Summer Harvest

I experienced my first tropical storm.  I thought it was fascinating to watch the trees sway and bend as they did.  And, amazing to see how much water could dump from the sky.  How can a cloud hold so much?  It's miraculous.  I love the rain.  Unfortunately, my garden's experience wasn't as good as mine.  Beryl came through and drowned my zucchini and pumpkin.  I suppose that is gardening for you.  Or, life, for that matter.  We just can't control everything.

 But then, there are other things that are growing beautifully.  My blueberries are ripening.  The youngest member of our family tends to pick them off before the rest of us get the chance.  The harvest isn't large.  The bushes are still young.  Nonetheless, it's working!  We have blueberries!
 
The sweet 100 tomato plants, which sit in pots in my driveway, are also ripening.  They give us something to snack on when we're out with the boys, riding bikes.  Also, our yummy sweet peppers are are turning shades of orange, yellow, and red.  I keep finding orange peppers, half eaten in the yard.  Someone loves the oranges ones best.  Hmmm...  wonder who the culprit is....

Spring/Summer Garden

Here's our game plan for Spring and Summer.  In the front yard we have four large pots of sweet 100 tomatoes and I already see about three dozen baby tomatoes growing!  Florida's spring is short.  It seems that it jumps from cool to hot quickly, not much in between.  Because of this there are some things that are better planted in early March.  Tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins... to name a few. 

We have blueberries!  Their spring green color is beginning to deepen to a pinkish-purple.  I haven't had to worry about birds yet.  I was told by an employee from the nursery we frequently visit that by having half a dozen blueberry bushes we should have enough to share with the birds.  We shall see.   Now-- if only I can keep little fingers away from them I might be able to see them mature to their deep, frosty blue.  It is hard for him to resist plucking off those little berries.

Not much success here with strawberries.  Something is eating them; most likely slugs.  I'm looking for

a natural slug repellant.  Any ideas?  I've read all kinds of things from a cup of beer [apparently slugs love it!], to sharp egg shells, sandpaper [another one too painful to cross], to sprinkling powdered ginger around the plants.

But the blueberries, sweet peas, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins, and herbs are thriving.

The last bit