What did I learn this summer.. I learned it's HOT and a lot of my plants did not like it. I hardly had any tomatoes. By the time they bloomed, it got to the HOT stage. So either plant them early or plant MANY of them, preferably where shade will exist in the early afternoon.
I also know, Peppers are my friends. They did awesome. The only thing I couldn't do is find enough ways to eat them. I did find out the frying them up with some onions are delicious, also grilling them and taking off the skin, cutting them, and mixing them with a bit of olive oil and garlic. NOTE: find different peppers, not just bell peppers, and plant jalapenos, they are great for poppers. I could probably fill a whole bed with peppers. Guaranteed to grow here in the midlands. Also easy to freeze.
I had a huge problems with squash. I didn't add fertilizer soon enough and by the time they where grown, they got eaten by squash and vine bugs.. booo! Perhaps try only zucchinis.
Green beans grow, but are just to cheap to just buy, so use that space for something else.
What I for see the next years garden being: Plant fewer types of plant, and much more of the same.. What I mean by that is pick 4 or 5 types of plant instead of 10 or 12. Then grow more than I think I will be able to eat. Because in this heat, plants can still produce fruit, but perhaps not an abundance, so multiple plants means more chances. Also, perhaps build beds closer to my east facing back of the house to give those plants some shade in that 100 degree weather, because in the sun, its more like 120.
A watering system is great, but I did notice that when it actually rained, I saw growth, not so much with the watering system. Perhaps add another barrel and water in multiple areas for plans to grow out.
Good luck, and start early. It starts getting hot in May, but REALLY HOT in Middle of June, and stays that way till August 15th, where there is a greater chance for the heat not to reach 100.
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