Here's my second to final summer harvest. I've already replanted one side for a quick harvest before the winter frost dates. Still have a dozen Butternut, a late crop of carrots, and 3 pumpkins on the vine waiting to finish up. The harvests make it all worthwhile!

Now it's off to the river for a day of boating! Stay dirty, my friends!

What a great harvest, Gina! You'd never know you're in AZ! You do really well with your gardens.

Wow, I'm totally impressed, Gina.

Thank you, Karen & Steve. We really enjoy having the fresh veggies. I'm already missing the cucs, but that's the way it goes.

I pulled the shade screen back that day and now my plantings are beginning to appear. I put out some peas, even though it's not really the right time of year, but I'm hoping as the weather turns into winter, it might turn out okay. Kind of my own little trial run. Same with cabbage... Hoping the coolness of November/December will kick in around harvest time to make it worthwhile. My attempt at one more harvest before the winter frost. We will see.

Oh, we also got a bumper crop of pumpkin! Looks like we have another 8 out there. And the butternut squash, I'm going to have to give many away at this rate. I'm seriously squash rich!

Getting ready to bring in some shelving and visqueen for the hoop house in preparation for winter. It'll be our first winter, so it will all be trial and error. But with a little skill and a little luck, we might be able to put salad on the table in December/January. That's my primary goal.

Thanks again for the kudos! Happy Autumn!

Happy Autumn! Gina! I'm sure you'll be enjoying fresh garden salad all winter. I'm going to try a veggie garden this next summer. We just need to get up the critter fencing.

I am putting out a raised bed of garlic so we can have that next summer. I bought several types of garlic from Dr Dawg here on the site. They are really great garlics. They're so much tastier than the store purchased garlic.

Totally amazed, Gina! What a great harvest !

Thank you for your kind words, Karen & Linda!

Oh, Karen, I sure would like some garlic from Dr.Dawg! How can I go about purchasing from him. I'll do a little search on the website and maybe figure it out for myself.

We have begun putting up shelving in the hoop house. Step by step, we are getting closer.

Oh, can either of you confirm, or deny, hollyhocks for our SW area? I have the perfect spot for them alongside my sheet metal barn building. I know the metal will radiate heat in the summer, but they won't get full day sun... Mostly afternoon sun in summer. About 6 hours since the days are long. Are they critter resistant? Funny question, I know, as nothing is safe from the critters. I don't mind a 2-3 ft wire protection barrier since they grow so tall. Just thought I'd ask before making the purchase. I think the hollyhocks will look lovely.

Thanks again for any help and advise you have.

Happy October!!!

Gina, I love hollyhocks! I used to have them growing well when we lived in Flagstaff. I tried them in Scottsdale and they all died, even with good watering. You can try. You seem to have the magic touch, so it's worth the try.

Just treemail DrDawg. I think he's sold out right now, but has it planted and will be ready early next summer. You can get on his list and he'll email you when it's time to ship. His garlic really is better than the store stuff. I just planted a large bed with them.

Gina I have grown Hollyhock in pots here in Tucson. They need a more shady location, afternoon sun not so good. Mine die down in the summer and sometimes come back in the winter. I have one that is coming back now from being cut to the ground. As most things here I find filtered shade to be the best.

Thanks you, ladies, for the advise. I found Dr. Dawgs website, so yes, I will send him an email for next year's crop, Karen.

I was afraid the hollyhock location might be a bit too intense for them, Linda. Maybe I'll just paint some directly on the metal, instead! Or incorporate some 3-D metal butterflies. I have big dreams of installing at least one arbor on the property for my climbing roses. I think rock and metal structures are great art pieces as well.

We got some pallet shelving put into the hoop house today. I also planted my drawf peach tree. It's still very young, but I hope it likes its new home. I'm hoping the pine tree nearby offers it adaquate afternoon shade in the summer. Time will tell.

I've been researching button mushrooms today. We are thinking about trying our luck with them under the shelving. They need 55-70 degrees to grow, and I think we will get those temps this winter once the visqueen goes up. Always something new to learn and try.

It's always a pleasure chatting with you both. I really enjoy the feedback and support.

Hey, here's some photos I snapped today! Look at my butternut harvest!! And there is still 10 more in the garden in need of a couple for weeks to ripen. Plus, five more pumpkins!

There's a house in Mesa that I drive past every day on my way home from work. Front porch faces west. Fantastic hollyhocks planted in front of the front porch. I don't think they made it past early July, but man, did they put on a show in March, April, May and June.

