Vegas: Early summer garden

One of the things I was most excited about when we moved into our micro-apartment near downtown Las Vegas was the garden growing out back! While the intense heat doesn't exactly make the area an ideal climate for growing, especially when combined with the often sandy or exceptionally rocky soil, it is possible to grow things.  There's rarely a shortage of sunlight due to the sparse cloud cover and even rarer rainfall, so you'll need to supplement with lots of water and make use of a raised bed (such as this one), a climate controlled green house, or some other method of sheltering the plants from some of the intense sunlight. Believe it or not, plants can sunburn, too! As "too much of a good thing" is true-ism for humans, it's also true for many plants. That first summer upon moving in, the raised beds were doing quite well. There were squash, who's happy blossom is shown above, along with eggplants, green beans and peppers! We planted some green onions and pumpkins, but the pumpkins got dug up by our roommates to prevent them from taking over the garden...after that, we stopped trying to do anything with the garden and left it be. They had their system, and we figured it's best we stay out of their way!

Overall, the garden was pretty productive throughout the summer and a portion of the fall, though it grew a bit wild and the fruits were growing more sparse or over-ripe. There was enough bounty that we were all able to enjoy some of it, though I barely touched it since it was their garden. It was fascinating watching as it flourished and then began to recoil for the cooler months, productivity and vitality waning. There was a patch of wildflowers who's lifecycles similarly evolved as the months passed.  It's important to have these natural cues around us, to be exposed to a world beyond screens. Not only is it good for your health to eat your fruits and vegetables, but you get health benefits simply by being around them, too! So go on, get out there and check out your nearest public garden if you don't have your own! You might be surprised at what can grow in your area.

Sealed with a smooch from our sweet boy 'Zinni!

💋

XOXO,

NAU