GARDEN REPORT

by Robin

The first day of spring seems as good as any time to report on the State of the Garden.

Some of these were taken last week and then some of the seedling pics were taken today.

Last week, I picked all but 1 of my cauliflower plants. I still have some learning to do with cauliflower but we did eat 3 side dishes from what I did grow from the garden. This big tomato has already come and gone with a nice taco dinner. My cherry tomatoes are taking over the entire right side of Garden #1 and I have to give them away. I cannot possibly eat all that those 2 plants are producing. I had a few more young plants in the Garden #2 but I dug some out and gave them away to friends who retired up to Tenn. I won't miss the plants nearly as much as I will miss my choir friends.

Again, I'm low on the learning curve for Brussel sprouts. I have been very patient with these plants but if they do not produce something edible soon, I will be ripping them out.

Everything looks right but for some reason, the leaves keep opening up instead of staying bundled in little balls. They must be missing some sort of nutrient that I'm forgetting. Otherwise, the plants themselves look healthy and show no sign of quitting on me.

Last fall's green bell pepper plant is still producing but I feel very sorry for it. The leaves are wanting to curl on me and I'm sure it is on its last leg.

Even worse, my seeds that I harvested and dried did not change into beautiful young seedlings with the other pepper varieties, so I will be heading to the nursery to pick out a couple for this summer's garden.

I continue to give away baby basil and cilantro plants to my choir-mates. People must think I am crazy with bringing plants in each week.

I really didn't need these babies in peat pots but it was an experiment to see if I could and guess what? I can. These are 2nd generation to my original fall plant. I also have babies in the garden that I try to give away because I can't stand to kill them. Is that crazy?

All my spinach are in great shape and I should be as strong as Popeye before I know it. This pic was taken on the 11th and the plants seem to have doubled since then. This is my 1st try at spinach and it is very easy to grow. I cannot wait to make a fresh spinach salad every couple days. I'm half-tempted to start more seedlings of spinach so they will be ready for transplant in another month when I pull these others.

I want to update you on Garden #3, which is my newest garden. Half of it is dedicated to things that are viney or squash-ish. Here is my zucchini plant, taken 3/11. It looks rather small compared to what I saw today in the garden. I did have a little something chewing away at it but I put some carbonyl on it for a few days. So far, no further chewing.

This is my bigger of the 2 plants. I have it close to a vine but a friend suggest putting a cage around it instead. Again, this is a first for me and I look forward to fresh eggplants to fry or make into a parmigiana dish.

Next to my eggplant under trellis #2 are my baby cucumbers. Oh they are so cute as they are putting out their first "real" leaves. The oval leaves are the seedling leaves but the true leaves will be jagged (see top leave of pic on right).

They get a little bit of morning light and then a nice glimpse of the setting sun before it goes down behind the trees.

As you can see in the pic on the left, we put two seeds every 6" and we have a good crop. Maybe too good. I'm wondering if I don't need to thin some out and put them onto the other trellis that I may not exactly use for zukes any more.

On the back side of Garden #3 and in the empty section of Garden #2, I have peppers on the way. Ornamental sweets and several variety of hot. They can't grow fast enough for me.

Poor picture example but it was all I had when the batteries died out on the camera. I got in the path of the sun and shaded my subjects. Oh well.... at least I remember to water them daily.

Last but not least, I'm showing off my iceberg lettuce babies. The leaves are about 5-6" on the biggest plants. Iceberg is suppose to be very hard to grow but so far, they look healthy without much help from me. I wonder when they're suppose to start the whole "head" part of the growing. Even if they don't produce like the store ones, I'll probably pull them and eat them like a loose leaf lettuce.

Not in pictures this month are baby Danver carrots, young yellow onions, health set of bunching onions that are finally pencil thick, garlic and lots of herbs that still live in Garden #1. I cannot wait to start fishing again and putting fresh thyme and dill on those mahi mahi steaks. My flat leaf Italian parsley is sewing wild oats!! I have to trim it back just to keep it under control. Sage is still hanging around but I have no idea what to use it in. Send me your best recipe with sage in it. Rosemary thanked me today for transplanting the basil out of her way of the sunlight. Because of it, she has grown several inches this month. I will not know what to do with a rosemary hedge. I like rosemary but honestly, a little goes a long way. I'm thinking that my kids will need to put a lemonade stand in the driveway and sell herb cuttings too.

Finally.......... I have a problem. I was looking in the butterfly garden and enjoying everything when something stuck out at me. Something is growing in there. I don't know what because it was the doings of a previous homeowners. I don't know about you, but there is an 800 lb gorilla in this garden.

Today, it is looking more like it will turn into a bud, then flower, but for a couple days now........ um........... we had a little obscenity problem amongst the flowers.

Here it is from another angle.

I'm tellin' ya, this thing grows an inch or two A NIGHT!!!!

Keep an eye out for updates on my 800 lb gorilla in the garden.

Happy Spring and soon to be Easter Weekend!

Robin