A few weeks ago, we spread a truck load of mulch around the yard, including the garden. I'll always believe in the power of mulch to make gardens look nicer. Here's a shot with and without mulch.
Doesn't it make the bed look more defined? You can also tell what green should be in the bed, rather than what shouldn't -- namely all those weeds that the mulch smothers out! Since I took these pictures, I've pulled out the radish and broccoli (we got several radishes, but no broccoli... it was too hot).
Mr. Great Indoors built a squash climbing frame, and our volunteer squash (maybe a pumpkin?) is already trying to climb over the other side. I just planted cucumbers on the other side, and hopefully they'll be climbing just as fast as the squash.
As last year, though, I think we're dealing with squash vine borers. I haven't used any pesticides in our previous gardens, but after some research I think I'll use neem oil. It's a naturally-occurring pesticide that fights yuckies like vine borers without killing off good things like honey bees or our puppy.
We're now up to 12 tomato plants, all caged. That's after pulling up a ton of seedlings and giving away several plants. We hope to have plenty of tomatoes to eat and freeze by the end of the summer.
We're finally welcoming beautiful flowers to the yard -- from left to right, zinnia, salvia, marigolds (volunteer!), and more zinnia.
And, of course, our hydrangea bush! We had two blooms, both of which have almost petered out. I'm hoping to see more before the end of the summer.
How is your garden growing this summer?
Looks awesome! I LOVE zinnias. I considered using them in my wedding flowers. :)
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