How is it July?!

Zinnias under Japanese Beetle attack

The JB's...I spent late June/early July handpicking them off the plants one by one. Apparently those yellow JB bags are no bueno (they attract more JB's). They are attracted to their own scent, and don't like the scent of their own dead, so we let them bake in the sun in water bottles and then spread them around the plants to deter new ones from coming. It seems to work. Meanwhile, the plants are rebounding and shooting up new blooms on long stems in every color of the rainbow - It's pretty dreamy!

We might have overdone it on the gomphrena...

Nicotiana - I want to plant so much more of this next year!!!

Sunflowers!!

Here come the suns

Yellow squash extravaganza!

I love finding bees sleeping the morning away in the squash blossoms

Cucs...Mom is pickling up a storm.

Tomatoes! The weather has been super wonky - Lots of rain, warm but not the typical DMV heatwaves - So the only thing ripening are the cherries so far...

THE FIRST (GOLDEN) EGG! Just a little guy. Saturday 7/11 was a big day on the farm :)

Some of mom's flock ("the ladies") -- FINALLY paying rent!

And finally, the corn. Mehrle's corn is literally 9' feet tall. It surrounds the garden on 3 sides, we have loved watching it grow and grow. 

It is a busy time on the farm...We manage to fit in quick swims here and there for a break from the heat, but for the most part its work work work :) Looking forward to another weekend of planting, planning and cutting flowers -- and I hope to share more photos here soon.