i was finally able to spend some time in the backyard yesterday after work. here are some updates:

1) soybeans: on the oldest plants, i already see soybean pods developing! how exciting! i could actually get some to harvest before fall really comes upon us.

2) green beans: with my schedule, i haven't been able to pick beans as often as a should, which leaves large beans on my plants...meaning they are a bit over mature. when that happens, the plants think that its time to slow down with bean production. so some of my plants have produced less over this past week. i have some new plants planted so hopefully i get some green beans all the way into october/november.

last night we ate green beans and spam (yum!) flavored with pepper, salt, garlic cloves, shoyu and a touch of tabasco.

3) watermelon: i have one really growing strong (but slow) and i now also see 3 others getting bigger. we'll see if i will be able to harvest those before the cooler weather does the plants in.

4) sugar snap and snow peas: still growing strong. nowhere near big enough to show any flowers, but i see some tendrils reaching out for the trellis. these guys like cool weather, so i might actually be able to plant these all through winter. i may just start planting new seedlings around the heirloom tomatoes. so when the tomatoes are ready to be dug up, it will become a pea bed.

5) broccoli/swiss chard/michihili/pac choi/spinach/lettuce/beets: some are growing strong, some have died. i have more seedlings growing to over-plant what has died. i will probably continue to plant seeds for these for at least another month or so.

6) onions: it looks like all have taken well. most, if not all, have started growing a second set of "leaves". we'll see what time brings (they are still small so they are still very fragile plants).

7) fava beans: a little less than 2 weeks for germination, and i have about 4 fava bean plants sprouting. these guys can grow up to 6 feet tall! not only do they produce edible pods, but, like all bean plants, help condition the soil and add nitrogen. they also add a lot of green "food" to the compost pile.

8) garlic: i am still waiting for my garlic heads to come. i got an email 2 weeks ago saying that their crop will be about 2 weeks late. i hope to get them very soon. im trying to save the last cultivated plot for those garlic cloves, but i may just be tempted to use it for other things...

9) new seeds/plants: i bout some new flowering plants for the front of the house (i haven't done anything, planting-wise, to the front area) so i plan to plant them this weekend. i also received more seeds that i will start growing - radish, a heading lettuce variety, a cover crop to help with soil development and i think 2 new carrot varieties best for clay soil.

what my tasks are for this weekend:

- turn the compost pile
- plant the new flowers in front of the house
- pull weeds
- plant new seeds in peat pots
- plant seedlings into the ground
- pull up some dying tomato plants
- fertilize
- harvest (i hope!)

and if i feel up to it, i was thinking about building one of the raised beds, just to see what the process is like - if its doable/a hassle, how it actually looks, how much soil/mulch is needed, etc.

i also want to really think about what i want to do with that right strip of front lawn and how im going to do it. i want to convert it to a flower/veggie bed. it will be an ornamental garden (not meant to be eaten) but some of the plants will be edible. i want to try to do it myself, but i really dont know if its plausible. (its a 9ft x 22ft area).

can you tell gardening is a outlet for stress-reducing for me? ;-) it has to be. i wouldn't do this if it added more stress to my life!! that's for sure!