A bit cooler today, yay!

 It is now 2:30 pm and we have yet to start the AC because it's only gotten up to 82, but just might run it for a few hours to get ahead of the afternoon blast furnace in the front of the apartment. So breezy and warm but tolerable. Not that many pictures really, so here's a repeat for the thumbnail should it choose today's post for an image.

 Crepe myrtles still blooming but didn't walk that direction yesterday.

Manny was out yesterday but not today or last night so likely is hiding somewhere and laying low. I watered the wall to raise the humidity just in case. Definitely cooler and more humid closer to the ground. I keep forgetting to bring my clippers down to the garden, I stop at my basket, pick up my hat, pause and ruffle through my memory to see if I need anything else and then head for the door.

I 'think' that little tomatillo is actually growing. It's stiffer at the base and bigger around than the other ones that have lost their flowers. Considering I need about ten to make a good salsa it's not really a milestone. The tomatoes are all forming up nicely and have four at the moment that will be ready in a couple of weeks. Tomatoes, in September....such a late, late crop this year. Sigh. I also twisted off a good number of the failed fruit on the squash. It is so full of fruit that if I had enough male flowers I would be giving them away like zucchini. Such failure crop this year on everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I wanted to show in these photos is the unusual flower parts and how they're arranged.  The pollen bearing anthers are curved over the central pistil so it's very difficult to get any cross pollinating done with anything other than tweezers and a q-tip. The only way I can see is pulling the anthers off the receiving flower and removing the pistil from the donator flower and then try not to break any of the parts in the process. Totally and completely not worth my time and energy so this will be a no go next time. I'll stick with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers for the summer. 

It's a lot like corn, you need a lot of space for as many plants as possible for cross pollinating. I also planted much too late, like the tomatoes, so the heat is doing a number on the flowers and preventing pollination. I'd rather grow tomatoes honestly but it was worth a shot.

That's all I have for today,doldrums of summer.