Sweet Potatoes

I am trying something new. I have never done this before. I bought a box of sweet potatoes and Costco and some of them sprouted. So I got online and researched growing sweet potatoes. Seems they grow great in Arizona. So, I increased my efforts and wound up with over 15 "slips". I planted them and VIOLA! Now, they have been in the soil for about 12 weeks. I have stopped fertilizing (the nitrogen in fertilizer helps plants grow green lush leaves, and at this point, I want tubers under the ground to grow, so you stop the fertilizer to encourage potato growth), and am now just waiting and wondering what is growing down underneath...???

Fall 2012 Garden

A friend who owns lots of heavy equipment called a few weeks ago and told me that a neighbor who had a pile of cow manure in front of his house had moved out and left it. He would deliver it to me if I wanted it. I said sure, put it on the tarp I put out back...thinking I could drag it eventually into my garden area.

Little did I know how much there was! So, the garden area below now has 6 wheel barrows full of manure mixed in it. I have planted peas, gold and red beets, swiss chard, kale and spinach in it. I'll keep you posted.

Sunflowers Galore!

I will grow sunflowers again. They really brightened my days. I had over 40 plants. They were all over 12 feet tall. I have lots of seeds and will be growing them again, and again, and again...

This summer's crop was mostly sunflowers. Tons of them. Mammoth ones.

Bigger than my hand. 

Some of them more than 16 feet tall.

And fun and beautiful.