Thursday, July 20, 2006
Garden Spider
There seem to be more garden spiders this year than there ever have been before. Webs are stretched across paths even in places that seem too wide for them to reach. They start out so small and by this time of the summer they are just getting bigger and bigger and more beautiful each day. Here is one that was tucked into the wisteria this morning.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Given that I have a fairly small yard and need space for the day care children to play my vegetable garden is smaller than I would like. One would think that I would have learned by now how to space things out so it is not a jungle when it's time to start picking the veggies of my labor but I seem to suffer from a combination of optimism and pessimism. What if some of the plants don't grow? What if that type of tomato doesn't set this year? Won't it be great to have tons of peppers? Surely two plants could squeeze in where I thought to put one. In any case it appears I have successfully overplanted again. (How could I throw out those last tomato starts that I couldn't give away?) Maybe by taking photos and making myself look at them next spring I will find a way to control myself...at least a little.
Monday, July 17, 2006
This time of year the early morning is the time to check out the garden...it is now not quite 2:00 and it has hit 104 degrees. Breakfast on the patio was beautiful but now I'm waiting out the sun...it's just not fun in this heat. Luckily, I managed to keep up with watering this weekend and I checked all the pots this morning. At least the tomatoes will continue to ripen quickly! Both the bell peppers and Italian long sweet peppers are doing well...I'll need to pick more and do something with them for dinner before I get overloaded with them. The eggplant is coming along but my guess is it is at least a couple of weeks until we can pick some.
The perennials are still flowering well...so far they are enjoying the heat. Here are a few photos actually taken last Friday.
Geranium Rozanne and alstroemeria Regina, and Geranium Rozanne growing through a succulent pot.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Caprese Salad
The basil has been ready and used for a number of other recipes but the real reason it exists is caprese salad...and today there were four tomatoes ripe enough to pick...it has been a test of my patience to leave them and not pick them "almost ripe". But why would I grow them if I was going to do that! Here is a photo of the first of this years' salads. Molto buono!
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Saturday, July 08, 2006
It's too hot to dig outside so I came in to check some things on the computer...and I ended up here! I'm really enjoying reading all the great garden blogs and realized this might be a way to keep up with my garden journal...one can only hope.
I've been gardening most of my life but for the past 26 years I've had too many gardens to recall, all in this same yard. There was the one that came with the house (OK not much more than a bottlebrush, overgrown plum tree and weeds), the raised beds we put in soon thereafter, the mostly grass so the kids could play, and most recently a number of evolutions that have seen the grass slowly disappearing. At least it is gone in the front yard and reduced in the back...I still need space for the children in my family child care to play. But I have added shade in several forms and most of those are living.
My job for today was to dig holes to put in a new fence/trellis. My neighbor down the street was nice enough to put out a great metal and wood headboard with a "free" sign on it...I feel a little guilty for taking it instead of pointing out to her that it was perfect for the yard...I just cut the posts down so I didn't need a 2 1/2 foot hole and it is looking good! As soon as it cools off I can finish digging and it will be ready to go.
I also pruned the banksia rose on the arbor...just a little too enthusiastic of a grower to let it be. Aside from that there was deadheading and watering as always. And of course checking for those almost ripe tomatoes...I want my Caprese salad!
I've been gardening most of my life but for the past 26 years I've had too many gardens to recall, all in this same yard. There was the one that came with the house (OK not much more than a bottlebrush, overgrown plum tree and weeds), the raised beds we put in soon thereafter, the mostly grass so the kids could play, and most recently a number of evolutions that have seen the grass slowly disappearing. At least it is gone in the front yard and reduced in the back...I still need space for the children in my family child care to play. But I have added shade in several forms and most of those are living.
My job for today was to dig holes to put in a new fence/trellis. My neighbor down the street was nice enough to put out a great metal and wood headboard with a "free" sign on it...I feel a little guilty for taking it instead of pointing out to her that it was perfect for the yard...I just cut the posts down so I didn't need a 2 1/2 foot hole and it is looking good! As soon as it cools off I can finish digging and it will be ready to go.
I also pruned the banksia rose on the arbor...just a little too enthusiastic of a grower to let it be. Aside from that there was deadheading and watering as always. And of course checking for those almost ripe tomatoes...I want my Caprese salad!
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