Hi SW Friends,

Is it me, or are we having a cooler Spring this year? I'm just now getting my cold crops to harvest. I know I lost a planting to a late frost, but with it being Memorial Day weekend, it sure seems like a late harvest.

Anyway, I'm not necessarily complaining! I'm happy to enjoy the pleasant temperatures as long as possible!

Happy gardening, peeps!

Beautiful harvest, Gina! Your veggies are always spectacular!

Hi Karen!

How are you these days? Have you been able to expand your gardening zones like you mentioned?

Thank you for the compliment. We keep doing the tried and true. I get somewhat bored with the repetition, but my hubby reminds me of past fiascos when I get grand ideas. It's actually kind of nice knowing what to expect from our crops. However, I did put some okra in the bed this time around so that'll provide a window into unknown territory for me.

And, our yellow plums are fruiting this year for the first time! Unfortunately, we lost our dwarf peach tree to the frost this past year even after bundling it up. A real shame, too, as it held sentimental value. IDK, maybe I did something wrong when transplanting it.

We've been crazy busy this year with family developments, I feel like could sleep for a month! But, we keep plugging along like The Little Engine That Could.

Thanks for checking in on me, Karen.

Brought some peas and zucchini in this morning. Green beans and broccoli raab have sprouted!

Brought some peas and zucchini in this morning. Green beans and broccoli raab have sprouted!

Hi Gina, No, we were just about to put up the fencing for my new veggie garden when our well started running dry. We only get less than 50 gallons of water a day from it. We're on heavy water conservation right now.

That meant we had to have a new well dug. The new well needs to have trenching to connect the water and elec from the well to the well house which is about 200 ft away. That trench needs to go right through the veggie area, and the trucks for the well digging ended up parking there for a few weeks while they worked. If we can get this well finished, I'll be trying for fall veggies. I'm really anxious to try it.

I've been growing lettuce, cilantro and some peppers, plus Nasturtiums, zinnias and morning glories in the greenhouse.

My one Early Girl tomato has 4 about ripe tomatoes on it Surprised we have anything with the heat and drought. 106 last I checked.

OH, no Karen!

I'm so sorry to hear of your well troubles! That's no laughing matter in NM, or anywhere here in the SW. I'm glad you are getting it handled albeit slow and, most likely, expensive.

The majority of homes in our area have their water trucked in to their holding tanks. Fortunately, we are on a community water system, but I see many water haulers. I'm sure it's just as common in NM as well. I sure hope the process goes smooth for you, Karen. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. I know you'll be up and running at full flow before too long!

Thank goodness for your hoop house. I'm happy to hear you able to grow your greens and herbs. Those hoop houses really are ideal for desert living, don't you think? I encourage everyone I come across around here to give it serious thought if for no other reason but to have an oasis of their own. Like you, my initial purpose for our hoop house was to grow a culinary and medicinal herb garden, salad greens, and flowers, but it seems to have become more of a landscaping nursery since constructed. I'm not complaining as the landscaping is important, but it's good to know it will work out they way I first envisioned.

Hi Linda!

Glad to hear your tomatoes are coming along. We have some of the sweet million cherry tomatoes in our hoop house. They have fruited, but still waiting on them to ripen. Golly, I'm glad we haven't gotten those temperatures here, yet! We haven't broke 100... It's just know hitting the 90s on a daily basis. However, it's coming!! Once this wind stops blowing, it's going to hit hard.

Stay cool, fellow Arizonian!

Hi Gina

I grew those sweet millions last year but could not find any this year. Hope you enjoy them. 107 F yesterday and a bit windy so it was like a blast furnace. The early girl tomatoes have so much juice, something I never find in the store bought ones. Really a treat.

You're killing me with the talk of the home grown tomatoes! We can't find any decent ones in our grocery stores.

Just digging the new well was over $13K. It is 660 ft deep. Now the plumbing and elec to hook it up is another $10K! We got multiple estimates for both phases of the work and that was the best we could do. They have us since water is so necessary.

That is a big expense for sure, Karen. True there is no choice on that water issue, sadly.

Forget finding a decent tomato in Tucson at regular stores or places like Sprouts. Just not happening.

It's sad there are no decent tomatoes to buy. If my greenhouse wasn't so crowded already, I'd be growing some.

Wow, you grow such wonderful looking vegetables! Wish I can grow veggies like yours. I don't know what I do wrong but they don't look good nor taste good.

Linda,
Yes, the Sweet Million seem to be doing pretty well. Not as many fruits as I had hoped, but they are large cherry tomatoes and beginning to ripen. The plants themselves seem to be looking a bit ragged. Hubby used last year's soil, so we might have sabotaged our efforts. As much as I love vine ripened tomatoes, if this year doesn't work out, I think I'll just forego them in the future. I've never had good luck with tomatoes. I guess some peeps just have the knack for them - a trait I seem to be lacking. But, I certainly appreciate the recommendation, Linda! I'll be bringing in a few red tomatoes for a dinner salad before too long and get my first taste!

Karen,
Ouch!! I knew those wells were expensive, but good grief, that's a mighty big bite! I'll be praying this will be the last time you have to do that. May God bless you with everlasting cool, clean water from here on out! I hope the stress of it all wasn't too much to bear.

Hi PA Karen,
Thanks for the encouragement and compliments. Being that our beds are raised with soil shipped in, we were provided with the best conditions for our area. There is no way we could have this type of bounty in our native soil. I really tip my hat to the gardeners who process their planting beds in ground. I think we took a big shortcut even though it was the only road available. I don't know what's going on with your gardening efforts, but don't give up! Maybe you are harvesting too early or too late? I know with my summer garden, I lost a lot of melon fruits the first year as I waited too long. They were mushy and ended up being chicken treats. The one thing I have learned with a backyard garden is to not expect the harvest to be the same as in grocery stores. Most fruits will be considerably smaller in size when they are ready. I use a calendar to track planting/harvest dates as I don't trust my eyeballs. What did you plant?

Thanks, Gina, it's been a real shock to us, but we need to have enough water. They are starting to hook it up today. I'm hoping we'll have it in a week or so if they stay on the job and don't go hunting or fishing.

Yes, Karen, you didn't have any choice in the matter. I'm glad you were able to get it scheduled in short order. Stories, such as yours, really makes me appreciate being on a community water system. As a community, we own it lock, stock, and barrel and have to go through all the monitoring required by law, but it's good to know that any repairs are shared by all members.

Let us know when you're up and running!!

You do have it good! Unfortunately the first well here isn't monitored, but anyone digging a second well has to put meters on both wells, and provide the figures to the state quarterly. I'm told it's just for record keeping but they do have limits on how much water can be used by a residence per year! We don't have water rights to the land, so that causes the limits.