Hi GPODers!
For many veggie gardeners in the North, the season is slowing down. Maybe you’re transitioning to growing some crops in cold frames, but for the most part, edible gardens will be getting cleaned up and a short period of downtime commences until seed-starting season arrives. But for Dawn Fountain in Surprise, Arizona, the growing season never has to stop. Dawn has shared her small but bountiful garden several times (check out her previous submissions here: Dawn’s Backyard Garden in Arizona, Indoor Growing in Arizona, Dawn’s Spring Garden, and Dawn’s Garden Battles Extreme Temperatures), but each new submission is another insightful look at the unique challenges and benefits of growing food in the desert. Today’s post is a deep dive on all of the wonderful edibles and flowers that are still producing, as well as the recent additions to her delicious mix.
It’s time to get the garden ready for fall in Surprise, Arizona—change up the dirt, add compost and new plants (most from seeds, some store/nursery-bought ones).
My main garden has: cucumbers, parsley, broccoli, passion flower (Passiflora spp. and cvs., Zones 6–11), asparagus, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, and peas/beans . . .
. . . as well as melon, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, and corn.
For the melons, I have about 6 babies and 10 teeny-tiny ones.
My butterfly garden and memorial garden for my grandfather, mom, and grandmother are just starting.
The start of Dawn’s memorial garden—a potted plant for each loved one lost.
The raised bed has habanero, ghost pepper, jalapeño, oregano (Origanum vulgare, Zones 4–8), marigold. The peppers are great for making infused honey.
The side garden in which I let my husband just plant what he wanted, where he wanted. He has planted several flowers, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes. The side garden also has grapes and three types of mint: chocolate (Mentha × piperita f. citrata ‘Chocolate’, Zones 6–9), peppermint (Mentha × piperita, Zones 5–9), strawberry mint (Mentha spicata ‘Strawberry’, Zones 4–9). And I added apple mint (Mentha suaveolens, Zones 5–9) to it today.
The sunflower is where the birds have planted it. It is a mammoth, as there are about 15 buds/flowers on it. The bees love it.
When I start my seeds inside, I like to keep track of when I plant the seeds and when they sprout. I look up how long and mark the date they are supposed to germinate. It is entertaining for me to see how few days it takes for me to get them to sprout. It is so exciting, after hardening the seedlings, to put them in my garden.
Can you tell I love my garden? It is my goal to have a mini jungle that I can use to feed my family. I like using organic herbs, veggies, and fruits. It is so fulfilling to me.
I wish, wish, wish, wish that I could grow peonies, but Arizona is just too hot.
In October, my favorite local nursery starts its classes on how to grow and prepare to grow different things. You know where I will be Saturdays in October.
Thank you so much for another fantastic update, Dawn! Not only is it interesting to see what and how you grow in Arizona, it’s impressive to see the abundance you’re able to cultivate under challenging conditions.
Are you a kitchen gardener like Dawn? Are you collecting your last harvest, getting ready to finally pick your largest pumpkin, or have you already sown seeds that will give you fresh veggies through winter? Consider sharing your vegetable garden photos with the blog. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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