Lots and lots of rain....

I didn't get out at all yesterday, being Tuesday and the storm moved in all day and included two tornado warnings in my locale (never saw anything of it though). When it wasn't raining I was off on my shuttle run and the store. So I kept looking out my window today, hoping it would stop long enough for me to slip out real quick and check on everything. My chance came around 3 or so and got my jacket on grabbed the packet of lettuce seeds and made my way down to the garden in my heavy boots. We have another few days of rain and cloudy weather then clearing off by next week for a few days. Still getting very very cold at night and is definitely breezy. Definitely winter weather for us.

(I have discovered something annoying about my new phone. If I don't open the google photos on my phone, the photos don't sync. I'll have to check the settings maybe it's something I didn't do right).

 

The plants are loving all this water from what I can tell. The lettuce and cauliflower transplants have survived the deluges that happened. The two Romaines in the raised bed are getting huge! Unfortunately it also means that slugs and bugs have been out in force.

The lettuces even as small as they were I think were protected by the rest of the plants from anything eating them. They were pounded into the soil a bit but nothing they couldn't grow out of. If it had been sunny and warm, I doubt they would have survived.

 Just about every leaf that is touching the ground has been chewed. I hope the potatoes are faring better than the leaves. Two of the biggest plants I am really itching to pull but they aren't ready to harvest yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same thing with the carrots but I know that those will be ready when the carrot 'shoulders' start to show. The biggest ones in the west bed are mounding a bit at the base of the greens so they should be almost ready to pull. I thinned out a few in the raised bed that were growing too close and the roots are developing just fine. I also found more seeds that were just starting to sprout but too close to the ones that will come out first so they would get disturbed. Had to pull those for sure. But look at those radishes! They have doubled in size again! It looks like they're too close but I think there's enough room.  If I get a chance tomorrow I'll double check the spacing. Those haven't been picked on at all.

The snow peas have taken off as well, to the point they are getting flowers! The sweet peas are growing but not nearly as fast, I think they need a bit more heat to really do better. Probably will shoot up end of the month and crossing fingers I'll have flowers before Easter. Trying to tuck in the tendrils and branches best I can to get them to stay on the trellis. That big potato plant is amazing and I am hoping the radishes will be ready before I have to dig that plant up.

As I was checking the radishes in the west bed I heard a familiar bird chirp. I think they were Towhees but saw a rusty colored rump so not sure. I took the picture of them on the wall but before I could get my bird app open they flitted off. Looking at my bird choices for the area it seems they may have been California Towhees, coloring description matches exactly so yay! I'm not sure what they were going after on the ground, maybe seeds from the liquidambar pods. Hope they weren't trying to eat my radishes. I'm sure there are likely worms they can dig up close to the surface and since the pill bugs are nocturnal those will be safe under the surface or leaves. Darn it.

Cold, wet and cloudy, what more could you ask of winter weather in the west?