Hutchinson, Kansas, had lightning, thunder, and thankfully, lots of rain last night. With our current heat spell, I’m grateful for any amount of extra water on my yard. The soil is so different here than anything I’ve experienced; it’s actually sand. This area was apparently a gigantic inland ocean ages ago. That being said, I’ve learned I must water my newly planted veggies, trees, and plants as often as 2-3 times a day. The next project I’ll be working on, thanks to a gift from my long-time friend, Aranka, is an automatic drip irrigation system. The lines will need to be in underground trenches as winter brings freezing temperatures, but, thanks to the sandy soil, I can practically dig with a spoon! The plus of the sandy soil is ease of digging and pulling weeds, the minus is that anything I’ve tried to hold in place requires heavy-duty metal posts pounded very deeply into the ground. We have very strong winds, and one panel of the privacy fence I’d put up promptly blew down three times before I got it right. Today’s photo gallery shows a few shots from my yard this morning. It’s going to be a humid one here today; I hope you enjoy your day! ~SueBee
Looks like a Hairy Woodpecker, based on the Backyard Birds of Kansas picture I’d seen.Lily that popped up, not one that I plantedThis grew by itself, I didn’t plant it. I’m wondering what sort of squash it might be.Jalapeno pepper that I plantedZucchini squash and pole beans (from seeds), lavender, passion flower vine, and trumpet vine are thriving in the raised bed I built and planted in mid-June.Various squash and eggplant are going to town. I most likely planted them too close together. This is my first go at vegetable gardening; learning by doing!This bed has three or four various squash, eggplant, Roma tomato, cucumber, sage, oregano, dill, peas (from seeds)… again, probably too much, too close together!The petunia is doing great.Elderberry, variety Lemony Lace, that seems to like the spot where I planted it.The wild hill. I haven’t pulled much out as I’m not sure what’s a weed and what’s a flower yet. Wild sunflowers are popping up, and perhaps that’s corn coming up, too, thanks to the seeds in the squirrel feeder.Angelonia, variety Serena Purple and Serena WhiteView of the beds I built and planted mid June, using cinderblock stones and cattle fence panels and the old garden shed I made into my Beach Shack a week or so ago.The lilac garden in foreground, and some zucchini squash and watermelon (from seeds) on the hill.The blur is a blue jay flying off with a peanut that I’d put in the flower pot for him.
SueBee and Kat 
You have done a lot of work. I take my hat off to you.
Thank you. Physical activity has certainly increased by huge amounts since buying this house with very large yard!
Gardening is good for you!