Let's do a quick garden update. Check out pictures of various new things growing in my food garden.
I'll admit, my cover photo flower was just for clickbait. Did it work?
In this post, I am primarily going to share the progress of the vegetables I am growing.
In the photo above, you'll see I am mostly having success with the #arugula. The seeds that were sown directly are looking the best. The ones that were started indoors, and later transplanted, they have a red stem with purple under the leaves, and are growing slower. Strange how different the colors are from the same seeds.
#Peas are slowly making their way through from the four corners where I planted the seeds. Soon I hope they will take over.
On the right, I have #vetch coming through. Yes, I actually planted this weed. I'll keep it tamed to a manageable level, and then let it grow wild in the winter. Eventually vetch and clover will become my green mulch.
#Tobacco is still growing, barely. It is the round yellow leaves on the left side cluster, with the Swiss-cheese holes in it.
Each morning, I have been nibbling the arugula leaves that get tall, to make sure it doesn't shade out my other seedlings. I'm really enjoying the crisp texture of fresh arugula in the garden, with its peppery, nutty flavor. I would have grown arugula years ago if I knew it was this good.
In this growing bed, which is adjacent to the previous one, I have also filled it with arugula, but this is the wild variety. The leaves are much smaller, and they take longer to develop in size. The thick cluster I was growing indoors is planted in the back, and it has turned almost all brown, except for the healthiest ones which are now spreading new leaves high above the rest.
Peas and clover are emerging in this bed also.
Egg shells are scattered throughout. They aren't doing much good deterring the slugs anymore, now that they have become somewhat scattered.
There's some other seeds in my grow bags from a few weeks ago. So far I can't find any new sunflowers, tobacco, parsley, cilantro, brussels sprouts, or tomato. It is too cold, or the slugs and birds are devouring them.
The plastic screen is working really well. No squirrels can get through this stuff.
I cut a slit through the side of the plastic screen, and folded it back to dig a hole, and now I have succcessfully transplanted one of my tomatoes. Unfortunately, digging the hole and mounding up soil around it had disturbed the roots and leaves of the baby arugula, so they may not grow back in that area, unless I re-seed that spot. This bed will be used for growing rapunzel tomatoes, which are tasty and prolific cherry tomatoes. Easy access for family members to find near our back porch.
In my back garden area I have this third grow bed, where much of the same things are growing. I transplanted this Roma tomato. It was getting tall, so I pruned off the top so it would not tip over. It's doing fine. The little cutting I planted last week here, is not (see the little limp, green noodle?). Cuttings usually won't survive unless they form roots right away. I'll try again later in the summer to see if some cuttings will grow.
Most people stake their tomatoes up really high in cages, but I don't like those horrible contraptions that clutter up space for the rest of the year when they are not in use. Tomato cages are spider magnets, and I really don't like bugs crawling where I reach my hands through.
I usually let my tomatoes grow without any supports, and prune off anything that snaps because it got too tall. The suckers will keep growing from the highest point, and continue to support a stronger, beefier stem. Strong stems support the weight of the fruit better in the wind. And I am a backyard grower, so I can grow things however I want. A commercial gardener would have to use cages and artificial fertilizers to maximize production for profits.
The brussels sprouts have been working overtime, producing flowers...
(Below, can you spot the bee?)
... And now seeds.
If any of these seeds fall, and start producing new brussel sprouts in the soil, I will be very satisfied. Maybe next week, I will start collecting some of these and dry them out. It is going to be very hot all this week.
This monstrosity is what I have in the front yard. The neighbors are all staring at it when they walk by. Mother doesn't seem to pleased with this eyesore distracting her from the flowers.
I see it from a different perspective. Protection.
A few weeks ago, these were last year's carrots growing strong. They were so healthy looking, I thought they looked like trees up close.
The pumpkins I had hardened off in the garage looked like they were craving some extra sunshine and soil space, so I decided to plant them in their final home.
The row between the carrots, the soil here is filled with natural clay, sand, and a thick layer of my own homemade compost on top that has been decomposing here for the past month.
So the row between the carrots, with the loose fertile soil and plenty of sunlight is the best place I decided on for planting my pumpkins this year.
Here is the most mature one, which has been growing since January indoors. I planted it in the center.
From above, it is easy to see how I arranged the vine to grow on top of the fluffy, springy carrot leaves. I'm experimenting to see if these are a good companion plant. Will the deep carrot roots provide crevices for pumpkin roots to coil around? That would be good. Will the leaves of the carrots help to prevent fungus on the pumpkin leaves by lifting them up into the airy breeze? I hope so. Mildew on the leaves was my biggest problem at the end of the season on my pumpkin vines last year.
Two more pumpkins here on the side were planted. One of them had a bent stem, which happened naturally after the stem grew too tall, and it had to let the weight pull it down sideways instead. As long as the stem does not tear, I think it will continue to stay strong. I like watching all the new leaves that emerge along the stem a week after they lay down. Vines send growth the highest stems when it starts to lay flat on the ground. All the nodes suddenly get the same growth spurt equally, causing leaves and new vines to form everywhere. Any vines that grab onto anything will climb up vertically as far as they can, using anything it touches as a support.
So what are these cages for? Keeping the squirrels out. Yes, it's the only way I have found to be 100% successful at keeping them from nibbling off the new buds. Pumpkin flowers are very tender, sweet, and delicious for humans to eat too.
Still waiting to see if I will have any female flower buds. In past years I would usually get only one female flower bud on the plant for its entire life, and it would snap off because it was too weak. Cross your fingers for me that these plants develop enough strength and vigor to give me multiple pumpkins. That would be exciting. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, mainly because I love pumpkins so much.
Also in the front yard, I have a patch where I am growing rows of new #carrots, lamb's #lettuce, #radishes, and #turnips. The slugs have been busy here to, but so far the seeds are actually growing faster than the slugs can get to them. The squirrels love digging fresh holes into the soft soil, but they seem to have other parts of the yard more on their minds lately.
Also a lone mushroom growing. I always leave mushrooms alone, because I want them to drop spores and spread. This is a beneficial fungus that will feed on the soil, and assist the young vegetable roots in their ability to absorb nutrients.
Below is a small area I mulched behind the house and scattered some daisy seeds. They sprouted almost overnight. Not sure if they can grow faster than the slugs have been eating them though. I am finding less and less sprouts here every day.
Lastly, I wanted to share my #grape vine.
This is the third summer coming up for this #vine, and it is showing signs of flower buds.
Does that mean I will be able to eat my own grapes this year? I certainly hope so!
Good thing I bought a trellis this year. I want this whole wall filled with #fruit one day.
As a bonus, here is the #flower again shown in the cover photo. Another #rhododendron, the same species, yet a different color than I showed in my last post. These are blooming all over town right now.
Prepare for the worst, and you might have a bumper crop. Celebrate the small things. Opportunities come and go in the wind.
