how does your garden grow?

I look out my windows every morning, hoping to see red. It means my hibiscus plants are blooming. I always see at least one bloom on one of the fifteen hibiscus plants dispersed throughout our backyard. But today there were five new blooms.

I know. Anyone can grow hibiscus in Arizona. They love the sun and heat. I also know that the blooms only last one day. But after losing many plants to the frost last winter, I am happy about new life. And these plants blooming today are young and thriving.

My sweet potato vines are also thriving. They are like weeds. This particular plant was one I dug up and moved to a new location at the beginning of of the summer. It looked like it wouldn't make it for awhile. But it's hard to kill sweet potatoes. I take no credit.

I cannot say the same for my one pathetic little jalepeno plant. It has produced 2 peppers all summer. And with both, I left them on the vine too long, waiting for them to get bigger. The bugs got to the first one. And the 2nd (still on the vine) has turned red and shriveled to half its original size.

The last of my three tomatillo plants still stands. It is nothing more than a wasteful water consumer, as it has NEVER produced a darn thing. I had grand plans for home-grown green salsa this summer, but as I suspected, it is much easier to pick up the needed ingredients at my local grocery store, which is exactly what I did yesterday.

I have consulted the "experts," including several Lowe's garden associates, about my problem. The varied answers conclude one thing: no one really knows what they are talking about. Too much water. Not enough water. Not enough butterflies. Not enough B vitamins in the soil. Too much direct sun. Not enough direct sun. 
How do you, my gardening friends* with abundant, overflowing produce, do it?
*Californians, Canadians, Pacific Northwesterners, or really anyone from anywhere but the hot hot desert, need not respond. I cannot relate to you. Nor do I think you have any idea about gardening trouble. Mostly I'm just jealous.

summer crop

We planted a garden this year - finally! So far, our mini yellow tomatoes are growing like crazy, the cucumber plants are flowering and vine-ing, and it looks like we may even get a few strawberries. I also planted some cilantro seeds, but they didn't take. No one has been more excited than this young man who checks the crop everyday, and doesn't even like tomatoes.

These pictures were taken 2 weeks ago. I thought the plants were big then, but wow, they are huge now. I am loving this garden.