Perturbed and disgustipated

 I didn't think it would be I always have that little glimmer of hope in situations. It is now after 11 am and we are closing up for the day. Going to be 91 in about an hour and it's already half way to 90 in the apartment.

This is what I saw going out in the evening yesterday. The sunflower totally keeled over from being bumped from the bottom. Totally disgustipated as you can imagine.

That's how much root was left, pulling it out I could feel some roots still anchoring it but I didn't care at that point, it was a goner. Despite that I planted it, best I could with the pepper and watered.

In the process of digging around to plug the tunnel (on the right of the picture) I discovered a large root. No bigger around than a pencil but that's big when you consider it's coming from the direction of the building wall. It was a live root also and the only thing I can think of is roots from the liquidamber had hit the foundation and just run around and a side root came out there. I wasn't going to try and chop it out, not worth the hassle and I'm more concerned with the gopher incursion.

Are the garden gods smiting me for being judgemental about the other lady's garden? I didn't think it would survive but The other sunflower is still okay so far, a little droopy due to heat but I can hope it will survive to bloom in a few days. The other pepper is still hanging in there, hoping the fertilizer is doing some good. Anything is better than nothing right?

 

Lace bugs... sigh. The other sunflower with the side blooms is still hanging in there but seems the bugs are getting that as well. Normally I would deal with the bugs immediately but...you know.

Lots of flowers for sure but no way to trigger female flowers. I will get a stick or something and brush the male flowers to imitate pollinators and see if that helps. Worth a shot right?

The bean at the back shows signs of bug damage but they're all still healthy and growing. The heat may be slowing everything down at this point so I may try a second crop in a month. With wire mesh under them.

 

Sometimes you have to help nature along a little. The tendril on that vine was curled up but not attached to anything so I gently wrapped it around the pole and hooked the end curls to itself. Peppers on the other plant are growing, the leaves are looking a bit yellow, hoping fertilizer corrects that and gives it a boost.

Wonder what would happen if we just stopped planting anything there? Gopher needs food but if there's no food in the area then it should move on to better pastures right? Is it even eating the jade roots? Can't tell because it technically is so big half could get eaten and it would act like nothing was wrong. 

 

I do what I can with what I've got and can only hope for a better situation down the line some day.