Bloopers

Every gardeners goes through triumph and tragedy. It's part of the cycle of life... things can't go perfectly every time. It seems that this year I am having more than my fair share of difficulty, but I think I can blame it on not having consistent irrigation (a.k.a sprinklers!). It has been challenging to get out every day and make sure everything is getting enough water.

Here is a little list of my bloopers:

1. Crazy cucumber! It started on one side of the trellis and grew through! I picked a great big juicy cucumber the other day only to find it was really bitter. Why, when they look so perfect, do they taste so awful??!?!? I did a little research online to find that cucumbers are more prone to bitterness when they have uneven watering or cool weather. I have to admit I have watered them a few times after they have wilted in the afternoon sun. I need to be more careful!

2. Just when my beautiful hanging basket was beginning to recover from the very hungry caterpillar, a gigantic windstorm during the night spun it like a top until the hook popped out of the eave and sent the basket flying. Not only was it wind whipped, but now the root ball is all skiwampus in the container. I'm not sure I'll be able to resurrect it this time.

3. The saddest of all... my blue spruce is turning to dust. I'm not exactly sure what caused its demise but when it got so hot I probably should have watered it every other day instead of 2x a week. The root ball was disappointingly puny when we planted it, but it seemed fine until about the 1st of August. Apparently Home Depot will give your money back within a year, but you have to pull it out of the ground and take it to the service desk! Not even kidding! Who wants a dead, messy tree at the service desk?

The sprinklers system is almost finished and hopefully next year water will not be as much of an issue in my horticultural success!