Hello GPODers!
For many gardeners in the North, the season is slowing down. Maybe you’re transitioning to growing some crops in cold frames, but for the most part, your edible garden will start with a short period of downtime until it’s clean and the seed stage is ripe. But the growing season never stops for Dawn Fountain of Surprise, Arizona. Dawn has shared her small but thriving garden several times (see previous posts here: Dawn’s Backyard Garden in Arizona, Indoor Growing in Arizona, Dawn’s Spring Garden, and Dawn’s Garden and the Battle of Extreme Temperatures). But each new post is an insightful look at the unique challenges and benefits of growing food in the desert. Today’s post details all the wonderful edible plants and flowers still in production, as well as recent additions to her delicious mixes.
It’s time to prepare your garden for fall in Surprise, Arizona. Change the soil, add compost, and add new plants (mostly from seeds, some purchased at stores or nurseries).
My main garden has cucumbers, parsley, broccoli, passionflowers (passiflora and varieties, zones 6-11), asparagus, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, and peas/beans. . .
. . . The same goes for melons, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, and corn.
As for melons, I have 6 babies and about 10 smaller melons.
My butterfly garden and memorial gardens for my grandfather, mother, and grandmother are just getting started.
The beginning of Dawn’s Memorial Garden – a potted plant for each lost loved one.
Raised beds include habaneros, ghost peppers, jalapenos, oregano (Origanum vulgare, zones 4-8), and marigolds. Bell peppers are perfect for making infused honey.
A side garden where I let my husband plant only what he likes where he likes it. He planted some flowers, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. There are also grapes and three types of mint in the side garden. Chocolate (Mentha × Piperita f. citrata ‘Chocolate’, zones 6 to 9), peppermint (Mentha × Piperita, zones 5 to 9), and strawberry mint (Mentha spicata ‘Strawberry’, zones 4 to 9). And today I added apple mint (Mentha suaveolens, zones 5-9) to it.
Sunflowers are planted by birds. It has about 15 buds and flowers, so it is truly a mammoth. Bees love it.
When starting seeds indoors, I like to keep track of when I plant them and when they germinate. Find out how long it takes for the seeds to germinate and mark the expected germination date. It’s fun to see how many days it takes for them to germinate. Once the seedlings have hardened, I’m really looking forward to planting them in the garden.
Can you tell that I love my garden? My goal is to create a small jungle that I can use to feed my family. I like to use organic herbs, vegetables, and fruits. It’s very fulfilling for me.
I wish I could grow peonies, I wish, I wish, I wish, but it’s too hot in Arizona.
In October, my favorite local nursery school begins classes on how to grow and prepare different things. Do you know where I will be on a Saturday in October?
Thank you, Dawn, for another great update! Not only is it interesting to see what and how we grow in Arizona, but it’s impressive to see the abundance that can be grown under difficult conditions.
Are you a home gardener like Dawn? Are you gathering the last of your harvest and preparing to finally harvest your biggest pumpkins, or have you already planted seeds for fresh vegetables all winter long? Consider sharing photos of your vegetable garden on your blog. Follow the steps below to send a photo via email or DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
I want to see your garden!
Do you have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a collection of particular plants you love, or any amazing gardens you’ve had the chance to visit.
To submit, please send 5-10 photos to: (email protected) It also includes information about the plants in the photo and the location where the photo was taken. We’d love to hear about where you live, your gardening history, any successes you’re proud of, what you’ve learned from failures, your hopes for the future, your favorite plants, and any funny stories that happen in your garden.
Have a cell phone? Tag your photos with #FineGardening on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
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