I want to share an update on my straw bale garden experiment. I hadn't planted anything before I left to go to California last month. I was afraid it was going to be hot and dry and no one to tend to the bales. Boy was I wrong, we had a record amount of rain and cool weather while I was gone. My bales were perfect for starting a garden. They were well into the composting phase of their development and ready to plant. Last week I planted pumpkins, a climbing butternut squash and some cucumbers. I planted vines variety because my bales are next to the fence and I figured I would take advantage of it As you can see they all came up so beautifully except for some older pumpkin seeds that I went ahead and planted.... being very doubtful they would even come up. So I'll need to replant something in that spot As you can see from this photo I have some weeding to do around my bales. weeds find any crevice to grow. After I do that,