What happened to the summer?

It's been a really cold summer. Nothing really worked in my yard for the season. This was supposed to be my "year of the peppers." I planted several varieties of peppers and none of them has thrived. Out of 6 jalapeño plants, I have a few little miniature sized peppers and not even 1 bell pepper from 3 plants. I'll never have more than a half dozen tomatoes from my yard though I have over a dozen plants. It's been very discouraging, but I now know that I need to increase the sun exposure to my planting beds. Either I have to cut down one of my favorite trees -- a beautiful native big leaf maple -- or I need to move the beds themselves.