For instance, last week I went to Home Depot to find a tomato cage. I came home with 3 more tomato plants, 4 more pepper varieties, another watermelon, more okra and not one, but 4 tomato cages! You know, since I had to buy cages for the new plants I got. Geesh. But I am finding more and more heirloom varieties in the garden centers which is great since that is what I start from seed. I did buy an Early Girl, which is a hybrid, but I thought it would be nice to have some early tomatoes. But, my cherry tomato plant is the clear winner in the tomato category so far. Because of all my new purchases I had to add an addition to my main bed in back.
So last week the girls and I dug a 4 x 8 extension. Okay, it was mostly me, but the girls were in the general vicinity. Nin was the Worm Captain. Everytime a worm was uncovered she would pick it up, dangle it in her sister's face to illicit a scream and then run over and toss it in the compost pile. Kk bless her heart, tried to help and accomplished more than her sister, but everytime we came across a worm she would scream and run for cover. Geesh. Girls.
See the right side of the pic, how there is no plank in the front? That is the addition!
We have already planted the 3 tomato plants, 2 of the peppers and 4 okra in there!
Volunteers! Some years, like last year, we have great volunteers in the garden. Last year a tomato popped up and produced all year long for us! It was in kind of a bad spot, a little too close to another tomato, but he did alright! This year, we have 2 cilantro volunteers and one in the back that is not yet identified. At first I was sure it was a canteloupe but now I am not so sure. Anyway, he is too close to the okra so I might have to find somewhere for him
What do you think? Canteloupe?
The girls have had fun playing in the fairy garden recently. Someone, or something, took all the sticks the girls colelcted and began poking them in the garden making structures....
The flowers are doing excellent!
snapdragons
We also put a fire pit in back where the girls built a fort. Hubby dug a hole, lined it with rocks and then stacked some sticks in it. The first night they made Smores! It was 90degrees and very windy, but they were determined!
Hubs even whittled down some sticks for the marshmallows!
Other gardening events!
peppers with onions at the top
zuchini (which always does really great in our garden)
Peppers, with mulch. Hubs raked out a bunch of leaves from the fence, ran over them with the lawn mower then dumped them in the garden. I still need more, but he said I had to rake the leaves. Yeah, that didn't happen...
A potato has sprouted in the compost bin. It's doing really really great in there, but it had to be moved. I planted it just as a experiment!
Look at this beauty!
Moon flower from a friend. She got some sprigs from a building downtown that was just pruning and throwing them away. She gave me a few to plant for the girls. They are supposed to bloom at night!
And finally, what is this? Is it a weed? I planted a bunch of hyssup seeds in the front garden and there are a bunch of these. I don't want to pull them in case they are my hyssup!
what a fun week! so much happening in there.
ReplyDeletei have a similar affliction when it comes to garden stores. that and i absolutely can't refuse when a friend offers me some of their plants. how can you turn down free plants?!
we just found some mystery volunteers the other day as well - it's like waiting for christmas as we watch them grow until we know what they are. i think ours are some sort of pumpkin or gourd, but not sure yet!
Looks so great! I know what you mean about the girls "being in the vicinity" sometimes that is the best thing to do!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing your cantaloupe volunteer will be a cross of some sort. Those volunteers love to mix and so the seed is not true, but it all depends on what you had there last year, or if you used compost -what was in the compost! Should be a fun surprise anyway!
I have great memories of snapdragons from growing up in the south.
so cilantro will 'volunteer'?? we planted ours in a pot... do i need to let it go to seed and then collect the seed? if it is easy enough, i will let it volunteer as much as it likes! :)
ReplyDeleteyour extended bed looks lovely, i hope it is very productive for you!
We had a cilantro volunteer too...which made me very happy, since I sometimes have a hard time starting mine from seed.
ReplyDeleteLove the marshmallow photo!
We have pear tomato volunteers! I'm super stoked about it. Your gardens are looking great. I have to stay way from garden stores too cause I can't hardly turn down baby plants!
ReplyDeleteMy friend told me last year when the cilantro goes to seed just let it hang out and when the seeds fall to the group just to rub them in my with foot and they will pop up again the next year. So I did and voila! Cilantro volunteers. :)
ReplyDeleteEverything looks wonderful! Your girl with the marshmallow looks like she conquered the world. Determination is a good quality to have.
ReplyDelete