Coming to Reality

Yeah, I didn't write the past two three weeks because I didn't want to face the reality that I did next to NOTHING in the garden. I do have a good reason for not doing anything 2 weeks ago...I worked to create a vegetable garden at my son's day care. yay! After that, I think the inspiration hit me, so I did a few things that weekend in my own garden and this past weekend. (Don't ask me about why I didn't do anything 3 weeks ago).

2 weeks ago, I planted a LOT of seeds...but I do believe I have to plant more. I planted my warm weather crops - tomatoes, okra, beans, cukes, eggplant, melon (Charantais), and of course zukes. Oh, and a lot of basil. The first thing to pop up? it was a soybean - not sure which one tho...either envy or shironomai. i have black jet planted too, and so far nada.

This past weekend, I continued to WEED the South garden. I cleaned up the little part where I have my mandarin orange tree, lemon balm and calla lily planted. The mandarin orange tree is a s-l-o-w grower, but it was nice to see some new leaves coming up and I believe a few flower buds! I also realized I do need to thin out the calla lilies. I have to see how that is done since I never did that before. It's a very happy plant! The only thing I don't like about it is that it attracts a lot of snails...ick! Under one leaf, I found a whole snail family! Maybe that's a good thing? So that it takes away the snails from other parts of the garden? It's still icky in my book...*shudders*

I also planted some zinnia and dwarf sunflower seeds in that area too. I think that small plot needs some color (it is my designated flower area, after all).

I also put down compost over the areas I WEEDed, as well as under my fruit trees. I am happy to state that I have spied at least one nectarine growing on my tiny Nectazee tree, possibly (its too early to tell) a few plums growing out of spent flowers on my 3-year-old european plum tree (yay!), quite a few almonds growing (stay BACK, squirrels!!!), and a few flowers on the part of my apple tree called "early summer red". The other varieties show no sign of flowering.

My cherry tree is not showing any flowers either, although I have heard that they are the last to flower and first to bear fruit, so I am still hoping!

The veggies that I planted in the ground in February are either gone (wiped out, eaten - but not by me, dead, etc.), or getting bigger. I have 3 small broccoli plants, 2 small spinach, about 11 garlic plants, and about 10 - 11 pea plants. How many lettuce plants? A big FAT ZERO! Either my soil is not right for them (I have clay-like soil), or things are eating them. Maybe next time I try growing them, I will keep them in pots.

Okay, that's all to report. I'll do my best to keep up! My next big task (besides WEEDing)? Looking into drip and timed irrigation - I need a system so that my plants will continue to grow while I am on vacation for 2 weeks, which is coming up very soon!!!