My "busy summer" gardens...

Knowing I had a busy summer ahead, I didn't think I'd have time to maintain a traditional vegetable garden.  However, I didn't want to just leave my plot fallow.  Sometimes I have a good idea, and this time it was to plant the spot with pumpkins.  So, I weeded it well, (a couple of times), then hauled many buckets of composted manure from the pasture and spread it over the soil.  Next I planted several field pumpkin seedlings, several pie pumpkin seedlings, and a couple of wee little white pumpkin plants, too.  Then I covered the whole bed with a deep, deep layer of straw.  My hope was that the pumpkins would grow well enough to shade the dirt and prevent many weeds from coming through.  And I also hoped we'd have pumpkins to decorate for the October wedding we are planning.

My plan appears to be a success. The leaves are so lush and dense that it is hard to see the pumpkins, but I poked around a little and there are a good few in there. Not many weeds though, which is a happiness.

I put a pretty little arbor in the middle of the bed, and planted some morning glories.  They are happy, too.

I am enjoying my easy pumpkin garden so much I may do it from now on.

Meanwhile, my flower gardens are pretty happy, too.

I planted an old, wobbly, wheelbarrow with a bunch of flowers that I bought very inexpensively late in the summer.  They like it there.

My busy summer gardens are bright and happy things.