Carnage

My garden lays in ruins. Between the oven-roasting heat and the sneaky chickens and the curious bunnies all that remains is:

2 pumpkin vines, struggling and about half shriveled,

3 yellow/brown tomato plants with 9 wrinkley yellow-orange tomatoes,

1 zombie squash plant, with a lone 1 1/2" squash, about to give up,

and about a baker's dozen 6" tall sunflowers, which were packaged and sold under the impression that they were 'enormous' with 'edible seeds'.

I had about 8 cucumbers that were looking quite promising 1 week ago, but alas....the cottontails found them before I could pick them. Of course, they didn't finish them off. Oh, no, they had to only munch through the center-- the most tender moist part and leave the rest. Pancake enjoyed a mid-day snack of the remains.

Next year, I will be asking our neighbor what seeds he plants that gives such gorgeous sunflowers. His are at least 8 feet tall, with 12" heads. Did I mention mine are 6"? Yes, I did....