When it's this hot (105, 104, 106 degrees) I go to the gardens early in the morning about 6:30am and water and weed and groom and pick.  This is the early eastern sky.  A few clouds, but no chance of rain.  

Early, this spring, I planted the tomato plants.  I started 32 cells from seed.  

I planted 7 plants and decided that didn't look like enough, so I planted 7 more. 

They were small and I wanted to be sure to have plenty of tomatoes.

Well, as you can see.  Each plant is producing fruit like crazy.  I've got TOMATOES. 

NO pesticides.  NO seven.  Just beautiful tomatoes. 

BASIL is planted between the tomato plants and that keeps the pests away.

I usually don't let the basil get this big and go to bloom, but one plant is always nice.

When I brush up against it the smell is divine.  

All the other basil plants get a regular pruning.  I have so many that I don't always 

"harvest" the leaves for cooking.

I just toss the cut stems at the feet of the tomato plants.  When the garden is watered the good basil 

anti bug properties are leached right into the soil.

I've been interplanting with basil (in this garden) for five years and nary a tomato pest. 

There is a marigold plant in the above photo.  This isn't the kind of marigold that repels pests.

This plant is a volunteer and I love the bright yellow so I let it stay.  

In the fall, when cleaning up the gardens, I empty my flower pots onto the veggie plot.  So I get 

volunteer marigolds and petunias all the time.  I usually just let them grow where they've put down their feet.  

These are photos of the Rose Garden across the street from Lincoln's Sunken Gardens.

Beautiful Entrance (dunno who the guy is) 

Beautiful Walkways and  flowers.  Lots of grasses.

This fountain is huge.  I used my 65mm wide angle lens. 

Lots to see in this garden and the Lincoln Zoo is just across the parking lot.  

Early this morning I went to Lincoln to visit the Sunken Gardens.

Lincoln is only 27 miles from Murdock; Omaha 22.  Murdock is conveniently located between the two, right off of I-80.

Anyway, I was at the gardens at 8am so as to beat the heat.  AND I was not disappointed.  The gardens are in full bloom and loving the heat.  

I was so impressed.  I admit I don't know much about the gardens, other than it's a Park of the City of Lincoln and that a lot of volunteers (who love the garden) help take care of it.

Not a plant seemed wilted, which is saying a lot since Nebraska has been caught up in a drought  filled heat wave of high 90's and 100 degrees for the past few weeks.

I didn't notice one weed.  

I did see one worker with a small bucket of a couple of weeds she had pulled 

I took 86 photos, while in the gardens.  

As you can see, there are cars around the outside edge of the gardens but while strolling around I didn't even notice the cars nor the noise. 

PLUS

Across the street is the Lincoln Zoo.  I didn't go to the Zoo, but I did stroll the Rose Gardens.

I'll post some photos of those beautiful gardens later.

Both, the Sunken Gardens and the Rose Gardens are FREE and well worth the time.

TOMATO HORNWORM
P.AllenSmiths Blog.  He recommends a "bio" pesticide.  Which is all good and well, but
not selective.  It can also inhibit the growth of good bugs too.

I recommend interplanting tomatoes with BASIL.  I've interplanted basil and tomatoes for over five years and have not had one tomato horn worm.    IF you didn't plant basil with your toms this year, you can always cut your basil and lay the stems, leaves and all, on the ground at the feet of the tomato plant and water in.  Leave the basil there to compost into the soil.  A rhubarb tea or tansy tea should also help.  

TOMATO HORNWORM

Source: pallensmith.com via P. Allen on Pinterest

I saw this caterpillar (and lots of his buddies) chewing on a milkweed leaf and wondered what was it.

After looking in my Audubon Society Butterfly identification manual ( I highly recommend this book)
I found the little hairy critter.  EUCHAETES EGLE  Milkweed Tiger Moth.

The photo of the caterpillar is not very good ...  I GOT BOTH PHOTOS from the website www.butterfliesandmoths.org.

The caterpillar was so fuzzy and interesting I had hoped for a beautiful butterfly, but as you can see its a  grey Milkweed Moth.

It may be too hot for humans, but the bloomers love the heat.

Believe it.  These little pansies are currently blooming like crazy.  I just took this pic. yesterday.

The pot is in shade 60% of the day, so that must be helping.    I love pansies, their little faces are so cheerful.

Of course, Petunias are always happy happy with the heat.  Although,  the pots haven't gotten as full this year as last year.  There's still time.  

Pot-Lady greets all The Garden Junkie's Guests.    

Something new for me this year, a bottle tree.  I put it in the butterfly garden.  

Although, I have not had very many butterflies so far this year.  ??  Last year the 

liatris was covered with butterflies.  Mine bloomed early and is now spent. So?? I have lots of other great foods for them.    I have a few hairstreaks and some black swallowtails and some silverwing skippers.   

I filled the bottle tree branches with wine bottles.  Mostly blue.  I thought it looked a little "ho-hum" so I painted a few of the bottles to add a little interest .   I used out-door house paint thinking that the paint will hold-up better in the weather. 

I know it's July 12th.  But I figure it's never too late to be patriotic .

Some pics from around the farm gardens.  Surprisingly the gardens are doing well in spite of the heat.
I do have to water the pots everyday to keep the flowers alive.  But, the rest of the gardens are doing well.  I keep the veggie garden well watered, but flowers have to tough it out.  I try to plant flowers that like heat and little water, as that is Nebraska's usual forecast in July and August.  I am seduced by a tempermental bloomer once in awhile, then I tire of trying to keep it thriving and usually let it go.

A plant has to be hardy for this area to stay in the farms gardens.

The Garden Junkie is open this Second Saturday, July 14th 9-2.

Something for you to look at to make you feel cooler.  A picture of the farm last winter. For those of you not in Nebraska, we are in a heat wave.


SORRY, but  we've had to postpone the watercolor painting class until this coming fall.


Later on this summer I will post the date for Jennifer's watercolor painting class.  Thank you all for your interest.