Beautiful day, minor failure and things.

 Didn't feel like hacking back the tomato today. Despite the weather being gorgeous, breezy, sunny and mild. The radish transplants sadly did not clear the first 24 hours, not a great loss, and still hoping the onions and other radishes come up.

Pulled them out and then watered the area. The subsoil was still damp but since there are seeds, water, water. Even watered the potatoes since I don't want the soil around the stem to dry out too much. If I don't get any containment system for those I'll just continue to dig the soil out around them and pile it up. A tower of dirt is not too stable so something will have to be done for sure. 

The peas are continuing to grow well. Don't know if you can see the top tendril on that plant has found the first rung and latched on. Climbing plants are fascinating, I've seen lapse time video of a pea and they actually do circle around until they find support then zip! They accelerate and stretch to find the next point. I do hope they survive to harvest. You can see how little shade there is now, this was taken at 11:30 so that means they are getting some sun in the morning and that will increase over the next few weeks. Sun and warmth is okay, blasting summer inferno is not. Hopefully by the time they're done and summer sun is here I can pull them and plant peppers or maybe some heat tolerant leafy stuff. 

And more flowers in bloom, the ever growing and showing geraniums can't be beat for color almost year round. These are on the north side of the other building and have been there since the previous, previous tenant put them there I think. I saw the spots on the leaves and had to get a closer look. Hard to say what caused it because they're all the same size. Too early for geranium worm and the other one doesn't seem to have it. Not my plants, not my worry, just curious.

Just your hum drum types of geraniums but still pops of color almost year round. Maybe I should plant some flower seeds around the potatoes. I was going to say in the north bed then remembered I have seeds there already, then thought, what about the south bed, then remembered I have carrots and peas there and what would do well there. Time to go seed shopping for sure. 

Marigolds I have heard and read about are always a good companion in a veggie garden. Now most reports say they repel a lot of insects, I haven't encountered that but they do bring pollinators like butterflies and bees if you plant the right variety. From what I remember the insect they primarily repel is root knot nematodes. So I'm thinking once the radishes are done, throw some in that spot and maybe between the radish and onion rows. Instructions for the onions say they germinate in 10-12 days. Will see what happens in two weeks and the radishes should technically be up in 4-6 days right. If they haven't sprouted by 7-10 days, it's a fail and can put something else in there. They're supposed to be over an inch in diameter when mature and should be at harvest size in less than a month. In ideal conditions. 

I know it is spring now because the two different types of doves are cooing and calling morning and evening. We have the Mourning Doves and then the Ring Back doves doing essentially song dueling in the morning. The hawks are screeching as well from the Eucalyptus tree in the corner but the parrots have apparently migrated south already as we hardly hear them anymore. A few distance squawks were heard the other day but that's about it. Will have to check and see what their migration pattern is just for information purposes.

We have both Ravens and Crows which to the expert ear could tell them apart, I call them all crows unless i can see the beak clearly and know the difference from that. Oh yes and the House Sparrows and House/Purple Finches are back. I love the finches, have since I was a kid and we had a pair nest in a fake rubber plant on our patio. Their song is sort of like a canary, which  I've never heard, but I used to have a pair of Australian Zebra Finches and love their song too. Sadly I can't have any pet birds with a feline pet who thinks anything with fluttering wings is fair game to hunt.

Still mulling over making a potato support with the green wire and a tomato cage... just might work. Would rather use nylon string since it can be almost woven into a net with the wire support.... ideas ideas.

Lavender Trumpet Vine

The trumpet vine on the pergola is blooming as well. I really do need to do a refresher plant name course because I wanted to call this one a Distictis but it is Clytostoma, which to the lay person means absolutely nothing but it is importance if someone wanted that vine and not the Royal Trumpet vine, which I actually prefer.

                                  

 Just love that color but it is a much more rampant grower and I have seen fences just covered with this or it's red version which is the Blood Red Trumpet vine... or Scarlet Trumpet.

Yay for flowers and spring!