Tomato Killer? Maybe, Maybe Not

This is the one I broke while trying to transplant him. I set him beside the house in disgust thinking I'd killed another one and really just forgot about it. I only occasionally glared at him as I passed to water the rest of the garden. So imagine my surprise when I spotted the little leaves sprouting this morning. Maybe I'm not a killer. Maybe just inexperienced. I'm crossing my fingers for the little guy!

Hot Hot Hot

The gerberas were completely wilted and sorry looking last night after the heat of the day. Then I watered them and they sprang back. Both plants are down to one flower each.


The peppers did not like the heat yesterday. They're kinda wilty and have thin light colored spots on them, meaning sunburn. If they don't make it, I'll get some plants from the Amish farm. They were doing so well....sigh.


Yay! The first pea shoot to find the bamboo!

The tomatoes survived yesterday's heat pretty well.

My biggest lettuce. I don't know why they are growing so slowly. They are supposed to be a cool weather crop.

The spinach is slowly getting out some true leaves.

I have absolutely no idea what this plant is. Some kinda leftover from the previous tenants or a weed. The picture doesn't show how fuzzy it is.

The baby birds this morning. That mama bird sure gets riled up when we go near them. I put a pan of water out this morning, hope she uses it. Gonna be another scorcher.

I like to walk about in the mornings. Some things that interested me:

Gerberas from the local farm stand....I need to get them in the ground.

Laura's primrose, Pinky.

My peas looking for the bamboo.

See...and all I did was set it outside. The plants I bought aren't complaining.

I think the pumpkin is gonna give it up soon. He looked so nice last week.

A tree in the yard. I don't know what it is, but its got tiny white flowers.

The baby birds are getting feathers.

Update

A lot of things have been going on this last week. I built and filled 3 more beds and put in a little 2X2 box for pumpkins. I'm going to let them sprawl over the sides into the yard. I tied 6 ft bamboo sticks together for some teepees for my peas. The seedlings have started their hardening off period.

Cora got the lawn mowed, which was a real problem. Because of all the recent rain, it was starting to look like a jungle. She also planted some lilies by the front walkway, again hard because we discovered it was mostly rock and mud in that area. But my dear sister is stubborn and they got put where we wanted them.

I checked out the newly opened nursery just down the road. They are from a local Amish farm and the prices were great. I picked up a 4-pack of La Roma II toms, 2 Big Boy toms, 2 Better Boy toms for the garden. Picked up 1 red and 1 yellow gerbera daisy plants. If my cherry tomatoes don't survive (and I killed one this morning), then I'll be grabbing some of those.

I'm hoping to get the cukes and watermelon out in the garden later this week. Looks like a pretty cold evening mid-week, so I'll be waiting until later to plant them. I started some marigolds yesterday.

Box #1

Maestro Shelling Peas (planted)
Short & Sweet carrots (planted)
Nevada Loose Leaf Letuce (planted)
Baby's Leaf Spinach (planted)
Evergreen Long White Bunching Onions (planted)

Box #2

Roma Tomatoes (La Roma II transplanted)
Big Boy Tomatoes (Transplanted)
*Better Boy Tomatoes (Transplanted)

Box #3
Bush Sugar Baby Watermelon
Silver Queen Corn (planted)

Box #4
Bush Blue Lake Beans (planted)
Pickler Cucumbers
California Wonder Peppers (transplanted)
Gardener's Delight Cherry Tomatoes

*Box #5
*Triple Treat pumpkin

That's the update. Enjoy the pics in the previous post!

Pictures this week and last week

Lillies that Cora planted in front. They're should be a nice orange. Diane gave them to us from her garden. I'm crossing my fingers they bloom this year.















All the beds done.















The tomato bed. I used plants bought from the local Amish farm. Cause I'm a tomato killer.















One of the Big Boy's.
















The peppers have been transplanted. They've spent the last 3 days outside. They should do fine.















The pumpkin was just fine last week, but then I tried to start hardening it off and is down to its largest leaf being the only survivor. The box is a 2X2 that is where it's going to live (if it does) or I will be planting new seeds directly in the box.











































The peas are putting out tendrils for the bamboo I put out. I'm hoping they'll be strong enough, if not, I'll be scrambling for a trellis.















Proof that I'm a tomato killer. I don't seem to be able to keep the poor things alive. I was trying to transplant it.















Just because sometimes weeds are beautiful















The baby birds have hatched in the holly bush














Strawberry, last week and this week. I've already eaten one. Cause I can.





























Cucumbers and watermelon seedlings, last week and this week. Not much difference except for the larger first leaves.





























This is some left over bulbs















and my only sprouting rudbekia

Sunburned Plants?

Apparently, you can sunburn your plants. After potting up my tomato seedling, I had the bright idea of setting them outside, thinking they'd love the sun. Boy was I ever wrong. Their little leaves turned silvery and shriveled. I may have killed them. So, I put out some new seeds for germination. I'm crossing my fingers they won't get all leggy on me and I can put them out before I have a chance to love 'em to death.

I've purchased supplies for beds 2 & 3. Hopefully the weather will cooperate soon and dry up enough for me to build them. I'm itching to get them done and planted. The weeds are popping up with dandelions and little purple flowers that I don't know the name of, so veggies should grow, right? Besides, my little Neon was not designed to hold 12 cubic feet of soil.

I've got all sorts of sprouts in bed 1. And, I must have been daydreaming or something, because I've apparently planted spinach and onions in the exact same square. Then I had Miss Beide plant lettuce too. So much for remembering what goes where. So eat up those popsicles, dear daughter....mommy has some labeling to do.

In the Garden

A bird's nest in a holly bush. Not really garden stuff, but I think it's cool.

My onion sprouts...ok, kinda fuzzy, but I'm not a professional.

Pretty peas, not exactly in a row

Box #1 The fencing is temporary. It keeps the bird netting up and the plastic.

A tulip from the fall bulbs.

From the fall bulbs. My dear daughter stomped them under the snow. They aren't diseased or eaten up. I'm surprised they survived.

My blog

Every plant I ever had has died, except my pothos. I think those things can live on a drop of water a month in total darkness. So what am I doing gardening? I've no idea.

We just moved into this house June of 2008. It has a huge yard and no landscaping really. I began picturing flowers and a veggie garden. My sister wouldn't cooperate and do it for me. She has grown stuff after all. So, it was up to me. I planted some crocus, daffodil, and tulips (in the wrong spot) bulbs last fall. I figured, if they survive, I might have a chance.

They did survive and now I'm putting in a veggie garden, squarefoot style. I have one 4X4 box currently, with plans for 3 more in the next two weeks. My kitchen is over run with seedlings, bags of soil, and seed packets. But it sure is fun.

My current plan for the garden:

Box #1

Maestro Shelling Peas (planted)
Short & Sweet carrots (planted)
Nevada Loose Leaf Letuce (planted
Baby's Leaf Spinach (planted)
Evergreen Long White Bunching Onions (planted

Box #2

Roma Tomatoes
Big Boy Tomatoes

Box #3
Bush Sugar Baby Watermelon
Silver Queen Corn

Box #4
Bush Blue Lake Beans
Pickler Cucumbers
California Wonder Peppers
Gardener's Delight Cherry Tomatoes


I'm not expecting a huge harvest. I'm trying to see what growns well, what doesn't. This is my experiment. I'm also growing some impatiens for my shaded porch.

Now, off to take some pictures!