This year after planting my vegetables in raised beds, we had a snow warning. At 8PM, in the dark, my husband and I made a make-shift cover for one of the beds. We used PVC pipe and plastic. While I held the flashlight, my husband put the pipes together. The end results was something that looked like a green house dome. Then it snowed! The dome did its job nicely and the plants survived.
I was going to remove the dome once nice weather arrived, but didn't. I'm glad now, because I've been tying my tomato plants to it as they grow taller.
Because of our somewhat short growing season here in the foothills, I usually plant cherry tomatoes; I've had good success with them.
(volunteer tomatoes growing with the herbs)
So much so, that they have reseeded themselves every year! Unfortunately, they come up in places I don't want them, so I have to pull them out. I have found that they are much hardier than the tomatoes I plant, so I try to replant them somewhere more suitable.
Cilantro goes to seed very quickly if left alone (the seeds are coriander). It can be prolonged I've found, if I pinch the ends off occasionally. This isn't a problem if I use it in my recipes regularly.
This year I planted eggplant. I love the purple flowers!
Watering can be an issue here when the temperature is consistently in the 90's and above. It is a very dry heat and usually a warm wind accompanies it. I had planned to put a soaker hose through the beds, but the plants grew faster than my motivation, so I ended up putting a sprinkler on the top of a bamboo stick and attaching a hose. It is on a timer and is watered every morning. I know some plants do better with ground watering, but so far this hasn't been a problem.
Hope your garden is growing, as you tend it with love.
Charlotte
