Not for the faint hearted

Gardening on the NCR this year has been a test of internal fortitude.   A long cold winter, followed in turn by a cold, wet spring and a cool, wet summer have confounded many plans and plantings.  Add a radicchio loving deer and corn harvesting raccoons and skunks and it has put more frowns than smiles on my face of a morning.  The heavier soils in the back gardens have begun to dry out once more, but I was throwing 30% of the lettuce harvest on the ground last Saturday due to bottom rot.  My next two plantings are in the same area, so things are not looking good again this weekend.  I was able to get the first fall planting of spinach in on Saturday as well as some radishes and a test planting of an early carrot variety, Mokum, which I would like to see mature in early October.  The winter squash plantings look good, but they are far behind where they would normally be this time of year.  The bright spots have been potatoes and onions.  I had none of either last year due to flooding, so the large onions and plentiful spuds are welcome.  As always, the weeds are horrific this time of year.  They sprout and seemingly set seed in a matter of weeks, especially the thrice cursed galinsoga.  Fun, fun, fun....