Gardening

We've been having a lot of rain lately, and the veggies I've set out are growing like crazy - trouble is, the weeds are, too. For some reason, the zucchini are blooming like mad, but the blossoms fall off. Seems to be several things that can do that, and it was happening even before we got all this rain. Our poblano peppers are blooming, but just recently, the tiny fruit is dropping off - that I have to think is due to all the water. The jalepeno plants are full of peppers, and we've got lots of tomatoes and crookneck squash as well. I tried one of those topsy turvy hanging tomato planters - am not having much luck. Perhaps I'm not giving that one enough water!

I've got a friend of ours coming over every other weekend, helping in the yard, and it's finally beginning to look better. Don't know what I'd do without Dan! I'm trying to find a trouble-free groundcover for an area in the front yard (the circle where the huge oak used to be where I've now got 3 bottlebrush trees)but am not sure what I want there. It gets full sun and even with weed cloth and thick mulch, the weeks run rampant. I hope that with a good groundcover, it might choke out the weeds. I'm thinking about a low-growing juniper - it's not invasive and it spreads fairly quickly, tolerates full sun and once it's established, is drought tolerant.

Rich has cut down the azaleas that line the sidewalk in the side yard - now we've got to dig out the roots - what a mess! I think we'll save that for another day.