Garden's a buzz

My little backyard garden is in full bloom right now. And the bees are loving it. The coneflowers look a little wilted right now because we haven't seen any significant rain in almost a month now. Thankfully, the temperatures have been cool, so the plants aren't burning to a crisp.

The glads are looking beautiful, although they keep tipping over from their height. When I do find a stalk on the ground, I snip it and place the blooms in a handmade pitcher in my kitchen.

I can't believe how huge the marigolds are! I bought these bright yellow marigolds at the Des Moines FFA greenhouse sale. They were just tiny, overwatered seedlings. But now they've taken over most of my "victory garden."

It's the beginning of August, and still no tomatoes. I planted them late, so I shouldn't be surprised. But I'm just itching for a BLT. These cherry tomatoes are looking good.

The baby acorn squash, unfortunately, isn't faring well. I've learned that you need to spray the vines early to keep them free of bugs all season. This squash looks like it has potential...

But this squash has been attacked by bugs.

The neighbor's cat, Levi, visits my garden every night. He loves to prowl through all the greenery.