My Garden (oh, how i loathe thee...let me count the ways!)

I know that i haven't discussed my vegetable garden and greenhouse at all in awhile. That is because, i just can't.

Mother Nature has not been overly kind to me this summer (um, wth did summer even go?? rain, rain, rain!). She left me with cases of blight, maggotty roots, aphids that would not leave and mad bolting of veggies right to seed! Did you know lettuce tastes super terrible after bolting?? The only thing it has been good for this summer, is to feed the horses next door.

And the deer...oh dear.

 

Truly horrid creatures! I had carefully moated the garden full of garlic and marigold, hoping to keep the deer away. For the most part, that did work. Until the end of summer...when they really wanted to get into the garden! Xman is standing next to my prized tomato plants.  I say *prized* because i jokingly planted these tomatoes outside the greenhouse, fully believing that they would, indeed, DIE. While Mother Nature snaked me in other ways, she too seemed to have a fondness and love for these plants. Carefully guarded from the wind, she allowed them to blossom into huge bushes! But, because these plants were a total after-thought addition, i had no marigold- nor garlic- surrounding. And Mr. Deer- oh dear- walked right through them!! It was kinda hard to believe it when i saw it and i only wish i had a picture of said destruction. Guess he really wanted to get at those soybeans!! (Which he so patiently waited to be just-ready to pick-ugh!)

I digress...

 

I did manage to muddle out lots of peas, potatoes, carrots and zucchini! But how the heck that stuff even grew is beyond me. Just as the monsoon rains ended, the frost began!~ Since Mid-August, the garden has endured at least 10 hard frosts. NOT COOL. Knowing that pumpkins take more days that Alberta sun is willing to deliver, i started these puppies super early...like March. And once again, good ol' Mother Nature (she's such a bitch sometimes!) showed the wrath of her power!

Yucky, wilted, leaves.

Yes, the forecast for that night was not sooooo accurate.

*Sucky*

And then Mother Nature sucker-punched again... this time with some hail!

NOT COOL!

The greenhouse yield was improved dramatically over the previous season. The addition of windows and heat-at-night really helped!!  Helped keep a colony of aphids pretty gosh darn happy, that is! But there were a few spectacular moments...

 

 

If i was the type that gave up easy, i'd burn the whole greenhouse and garden down. What a dreadfully, disappointing season! While gardening was a super experience for the kidlets, i am very thankful that i am not a farmer who depends on their crops. I think some heavy duty bribing of Mother Nature would be in order. She clearly is not a fan of mine!

(Case in point-yesterday...)

How did your garden do this summer?

Big yield, little yield?

Was Mother Nature kind to you?