Garden Wars: A surrender to Aphids

Remember this photo just posted a week or two ago? Well, here you go today:

Those darn aphids won. At least in the middle section with my Armenian cucumbers. I left town and with no one to wage battle, the war has ended. Fortunately, the aphids did not like my peppers and green beans. They also ate up some squash plants in my other garden. It was almost time for those to give up the ghost anyways but I always take it so personal, like they should just grow forever. So sad. Soon it will be time to plant again and in a way I am relieved, I leave town again and now I don't have to worry about them. They can just die. I would still like to come home to some plants, however. I still need to be able to pick something everyday for a year so the war is still on for the rest of the garden. 

I did get to pick a lovely melon today.

The color was amazing. Food grown the right way is so much more vibrant and the flavors match the color. I have enjoyed these melons and am sad that I don't have too many of them. It was savored and appreciated. Now, I won't have anymore fruits growing until the oranges are ready in November. Peaches, blackberries, plums and melons all done. So sad. If I had to rely on what I grew, it would be a long wait for something sweet and juicy. I can't wait until my apple tree is mature enough, then, the summer apples would be on in the next few weeks. The other sad news beside my cucumbers dying is that my beautiful peach tree has also died. The broken branches from the overload of peaches has killed it off. Sad. Sad.  We will plant two more in the fall but it will be  a few years before the peaches will grow. Ugh. It is a never ending battle. We have learned the need for a good prune. Unfortunately, too late.


I will be happy with what is still growing. I picked a good variety of peppers and chili's for our fajitas along with tomatillo's, zuchinni and onions sauteed up together. I never really knew what to do with tomatillos except for green salsa but they are great just cut up and sauteed or grilled as well with the other veggies. They add a little tang to the meal. 


I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. How in the world did we end up with 70-80 degree weather for July? I actually felt a little chilly outside tonight. It was as cool as a Halloween night and the moon matched to boot! Beautiful! Too bad it won't last.