Yes, it rains in the Desert

The desert plants are happy after all the rain. The ocotillo cactus has even leafed out again.

Figs!

I've been away on a trip to the Midwest. Before I left, we had had a brutal hot spell that killed most of my plants. Then we had rain, lots of rain with standing puddles in the back yard. When I got back from the trip my husband had discovered that the fig tree in a neighbor's yard had started to ripen. Meanwhile our own fig tree is not doing well. I planted a Mission fig because that's my favorite for eating but as I wander around the old neighborhoods in Phoenix I am realizing that all the old fig trees that I see are yellow figs. Here's some we picked, next to the flowers from the last CSA share until fall.

These figs are delicious when really really ripe. They are still mostly green but yellow on the bottom and very soft when they are ready to eat. Naturally the local birds do their best to get to them first but there are so many that there are plenty to share. The tree is about 40 feet high and so far we are just picking those we can reach by standing on the ground. Luckily they are not ripening all at once. I think these are the same kind of fig that I knew as a child in Fig Newtons.

Here is a shot of the garden as it looks now, after removing the dead plants. The basil in pots in the shade of our elm tree is doing well. When we had the super-hot weather, all the melons ripened at once, regardless of size, but now another crop of melons is forming. The melon plant in the background has two watermelons forming on it. I was surprised when the zucchini died but I think some shade would have protected it. The eggplants all ripened at once as well and the plants are still alive but not flowering again. The okra seems happy with the weather, especially now that it is more humid. It's time to start thinking of fall planting and maybe starting some seeds inside.

Born on the 4th of July

Dad was born on the 4th of July and we went over yesterday with cupcakes and ice cream - and another large cantaloupe from the garden. When we were little, I remember eating cantaloupe halves filled with vanilla ice cream. That still sounds good, I'll have to get a little vanilla ice cream.

The cantaloupe that we brought over was one of 16 (16!) that I picked on Friday morning, along with a honeydew and a watermelon. I took a bunch in to work and we still have several in our frig. All have been good so far except for one that was overripe and starting to ferment inside. There are only a few melons left on the vines and I'm not sure we will have more this year. Maybe it's just too hot. Some of the vines do have flowers but some the little melons are not developing but are turning yellow and falling off.

Friday night we had a big storm and lots of rain, the yard was flooded. So now it's hot and muggy. Weeds are thriving. I'm afraid that the berry vine is not going to make it. Most of the remaining veggie plants had already died, leaving only six Japanese eggplants mini-bushes and a small okra. I'm sure the fruit trees appreciate the rain.

But it's just so hot right now. Last year we also started with a hot spell. I remember taking off for the coast over the fourth of July and the rest of the summer was not so bad. So we have hopes.

Next summer I have to be more prepared to add shade, or maybe I'll plant more in big pots that I can move under the elm tree when it gets too intense. The parts of the garden in afternoon shade from the elm have done best. Maybe I'll plant another elm tree - I can see just where to plant one for optimum shade but unfortunately it will be ten years before we'd have significant shade!

I'm planning to work on growing a few things from seed, starting them indoors in mid-August to be ready for fall planting, and otherwise staying inside a lot until it's cooler.

Most did not make it through the heat

I have to remember that June is the hardest month for plants because the high heat is a big shock to the plants and also it is extremely dry. July and August, while not muggy by East coast standards, are much more humid and the so-called monsoon season usually brings at least some rains. I'm leaving these tomato plants standing in hopes that the tomatoes will continue to ripen.
(Note added a month later - they did ripen, after it cooled down a bit and rained but the plants were dead so no hope of fall tomatoes).