I know, it is shocking to hear, but we had rain this weekend. Control your awe and wonder. January and February are normally decent rain months, but this year NOPE. I just checked and we officially got 1.26 inches of rain. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it had been 70 days since we had had measurable rainfall. So 1.26 inches, sounds pretty good! It also meant all of the run off retention basins around the city are full. It gives the drive to work a different feel. Kinda nice. And no offense to anyone else, but you can’t beat the smell of the Arizona desert after rain. Nothing quite like it.
The best part is that I don’t have to water my garden for a couple of days. I even left my seedlings out since the temperature didn’t drop too much and there is just something about rainwater that makes plants grow. It’s amazing.
Here’s a couple of the latest pics.
This one is a Morris Heading Collard. It’s a first for us. The family has been enjoying all of the collards this year, especially when sauteed in garlic and olive oil. Oh yah…
Waiting for this cabbage to get nice and big. It’s only got a couple of weeks left, but it should put on some decent girth in that time. I can taste the corned beef and a good Irish beer now…
Cauliflower. Another first this year. It’s pretty yellow right now. I’m thinking it will lighten up as it gets bigger. Either way, it’s looking good. You can see a little bermuda growing at the bottom. The grass is already turning into a menace and popping up everywhere. It is just crazy. So I pull it and wait, then pull it again, and again, and again…
I need to pot up some more seedlings tonight. You know you’ve let them go too long when you can’t raise your grow lights anymore and you’re starting to burn your plants on the bulbs. Some of them are getting really ridiculous. I’ve only got a few of the 1 gallon pots left. A new shipment from greenhousemegastore.com should be here tomorrow. My order includes some rabbit repellent. I’m holding out some hope of saving the remnants of my little artichoke plant.
I hope you’re having a blessed day!
The Jones Garden Blog 
You’re cauliflower is yellowing because of exposure to sun. You need to cover with the leaves and tie over top to keep the heads white. Oops 😊might be too late now – give it a try.
Thanks for the tip, I had no idea!
Does the yellow affect the flavor?
Ummmm – I’m not sure. Cook one up and try it. I’m not a big fan of white cauliflower – I grow the ‘cheddar’ (orange), the ‘graffiti’ (purple), and the (cant recall the exact name) bright green varieties. All very flavorful.
I had no idea either- hope it works and glad you got some rain!!! I’m in TN so it seems we get all four season – sometimes in the same week, and let me tell ya we get a lot of rain.
I like Tennessee, I’ve been there a few times. Very pretty. Very green!
Your veg is looking good but keep an eye out for slugs in your cabbage – they can render a cabbage head pretty much obsolete over night (assuming slugs can survive in Arizona of course :))
🙂 I’ll keep an eye out, but honestly, I don’t remember ever seeing a slug in AZ. I think the dry heat makes it an adverse environment. I could be wrong though. The past couple of years I’ve had minimal bug damage to my cabbage, which is good because my crop has consisted of A cabbage. This year I went all crazy and have THREE growing… oooh…. ahhh… I know, I’m just decadent here.
Lol, oh the luxury of no slugs!!!! I did wonder about the heat and all but I’d hate for you to loose one of the cabbages.
Decadent? No! Decadent is growing water melons in ones back yard ….. 😉 😀
Hahaha… ya… I do enjoy that. I’m going to branch out and try a couple of other varieties this year in addition to my normal.
Your garden is a gift for the soul since those of us up here in the Northeast are in below zero temps with still a couple of feet of snow on the ground. We’re only dreaming of gardening so garden on for all of us and enjoy that beautiful fresh produce. 🙂
Thanks, Judy! I think I’m going to see if my yellow cauliflower is ready to eat this evening. 🙂
It won’t affect the flavor and I am drooling and starving over here now! Beautiful produce, thanks for bragging…I mean sharing! 🙂
Hahahaha… yah, there might be a little bit if that in there. 🙂
Nice. I am just starting to think about getting some seeds started indoors and you already have produce. My parents were just in AZ, had a great time and enjoyed the weather. Their plane was delayed because the rain waterlogged the jet’s wing and then had to drain it. Better than 3-5 inches of snow I guess.
That’s true, better than de-icing the plane. It really is perfect here this time of year. I do have some lettuces starting to bolt now that it is getting warmer. I’ve even turned the AC on already… sigh….
Hi Keith. I have noticed ‘they’ are only beginning to promote collards as hot crop to grow this season, here in NZ. I have never seen it mentioned by any of our gardening advice gurus before, and have never tried them before. Are they like kale?
Cheers Sarah : o )
Funny you should ask… yes, collards… real collards… are a little like kale. However, what I have been calling collards all season are actually a different variety of chard. When I was organizing my seed packets I had one of those… “Ooooh!” kind of moments and realized I was calling the “eternal spinach chard” a collard. oops. I like the chard though, it was definitely the last thing to bolt.