I love garden art, Gina! The Dollar store often in the spring has really nice metal, very colorful hummingbirds, butterflies, etc. Love adding them here and there.

Your garden is wonderful!!! You are a great gardener!

I'm in awe of your harvests, Gina. If we can get the fenced in area I need to stop the critters eating, I plan a nice garden next spring and summer. I do have a big bed of the garlic already, protected with hardware cloth over it.

My hollyhocks in Scottsdale were only in Morning sun, but they just couldn't take it. I hope you can grow some. They are so pretty!

GinaY86441 said:
Oh, can either of you confirm, or deny, hollyhocks for our SW area? I have the perfect spot for them alongside my sheet metal barn building. I know the metal will radiate heat in the summer, but they won't get full day sun... Mostly afternoon sun in summer. About 6 hours since the days are long. Are they critter resistant? Funny question, I know, as nothing is safe from the critters. I don't mind a 2-3 ft wire protection barrier since they grow so tall. Just thought I'd ask before making the purchase. I think the hollyhocks will look lovely.

I have failed with hollyhocks outside my fenced garden and succeeded with them inside it. I grow the perennial (Figleaf) hollyhock inside the garden. It gets nibbled by rabbits, but it seems to come back pretty well each year. The biennial hollyhock is nibbled to the ground by deer and/or javelina within minutes of planting where I live. That said, I have seen it growing along a street within half a mile of my house. So hollyhocks are definitely worth a try! Good Luck.

Howdy Gina
Were in same zone. Sounds like your new to your area. If you look at planting guide hear, you'll be surprised at all the cool weather crops that can be planted. Our frosts don't bother them. It wonce got down to 18 f. hear. I lost nothing. Thats with no protection. I'm sure your stuff will be fine.

Did you plant snow peas ? I hope I hope ! I love em ! I plant mine Sept/Oct, but you can still plant them now.
My 3 yr old collards are going nuts, with this cooler weather hear.
Bye. 😎😎😎

Hi Steve and Philip,

I nixed the hollyhock idea, only because they aren't considered perennial. Apparently, the are biannuals that die off after blooming. I think I will go with decor for that space instead or maybe a trellised vine of some type. I'm a little fatigued by watching plants die. So, I'm taking a new approach... Maybe.

Philip, we are close in zones, but I'm considered a 9a. I LOVE the garden scheduled here!! It's been my go to schedule and hasn't failed me yet. Typically, I do have veggies that over winter such as peas and root veggies. In fact, even though it might seem late, I'll be out planting this weekend. I did a little trial seeding in early September, but it wasn't too successful. Some of the peas I planted are still standing, but just too hot still for them. All the others had a good start, but were snacks for the rodents or insects. Now I know to hold off until October/November to plant as September is bug season around here... Once the temps drop some, they come out in droves.

On another note, the hoop house was enclosed in its visqween this morning. Temps inside are already climbing. I'm hoping the fruited tomatoes will now have a chance to ripen. My next move is to research hot house veggies and get them started. I'll try my luck with expanding my culinary herbs, too. We got the shelves installed and even black wrapped the bottom of one side thinking it might be a future mushroom space. Overall, it's been an exciting space.

I have about 35 Mexican Bird of Paradise that sprouted from seed and some Desert Willow beginning to pop. I think everything in there will benefit over winter months. I'll snap some photos to share.

Thanks for keeping in touch fellow SW gardeners!! Stay dirty my friends!

Gobble, gobble!
Gina

Last of my pumpkins. Rodents had a feast on the two outside the fencing. Oh, well, Mother Nature has her own way tending to the wildlife. I'm so tickled that our granddaughters will get the fun of harvesting them on Thanksgiving Day - a real blessing and memory!!

Enclosed hoop house has already climbed to 90 degrees inside... Yikes! Keeping my fingers crossed for the 3-4 p.m. Reading. This is uncharted territory for us. But I'm believing!!!

Wonderful garden, Gina! What variety of tomatoes are you growing and what size container are they in? I used a 5 gal. plastic bucket they sell to put paint in to grow a Sweet Million tomato plant in the spring, this year. Did pretty well.

I'm still in awe of you and your gardening efforts, Gina. I'm going to try harder to get some veggies going. I did plant about a 1000 cloves of different heirloom garlics. Assuming hubby builds me the fenced area I'll be trying more veggies outdoors next Spring. My greenhouse is packed to the ceiling and no more room for anything.