Dispatches from the garden: July 5

One thing I haven’t had to worry about this year is watering the garden, which is a nice change after years and years of drought.

When I have time to get out into the garden these days, I spend my time weeding and looking for pests. The eggplants are finally big enough to resist the flea beetles, but the brassicas are definitely being eaten by all manner of critters.

There are flowers, but, like every year, I wish there were more.

My biggest experiment this year is coming along, though I fear that lack of sun and poor soil may be slowing growth in the Three Sisters’ Garden.

The corn is about 3 feet tall, and the pole beans are starting to climb the stalks.

The squash plants are still quite young, so they’re not shading the roots just yet, but I’m hoping that, as they mature, they’ll keep the weeds down. As it is, I’m engaged in a war with crab grass, and it’s winning.

Not pictured are my tomato plants, which aren’t doing as well as they have in past years. I suspect that a little crop rotation next year would help – even though I’ve done my best to amend the soil, they’re probably still lacking some basic nutrient – assuming it’s not plain old sunlight.