I know I’ve mentioned this before, but the desert is a place of extremes. It’s kind of bi-polar lately. It tends to swing on a pendulum trying to find its right balance of weather patterns. Maybe that’s why it attracts the type people it does. But, also for us “slightly homesteaders” it means bliss for the gardens!! The grounds are soaked, the wind has ceased and instead of just trying to survive, the plants are thriving!! Now this pictures are from a couple of days ago and indeed are already twice their size and blooming more flowers. Yeah. We are looking forward to a harvest of melons, squashes, green beans, herbs, carrots, eggplant, tomatoes, lettuces, onion, turnips, beets, cucumbers before we put seeds in for a fall crop. The spinach is flourishing and hanging in there. It will bolt to quick in hot weather, so we are lucking out.

We’ve already been using the basil almost daily

The chammomile is blooming like crazy and has many more buds open than even this photo

I am in love with this ……. Burgundy Amaranth. This is the first year I’ve tried it. It’s a grain that I will harvest for flour or you can cook it like rice and popcorn. It is beautiful and as we speak is already two feet tall. It will get to 6-8ft. by harvest.

Our goal is to produce enough to be able to blanch and can some of the yummies for the off season. I’m also considering doing a small cold frame greenhouse for the winter greens. hmmm such aspirations and in the desert of all places.