Garden photo updates

My Odoriko before and after planting. I'm testing out planting them in a circle to see if I can grow them closer, without putting them into rows.

This is how I laid out my other tomatoes. I don't have labels in the ground so I took this picture as a digital reminder of who is where.

My first cabbage. A few holes on the outside leaves but the inside is pristine. Oh, and delicious!

Layout of my 3 big slicers and 2 Sungolds on the left.

I have a few apple blossoms left and didn't get a picture of any this year except this one. Also, a picture of one of the many baby apples. Come December, they will be juicy, sweet and made into applesauce!

Tis a bittersweet day..

My babies that I have so lovingly grown found new homes today. I packed 12 Sungolds, 12 Odorikos and 2 Bloody Butcher tomato plants into a garden tray with 2 dill plants and headed out. I stopped at Shannon's to drop off 2 SGs and 2 BBs on the front porch while she slept. I also dropped off some geraniums and a dill for Patty as she visits Shannon often and I don't have time to drive cross town to Patty's house.

The rest of the babies came into work with me. Three went to the front office and then I sent out a note to a select few. Within an hour all of the babies had been taken to desks throughout my building, happy new moms ready to plant out their tomatoes this weekend. We had lively discussions about planting deep, the pot size one needs to plant in and a reminder to be kind to our local predator insects least we get stuck with veggie eating caterpillars. Once the topic turned to chemical sprays, I nixed the idea and stuck my fingers in my ears "la la la la la - NO chemicals!"

I have a number of mater babies at home ready to plant out this weekend in my own garden. Two days ago I had to transplant the Akers West Virginia as they grew too big for their 4 inch pots. I'm trying to come up with creative ways to plant all these maters in my garden plot and I'm toying with planting them in patches or circles. We'll see what my brain comes up with.

Til then, ttfn

Monday update

Here are the latest pictures around my suburban homestead. The completed garden expansion with the old wooden ladder I use as a cucumber trellis. Then the beans before and after putting them in the ground (count, there are 47 plants, with 4 plants in each 1 square foot). I spent about an hour transplanting all of the beans, with the Blue Lake closest to the fence and the Tendercrop closest to the center. And last, but not least, stupid kitties in their new cathouse.

Beans are in

Yesterday I planted all of the bean plants. Blue Lakes are up against the fence and Tendercrops are closer to the center of the garden. I'll have to plant the tomatoes at the opposite side, so they do not overshade the beans. Something of medium height will go in between - perhaps squash or the basil. We shall see chickie...

I'll post pictures an a bean plant count tomorrow.

just pictures

Greenbeans (minus 1 that some soon-to-be-dead-slug ate), my Sungold and Bloody Butchers transplanted, my Odoriko transplanted, and my volunteer mater (remember from February 1st?)

mo 'maters

My mater seedlings from the seed bank were not sprouting in two weeks like they should have. I brought them in the house to sit in the windowsill, which worked quite well for my Sungold seedlings. After a few days of regular water and afternoon sunshine, plus a bit more warmth during the night, I finally got a sprout on Saturday. It was the West Virginia Aker's that came up first. The next day, I had sprouts in all 4 of the pots, so I was now blessed with Boxcar Willie, Campbell's 1943 and Sheyenne. I put them outside where it promised to be sunny and hot all day, and warm all night. I left them on the sidewalk all night to absorb it's heat and left them outside again today, and provided a little water to make it through the heat today. They are quite small and don't look very hardy to begin with, so I don't want to fry them on their 2nd day outside.

My Sungolds, Bloody Butchers, and Odorikos were all planted out into plastic cups and experienced no transplant shock. They are all quite happy and I took 1 of each to Gilroy, to their new home for the season. Hopefully I will have a few to give away for Earth Day later this week.

Beans beans beans

Here are the bean pictures I took yesterday (current count: 50). Within each 4 inch pot, I planted 4 bean seeds (1 in each corner). Now, keep in mind that I haven't planted a bean seed since kindergarten or first grade. I was the kid that always killed mine with kindness, so bean plants and I.. well, we haven't gotten along so well. Some 30+ years later, I'm trying again. This time, in hopes of 1) keeping the bean plants alive (they look pretty happy, yes?) and 2) actually getting some beans to eat. :)

Also below are my tomato seedlings - Bloody Butchers on the left (from 2003 seeds, thank you very much) and Odoriko's on the right. Yes, they are squished and yes, they need transplanting. For lack of anything to transplant them into, it hasn't been done. However, this morning I stopped at the grocery store and picked up 30 plastic cups in which to transplant my tomato seeds. I'm hoping they recover and grow enough in the next week to bring them into work and give them away for Earth Day. Happy Gardening!!