Tried something daring today

 The weather is supposed to cool down to the 70's in the next week but it's still warm enough in the afternoon it's a roaster in the apartment. Had the AC on for a few hours yesterday but we pushed through today.

Just a shot of Rocky heading into the garden before the frightening mishap yesterday. More on that later. This was taken around 2pm so the south beds are still in full sun. Blasting full sun and am going to have to figure out how to gauge how much sun it does get.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I noticed the front and tallest pepper had a weird branching going on so I pinched it off. Then remembered a trick to make your bushes fuller is to top prune them when they're about 6 inches tall. So I went and did that. I didn't have my clippers but my nails are long enough to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of them had the beginnings of flower buds on them so this is going to set back the growth and harvest a few months. But honestly, they are too short to be fruiting so this is a good thing. I watered yesterday but didn't fertilize, will do that sometime this weekend.

I started messing with the tomatoes and suddenly noticed the lower leaves on the cherry had the telltale signs of mites. DANGIT! Started pulling leaves and small branches from the bottom and then grabbed a weak looking branch... and yanked a fruiting branch off. Oh well, more than enough really left on the bush, and it was toward the middle of the trellis so it was a good thing.

Definitely mite damage and I tried to get as many leaves and branches as possible cleared off the bottom. I have nothing to spray for control unfortunately and am not going to do a DIY oil spray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thinned it out a lot really but you can see how much fruit is still on there. Oh and the cucumbers are both now starting to climb. Second one finally has a tendril and I tucked that one into the trellis so it latches on as well. The two smaller peppers on the right side I am kind of on the fence about pulling. They're not thriving like they should and the one at the back is somehow a bit too high in the soil. Will see what I decide on the weekend.

Now then, about the 'Great Mishap'... this picture was taken today but imagine if you will... a bright sunny day. The kind that is full of promises of lizards sunning and cats wanting to hunt. Rocky was making his way back out of the garden and he usually weaves through those pots and buckets that Dolores has because there's always something interesting smelling there. I was not following very closely but close enough and saw him come around the tree and then he spied something between the buckets. He lunged for likely a lizard, dislodging a pot and a brass wire pot stand that ended up on him partially around his head. He leaped out of the collection of pots (all of them plastic mind you) and ran full speed into that bush on the right of the picture, the one closest to the camera with the brass wire pot stand still on his neck. He collided with said bush yowling like his life was ending and luckily the pot stand came off and he then ran straight for home at full speed. There were some guys at the table on the patio that heard his yell and saw him take off for home. I was laughing they were laughing and wondered what happened. I explained in short hand as much as possible as I followed the thoroughly frightened Rocky home. Well, he got some exercise at least but I don't think he's ever going back into the garden for a while, if ever.

Poor kitty. He frightens so easily and if it happens to be something he's doing, it's even more frightening for him.

 

 

Breezy and mild

 Things are growing, watering was done yesterday and was almost a bit late at that. Soil was very dry and the peppers were looking particularly weak.

The Easter Lilies are blooming like they should, smiling happy flowers for sure. There are other bulbs that aren't faring so well, mostly narcissus that have been ignored and are in too much shade so they only grow leaves all the time. I need to ask if I can dig some up this fall and replant them maybe in a pot.

Found two tomatoes yesterday and one of them at least tasted fantastic! I am not putting them in the fridge, keeping them on the counter in the same bowl as some apples.  The cucumbers are finally taking off, two tendrils on the taller plant so as soon as that gets the signal for climbing it'll go a lot faster. Got out today really quick while I had Rocky out but didn't see any more telltale red orbs on the plant. 

 

So many fruit on both plants! I was trying to tuck some of the branches back and snapped off the leader of one, oops. I took a chance and tucked it into the soil then watered but it didn't survive the night, oh well. Not sure what variety these are but will be saving seeds from one of the fruit for sure for next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little miss survivor Zinnia is growing strong, hoping she gets as big as her previous generation  because that would fill in that bed very well. I pulled the one, tiny little sprout in the corner that was not doing well at all. That center spot seems to be the best area for growing. The garlic on the West end tend to dry out more than the other side. Side note: Rocky spied a lizard that darted from the south bed to the jade but he gave up trying to find it.

Before watering... just all the plants doing what they can with the care I'm giving them. Happy enough for me at least. Might give them another dose of food tomorrow... if not it won't happen until Thursday or Friday.

 

 

Cloudiness and 'May Grey' has set in.

 Clouding in the morning, overnight, clears for a few hours then moves in again in the afternoon. Just enough sun and warmth for the plants but definitely 'flannel shirt' weather. I was up in the middle of the night and saw that it was rather windy outside. Very unusual and we all know that wind brings weather.

Partly blue skies, puffy clouds and green trees, nothing more than that. Still photos don't show the shifting leaves from a steady breeze though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of the lilies is open and the others soon to follow. Nice light fragrance but you have to get your nose right in the flower. I was tempted for a nano-second to cut one to take upstairs but decided not to. They're meant to be enjoyed for others as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I don't think that is a Roma tomato plant. Definitely a cherry tomato of some sort so I'm thinking that the seed must have been from someone else's compost. That's all well and good, thought it was a bit weird finding a seedling outside of any bed and just all alone. Still the same growth habit at least and will be giving plenty of tomatoes no matter. Just have to wait for the slicing tomatoes to get going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I decided to pull the smaller of the Terra Cotta plants, it was growing and had flowers but needed room for the cucumbers. No great loss really, there wasn't much of a root ball either. So onto the compost pile it went.

