So how is everything growing?

Mid-August Garden Rating:

Cauliflower - Snow Crown Hybrid: Thumbs Down. I have grown these very successfully the past several years - not sure if it was the heat or the earthboxes they were planted in - they started out great and looked wonderful and then they all stopped growing and rotted - almost overnight.

Brussels Sprouts - Bubbles: Thumbs Down. I had to replant these three times before any sprouted. I transplanted 5 plants to the garden and now only have two growing to maturity. We love Brussels Sprouts - I will plant them again next year.

HybridTomato - Celebrity Hybrid & Wisconsin 55: Jury is still out on these - so far so good. We have been eating some wonderful salsa - just not sure yet if I will have enough to can and I should - I have 10 plants!

Zucchini - Spineless Beauty Hybrd: Just so-so. Luckily I'm not a big Zucchini fan so I don't care that much - but I have a great sweet pickle recipe that uses Zuchinni that I was hoping to get enough to make - may still be able to do that - just not sure. Insects have attacked them.

Pumpkin - Spirit Hybrid: Jury is still out on these. The ones I transplanted didn't make it - it got hot too fast. I replanted twice before they came up. I have some nice ones coming now, but I'm just not sure if there is enough time for them to ripen.

Hot Peppers - Garden Salsa Hybrid: Thumbs Up. The plants are loaded and they are healthy. just the right amount of heat.

Bell Peppers - Rainbow Bell Hybrid Mix which includes Bianca, Hershey, Inia, Queen & Tequila: Thumbs Down. I planted six in an earth box and 5 in the garden. The ones in the earth boxes initially looked much better than the others, but now I only have 6 peppers on the plants and I have not picked any. The ones in the garden didn't grow as tall to start with and now have been attacked by insects. I have one pepper on them - I'm not holding out too much hope for them.

Sweet Basil - Italian Large Leaf: Thumbs Up. I have several large bushy plants that just keep springing back after I harvest some.

Lettuce - Spring Crop: Thumbs Up - I had so much lettuce I was begging people to take it.

Lettuce - Summer Crop: Thumbs Up - really just so-so, but lettuce is not a summer crop and it was incredibly hot this year. That I got any lettuce was good.

Lettuce - Fall Crop: Too soon to tell

Pole Beans - both green and yellow wax: Jury is still out on both of these. The wax came early and produced pretty good, but then abruptly stopped when it got so hot. The green ones started coming a little later, but stopped before they really got started. Now the wax ones have started producing again. The green have started flowering again - but so far no beans.

Parsnips: So-so. This was the first year I tried growing them. They don't seem to be as big as the ones in the store - maybe I'm just impatient and want them to grow faster before their time.

Carrots: Thumbs Up. Having a great year for carrots.

Garlic: Thumbs Up. Considering the garlic was spring planted instead of fall planted, it did great.

Onions (Alisa Craig): Thumbs Up.

Potatoes: Red Norland and Kennebec: Thumbs up on both

Rhubarb: Thumbs Up

Currants: Thumbs Up

Sunflowers: Jury is still out - I planted them a little late, but they are getting ready to flower - I think they will turn out great, but it really is too early to tell.

Peaches: Thumbs Up - first year the tree produced any fruit - it is still a young tree. I am happy with my 3 peaches.

Apples: Thumbs Down - There aren't more than a dozen apples on the whole tree.

Grapes: Thumbs Down for both kinds. The concord haven't stood a chance since the neighbor landscaped their side of the fence. I have to keep cutting them back to keep them out of their landscaping, they are fruiting. I am thinking about just taking them out. The Red Swanson produced some, but the little boy that lives on that side of the fence kept picking the green ones and using them as ammo at birds and other small animals. Luckily that child is moving next week so next year those grapes have a chance.

Radishes: Thumbs Up

Cucumbers: Jury is still out. They were producing nicely, but all of a sudden they look like they are dying - they are very near the insect riddled bell peppers and zuchinni - maybe they are getting damaged as well.

Strawberries: Thumbs Up

Raspberries (all 3 colors, black, red and yellow): Thumbs Up

Coneflowers: Thumbs Up

Black Eyed Susan: Thumbs Up

Day Lillies: Thumbs Up

It certainly hasn't been the best gardening year I have ever had, but it also hasn't been the worst either. Considering the drought and the heat, I would say the garden is a success so far.