Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?
As you like it - Shakespeare
What does the Shakespearean quote have to do with my garden? Well, it is about the rain. I love rain. It is great for the environment and certainly my garden. However, incessant rain with sporadic sun is indeed “too much of a good thing”. There's been heavy downpours for at least one week. The average temperature is about 18 degrees Celsius during the day and as low as 11 degrees at night. I cannot control the weather. At least, we do not have snow. I am grateful.
In Reutlingen, Germany - snow plows were needed to clean up after a freak summer snow storm.
vegetables in the table garden
The table garden
The “bad weather” affected my garden but I am still happy that it grows. The garden looks green and healthy, but it is just a bit different.
The pak soi remains open and the courgette(zucchini) are rounded; however they are all edible. The cucumbers are a small variety.
I pruned some of the leaves of the courgette plant, to allow the plant to send its energy to the baby courgettes. Can u see all 6 of them?
The large courgette leaves were blocking the butterbeans - the plants looks healthy but not yet flowering.
The romaine lettuce did not fold as well. Nevertheless, they are crispy and tasty.
I removed damaged swiss chard plants and leaves and any weeds that popped up.
I planted what I thought was endive but the plants look like this:
Looks like tomato plants to me. They look so healthy - it will be a pity to destroy them. I will remove them from the table garden to a grow bag. It is too late in the season to thrive but I will leave them and see what happens.
Plants in grow bags or pots
Last year, I had so many tomatoes that I shared with 3 neighbours. Last year, having too much/many was a good thing.
Thus far, I have harvested precisely 5 cherry tomatoes and 2 shrub tomatoes. Here are 2 of them - the split is because they absorbed too much water. (They did not like being photographed hence the blurriness)😄.
The rest of the tomatoes
green cherry tomatoes
are looking well.
green shrub tomatoes
I am pruning the tomatoes - removing the tops, some leaves and suckers. The energy in the plant will focus on the blossoms and the tomatoes already present. I am doing my part - nature will do the rest.
As the weather is unpredictable, one must accept whatever happens. I would love to cuddle them to keep them warm.😀 I would bring them inside but they are too big and have established themselves nicely outside. However, starting tomorrow the sun is expected. Fingers crossed. The plants will be happy especially the tomatoes and bell peppers.
The leaves on the bell pepper plants were drooping. I removed some of them. The peppers are looking well though.
The potatoes thrived - seemingly despite the weather. I did go a bit overboard though. I planted a lot. I've harvested twice and shared with my neighbors. My family and I cannot eat them all at once.
I had too many sprouted potatoes, so I experimented by planting potatoes in the recyclable plastic bag that held the soil I bought for the garden. This is the yield from one plastic bag.
Last but not least - are the strawberry plants. They've given up - they are winterizing. 😄
The leaves are pretty and look like fall leaves. There are a few strawberries on the plants - but nothing to write further about.
I gave all the plants a bit extra organic fertilizer - namely cow dung pellets. As the plants are in a table garden and grow bags/pots - this is necessary about every 5 - 6 weeks. Now with the heavy and long lasting rainfall - the soil has certainly leached away lots of esential minerals.
Heavy rain or beautiful sunshine - my garden gives me a lot of joy and wonderful yields which I appreciate. I am so happy that I started my little garden at home. It was a good thing.
My oasis in the city.
All photos are my own.