with water then add at least 1/4 cup of dish soap. Spray all bugs, babies and eggs like crazy. Do it in the morning of evening when bees aren't out. Repeat each day for 2-3 and they should be dead. They winter over so make sure you get them really good before putting your garden to bed.

The little boys had fun helping with planting, weeding, watering and picking. The real thrill was counting the number of treasures brought in and then hiding the cherry tomatoes from Dallin. Dallin has not lost his love affair with tomatoes. Last night around 10 PM, he went out to the garden with his head lamp for light and picked a bowl-full of cherry and lemon cherry tomatoes. He's a funny kid.