The garden in 2013

We have had a summer almost completely opposite from last summer of heat and drought.  We have enjoyed mild temperatures and rain - although not as much as the poor folks in southern Missouri.  I cannot believe the photos of I-44

 

 
 Here are photos of what we have growing around the yard this year.

 can you see the cucumbers nestled among the leaves?  And, this year, they are sweet! (as opposed to bitter like we usually grow)

Below is my bean canopy. I need Noah and Lucy to crawl inside.

 Our LONE apple.  A granny smith.

 When we created our second garden on the south side of the yard, we used the lovely mulch that we created with grass clippings and kitchen scraps.  I just looked like rich dirt.  Little did we know that discarded melon seeds would survive and come up voluntarily! 

We also have a volunteer pepper

 My cherry tomatoes are finally getting red

 Our lone pear

 

 And I have a thriving patch of sunflowers.

A few years ago, Elise got a packet of saplings from the Arbor Day foundation and she gave them to me.  I managed to kill all but the Rose of Sharon you see below.  It struggled through the drought last summer but it is thriving this year.

Finally, my surprise lilies are up. You want to know another name for them?  

 Naked Ladies.