 

Hoping the cukes are getting enough sun, one of the reasons why I pulled that smaller tomato. Still waiting for the peppers to kick into high gear as well. Another two weeks and it'll be feeding time again and the weather will still be the May Grey.

Caught sight of a visitor behind the compost the other day. Very dark colored fence lizard with half a tail. Rocky wasn't around and even if he was, he would have missed it most likely. I always smile seeing the lizards scuttling away when I get to the garden. Healthy ecosystem for sure and makes for happy garden. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full sun the other day, peppers are growing just wish I had some straw mulch or something to put down on the soil. Not fond of using straw because it can be messy, doesn't break down into the soil easily and actually sheds water. So will see what happens for next year. Should probably pull the onions again and cut off the bottoms on another bunch I bought. The lone zinnia plant is still chugging along and looks very strong (shadow is from a satellite dish on the building). Garlic is .... growing I guess. Not much in the way of leaves but they're still growing. Probably need more food again like everything else. Except the oregano that just thrives on benign neglect and occasional shallow watering.

Rocky investigating the lizard log pile.There was one that was scuttling around that he heard and likely saw peripherally but didn't give chase. He stuck his head a bit deep into a space and I was worried about spiders but then nah... 

 

And watered again under clear skies

 Last time I watered it rained the next day, it's been clear and will continue to be for a number of days. It's kind of windy today so it'll probably get cloudy over the weekend...again.

Photo adjusted for real colors. Honestly, sure HD photos are great but when it takes the saturation way up it's almost  unrealistic. I like my photos to actually show what things look like. So even this photo that I dialed the saturation down a lot is still deeper color than what they actually are in person.

One of the Roma's is already coloring and is not the usual shape for that variety. There are dozens of tomatoes on that vine so looking forward to a bumper crop for sure. The Terra Cotta has some good size fruit coming on as well. YAy! Fertilizer is working!

Individual shots of the plants. The leaf difference on the two tomatoes is more striking as they get bigger and more mature, or that could just be me. The cucumbers are continuing to grow but no tendrils still which may just be my impatience or maybe they aren't old enough. The peppers are still doing well, and since it's been a little over two weeks since the first feeding almost time for another light feeding. Fed first on April 30 then again on May 5, so it's been about ten days since then. I'm not concerned about overfeeding because it's organic and I water a lot. Everything is looking really good though the peppers are still struggling a bit.

There's only one zinnia left, right in the middle, the other three were eaten by whatever was cruising around the perimeter. All well and good, plenty of time to plant other things in front if I want flowers. I was in the pharmacy the other day and they had rather sad and sorry looking rose 'bushes' left over from Mother's Day. I know I could have made a nice planter out of them but it didn't look like they were discounted and I wasn't going to take a chance on spending $20 on a sorry looking rose cluster.

I need to remember to plant sweet peas in the fall though so hopefully have them for Christmas. Years ago the timing would be planting out seeds in October and you'd have flowers by Christmas, I don't think that holds true any longer though. Warm weather has been holding on all the way through to October and even into November sometimes. I don't think I have any seeds left but will check and if not, easy enough to find some before the end of summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another picture of Dipladenia but in full shade this time and the Easter lilies are about ready to pop open. I don't have enough shade unfortunately to have anything on my front 'porch', even plastic degrades faster due to the summer sun blasting heat. Both of these locations get partial sun so it's ideal for a multitude of flowers.  

 Layla returned from vacation. I went out to water yesterday and her beds and pots were all soaked. I'm sure she thinks I ignored her beds but considering I added a cage to one tomato and nothing was completely dead, yes I did water. She even added another small cage to one of the tomatoes she has. 

So that's it for this week, more flowers next I suspect. 

 

More watering and stuff

 Weather said it might have a 38% chance of rain overnight yesterday, I really needed to water the gardens so that's what I did. Wouldn't you know it... sure did rain.... not enough to soak but enough to get things wet. 

Beautiful colors automatically enhanced by phone camera. It's a bit breezy still and the ground that wasn't in the sun was still very wet. I heard a blower and a lawn mower earlier today...had to shake my head.

And of course, I tossed another few handfuls of fertilizer down before watering yesterday. The raised bed plants seem to have jumped an inch in growth I swear, they look a little droopy due to watering overhead but they're fine. The zinnias though..something is eating them. The one down front is barely there, the two at the back are fine and the one off to the upper corner has been munched on. I might be lucky and have two out of the six that actually came up. That'll be fine of course, anything is better than nothing. The garlic is chugging along and hope to have at least one bulb by the end of summer.

The little rose bush is putting out more buds, just love that little thing. I have some rose seeds but don't remember 1, where I put them and 2, whether they are from that bush or something else. Will try again in the fall for another collection.

 

 

Layla's beds are that mish mash that she does. I took pictures as proof I was watering. I then noticed a hole, similar to the one that was at the corner of my bed. The rosemary didn't seem to be dying or having problems so I took a tool and mashed the edges of the hold in to cover it up. Way too small for gopher and from reading, too big for a lizard. I don't know, but maybe? I covered it up because if Layla came back she's probably think it was a gopher and then stick a log into it. 

 

The Easter Lilies are progressing as well, lots of flowers this year and will be a staggered bloom from the looks of the buds. Probably not for another week at the most, maybe by the weekend this week. 

 

So that's all for now, rain, more feeding and oh yes it's going to be in the 80's or 90's by the weekend. Summer coming in like a wrecking ball for sure.