Wondering, inventive trellis and birds.

 Still wondering if I should just pull up the zucchini. Almost pulled the small one but it is still clear and hot so will put that off for a while. It is currently 82 and therefore not conducive to great strenuous activity outdoors.

One zucchini but more coming.

 I was also considering turning the compost pile over as well. It's got enough to do it but again, see note above. Also would rather have something to put it in rather than just leaving it in the ground. That involves money I do not want to spend at the moment.

#composting

Gardening is only as successful as how much work you're willing to put out. So my success tells me that I am an inherently lazy gardener. I just want it to do it's thing on it's own without much input from me. Well that may work in the Northwest but not down here in the desert. Someday.

So the #tomatoes are still hanging in there, literally. It is trying to lean over into the pathway and I had to prop it up with the stake the other day and turn a few branches back to the main bush.

#tomatoes

 

 

#jalapenos

 

Those are only about an inch long or less. Some other ones were turning dark on the shoulders so I think I am going to have to pick them all and put them on the table. I thought I would be using them for salsa every week but my salsa mojo is not what it used to be and the last two batches were bitter. Not sure why.

So also a good shot of the rest of the bed now that the aloe and planter are no longer there and you can see the staining from the dirt spashes over the decades. I tried to see if it would wash off but it is permanently stained from the red iron rich soil. Oh and there is still a lizard that is living in the woodpile, I startled it the other day when I threw one of the logs back at the pile. Sorry dud(ette).

I picked up the small logs that I was using to keep the cats out to rep for refreshing the bed. This bed is about 3 feet deep and four feet wide. Plenty of room for whatever I need but you can see the greenhouse window from the apartment and if I decided to put something like beans or peas there I would need to be diligent in keeping it under control. Bush beans or peas?

 Someone left quarter of a bag of pinto beans on the table. I thought, 'who the heck uses that few beans?' Then it hit me... free seeds! Snag. Beans are so easy to grow and given our growing weather I could throw them in the ground now and may well have beans by Christmas. Have to arrange a string and post kind of trellis. Maybe only grow three or four seeds  due to the space. IF you have no grand expectations in a garden you will be constantly surprised at how well things grow.

Speaking of string, one of the residents has very healthy and happy Creeping Charlies on their porch.

That is one of the most healthy and abundant plants I've seen, well two plants actually but note how they are getting it to climb? Tying it up with string to three windchimes. It does have a very apt name if it were on the ground somewhere it could take over much like spider plants.

  I mentioned that it is now Fall and the Phoebes are back, I've found a few signs of where they perch for the night.

Good thing we don't use this.

Where they perch.

 

There is also a piece of sidewalk that has signs as well hey, maybe I should scrape it off and throw it in the garden for fertilizer?! Ha! Seriously, where do you think chicken manure comes from?

 So doldrums of late summer and signs of Fall but not breaking the pants out just yet, dress for the weather not the calendar. Shorts and t-shirt it is until further indications tell me otherwise. Have to lose weight too, I don't fit in my current store of pants anymore.