Week 24 > You are reading Week 25 - June 17th, 2024 > Week 26

Scorch

June's record-breaking temperatures forced me to water the garden nonstop to alleviate some of the heat stress.

Throughout the entire week, the temperature stayed at around one hundred degrees, without any sign of rain.

This led to an accelerated maturation of the garden, allowing me to start harvesting produce earlier than previous years, even before the Fourth of July.

It also triggered a transition into a late summer stage, characterized by plants shedding extra foliage and the vibrant green enthusiasm of early season being replaced by the more subdued green and bronze appearance of August.

The garden remained mostly undamaged after the scorch, but paused briefly before gearing up for the midsummer bloom.

I've been putting off applying more fertilizer, but it's definitely time to give the perennials a jolt of fresh energy.

Summer Solstice

The season may just be getting started, but by summer solstice, the garden has already decided which plants will shine this year.

The green world's extraordinary ecosystem rotates its focus each year, giving every plant a chance to thrive.

This system coordinates on a large scale to maintain soil nutrient balance and considers environmental factors to determine thriving species, working within the garden hierarchy and spanning years.

Nature's complexity and efficient self-balancing always leave me in awe.

If you are curious which species won the lottery this year, you only have to take a trip to the local plant nursery: you will see it gracing every table in every row, all in bloom and exuding wellbeing in a way that makes its more modest siblings look frail by comparison.

The cucumbers are having a good year, which is surprising considering their preference for rain and aversion to scorching temperatures.

Meanwhile, the tomatoes are struggling with the heat and focusing on growing their leaves.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Week 16 Week 17 Week 18 Week 19 Week 20 Week 21 Week 22 Week 23 Week 24 Week 25 Week 26 Week 27 Week 28 Week 29 Week 30 Week 31 Week 32 Week 33 Week 34 Week 35 Current Week 37 Week 38 Week 39 Week 40 Week 41 Week 42 Week 43 Week 44 Week 45 Week 46 Week 47 Week 48 Week 49 Week 50 Week 51 Week 52