As we strolled about the farm this past week to shoot a few photos for our farm and garden mid summer update, I was struck by just how lush and green the entire landscape is.
Especially considering we are smack dab in the middle of July!
In Ohio, mid to late July is usually the time the grass starts to brown a bit as things heat up.
But that is certainly not the case this year. Everywhere you look, there is dark green foliage.
And although this week brought our first heat wave, there is plenty of moisture to continue powering plants.
Here is look around our Old World Garden Farms for July 2019. And as always, we have included a walk-through video of the garden update at the end of the article as well.
The Farm & Garden Mid Summer Photo And Video Tour
The Garden Grows Wild
The garden is in full growth mode!
As you can see from the photo, our zucchini plants have grown to a few feet in both height and diameter. And the beans, corn, tomatoes and peppers are all exploding as well.
We have had plenty of rain to power the crops this year. In fact, we have not watered the plants in our garden once since planting back in May.
For us, that is one for the record books!
Harvesting The Garlic! The Garden Mid Summer
Love, love, love the smell of the garlic hanging and curing in our barn right now!
Our garlic was harvested last week, and the crop was certainly one of our largest ever.
We will let it hang in the barn a few weeks more until the papery exterior skins are completely dry, and then we can store it for up to a year.
We save back a few of our best bulbs to plant again in late August for next year’s crop. (See : How To Plant, Store & Cure Garlic)
The Back Porch
This is our favorite time of the year to enjoy the back porch and pavilion area.
There is something so incredibly beautiful about sitting outside surrounded by overflowing hanging baskets, blooming in all their glory.
This basket of impatiens has grown so large, you can barely see the container any more.
You have to love the power of worm castings and compost tea!
The Daisies
Summertime means flower-time at the farm. It is when so many of our favorite perennials come to life!
These daises are in full bloom, and along with the hostas, coneflowers and other perennials blooming, it adds big color to the landscape.
It is always so incredible to see the many bees and pollinators working all of the blooms.
A View From The Cabin
So here is a sneak peek at the completed cabin!
We will have a full story with next Sunday’s farm update, including a short video tour of both the inside and out.
This photo is taken from inside, looking out at our old recycled barn with the gardens behind.
The cabin is definitely a place to sit and relax and enjoy the farm.
We installed a small charcoal grill and patio outside, and it has become one of our favorite new spots to enjoy an evening dinner.
The Hostas
The hosta plants are in full bloom as well, and have grown to record size this year with all of the additional rains.
They now cover about 90% of the bed space looking over the back porch. Their long, spiked blooms are always buzzing with activity from the bees and birds.
The Popcorn Grows Wild
Speaking of record growth, our popcorn crop this year has exploded!
Our Dakota Black crop has now reached about 12′ in height. And the Ladyfinger popcorn stalks are not far behind.
Our two, double-planted rows of popcorn let us grow enough to have popcorn the whole year around.
Garden Mid Summer Pests – Battling The Horn Worms
Of course, with all of the lush growth comes a few extra pests as well.
For the most part, our companion planting of Nasturtiums and Marigolds have kept our pests under control.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t have to be on the lookout for monster eaters like this tomato hornworm. And they can disguise themselves incredibly well on plants.
Nothing beats walking through the garden daily to keep these destructive eaters under control.
The Front Door Ferns
And for our last photo before the video of the garden update below, a shot of our overgrown front door ferns. We plant ferns in 5 gallon buckets and then place them into homemade 2 x 4 planter boxes each year.
And this year, they have grown a little too well. In fact, they have started blocking in the door!
Ferns are a great plant to fill in for shady areas, and can be easily kept and divided from year to year. ( See : How To Overwinter Ferns)
GARDEN VIDEO TOUR
Hope you enjoyed the tour – Happy Gardening! Jim and Mary.
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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