If this is the tropics I'm not moving there

 I slept better last night thankfully but we are closed up at 10:30 AM because it's already 87 and projected to be 92 today. It didn't cool down last night to below 80 until close to 9pm. That's important because with the AC we keep it about that all day inside. Cooler where I sit at the desk because I'm in the same room with it.

The tropical storm coming up is supposed to hit Sunday with a 80% chance of rain and temperature in the 80's and wind may be 10-20 mph. Some people in my garden groups are all panicking about what to do with the wind and rain coming. Oh for heaven's sake! Yes we'll get wind and rain but it isn't a hurricane! 

Meanwhile, back at the garden. No wind right now and the obligatory flower pictures.

Paradise and Tiffany are blooming even though the flowers are small, they still are gorgeous and smell wonderful.

Some wildlife was seen as well. Two butterflies that moved entirely too fast to get a picture, one was a little blue grey one and the other was a pale cream. Then there was the Swallowtail that decided to rest in the sycamore tree. I've also seen the buttery yellow Sulphur butterflies that only are seen when the Cassia trees are in bloom. Coincidence? I think not! 

 

That was the best picture I could get using zoom on my camera. It was a lot closer than it looks but you know phone cameras.... 

 

 

Dolores' pumpkin vine is blooming and has a female flower now. She doesn't care about the fruit she's just growing it for the leaves.

 

In comparison, my cucumber flowers are only about an inch across. Mostly males again, some are opening with really short stems so definitely not females.

 

 Pill bugs are climbing into the flowers apparently and doing something. Hiding is my guess, hope they aren't eating the stamens. There are plenty of flowers thankfully and the vine is rapidly escaping the confines of the bed. 

Those two tomatoes should be ready to pick but I've gently tugged on them for two days and neither are coming off easily. Will try again tonight, not like I don't have any other tomatoes to use. I have an entire bag full in the fridge of tomatoes I need to pull out and see if they're still good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can see why this is a popular tomato to use for canning and sauces. Most of these came from just two bushes!  Now, they are not bright red ripe, mostly a scarlet orange but I returned them to the fridge with an apple in the bag to help speed the process.

This hose is getting ridiculous. There are now four breaks and the original one I taped up is now failing. I don't have the money for a new hose or even the tape to repair this one. Frankly, it's not worth repairing and I might even spring for the 50' 'pocket' hose eventually, but the other two gardeners might not know how to use it properly. Wonder if they'd pitch in ten dollars for the cost of a new one? They don't have a nozzle like I do and usually stick it in the aloe or the orange tree while they go back to turn it off. It comes with a nozzle on it and that's another level of complication. I would have to post the instructions for them in the garden.

I took pictures of me watering, not just for the hose but so I can not doubt myself on when I watered. The soil in that west bed was dry down about two inches already. The raised bed and the south bed were still damp on the surface. What a difference the soil makes! And position as well.

Another day, another heatwave.  I hate being shut inside all day and looking forward to having the windows and door open all day with a breeze blowing through.

 

 

Another gorgeous day, it rained some yesterday

I was busy yesterday but had a few moments free so I went out to get some pictures but then got busy and forgot to post yesterday. Catching up today with pictures from yesterday first. It was very cold overnight, I had kept the seedlings in the kitchen window most of the day, Rocky thankfully didn't try to eat them or knock them over. Yay for greenies getting some sunshine! It's another gorgeous blue sky with puffy white and grey clouds today. Bit of a cool wind but other than that, wonderful weather for a walk in the park. Again.

 They are really stretched out looking for light which is why I'm putting them in the window. The only spot I have out of the way is in a dark corner. I am also 'pre-thinning' so any seeds that aren't coming up quickly or at all I'm pulling with tweezers (flat nose jewelry pliers was all I had). 

The cilantro is at least 4" tall and growing really well, so proud of that compared to the one or two from last year. Just absolutely busting with pride at how well everything is doing. Now remember the snail shell I found in the bed the other day? None today but I am really frustrated at the potato bed so I looked around and realized, there's bark, small logs, all manner of things for them to hide under. Bingo!

Found two big ones and one small one, I'm sure the three of them aren't responsible for all the damage on the potatoes but at least it's three less than there were before. The little cones from the mulch are about the same shape and size so kept having to look closer at them. I tossed those little bastiges all the way out of the garden with the trowel. I don't like smashing snails.

 

 

 

Gophers already. Luckily all that may be in danger in my beds are the lettuce and potatoes. Last year the gophers got in the bed where the raised bed is now. Good luck getting through the poultry netting, logs and leaves ya mangy rodents.

If I ever get a chance I will put one of those grow bags or a different kind of raised bed where the potatoes are now. This year, that's going to be the tomato bed but I have enough tomatoes to plant the entire raised bed and then some.

Looking good today, was out way earlier than usual so shadows are definitely showing up. The radishes are good, and that garlic cluster I planted... I decided to dig it up and separate all the cloves that are growing. More than enough room.

As I was digging the trench for the garlic... a surprise. A worm has found it's way up through everything! Amazing! No that doesn't mean the gophers could get in there, worms are smaller for sure and likely it may have come on some soil I threw in there before putting the bedding soil in.

A total of seven usable cloves, a few were too small or not sprouted and I threw them on the compost, missed on one of them so will see if they decide to keep trying (that right hand picture isn't very good of the row of garlic planted). So a double row of garlic now for a total of ten plants. Yay! When those radishes are done I'll put some more radishes and carrots in there using my idea for planting in squares rather than lines with the tp seed 'tape'. So looking at instructions on how far apart radishes and carrots are supposed to be thinned to, I don't have enough room for both.  I will use carrots more than radishes and the smaller radishes can fit in other places so carrots it is.  Looking forward to getting those in the soil real soon.

Another sign of spring is all the dandelions coming up, most have already gone to seed but it's still nice to see the little yellow disk flowers dotting the lawn.

Oh and those are the roots of two of the Liquidambar trees planted in that area. The reason why I'm bringing this up other than being a spring flower is, there is an article floating around saying 'save the dandelions for the bees, they are the first one out and the bees need them.'. Well that's been debunked now by another site thankfully. 

Firstly,  bees would rather go for pink, white or blue flowers and ones that are more cup or trumpet like. Flat flowers like dandelions are more for butterflies, some flies and moths. Which aren't out this time of year anyway. Bees tend to go where the easily available nectar is and dandelions are not it for them. Butterflies will go on anything, but yellow, white and other light colors that reflect ultraviolet rays is more attractive to them. Both bees and butterflies need to land on the flower to feed, they don't hover like hummingbirds. It is still much too cold for most butterflies but luckily dandelions come up all year round so they'll get their chance. The bees are busy in the jade plant and soon the Indian Hawthorn bushes right now which are both pink.  I taught a few classes at the nursery about butterfly/bee/hummingbird gardening so yeah.. I think I know something about it.

You have to know something about insects and why they feed on certain plants the way they do. I have gone over how it works with hummingbirds and butterflies previously and it's basics of nature. Plants and insects develop according to their food needs. A lot of people don't get it which is odd because I feel like I've known this since I was a kid. 

Smarter than the average bear is what I usually say.

Trying to plan where to put the tomatoes. Right now I have no room but the plants are no where near ready to plant out in the yard. Just counted them up and total individual seeds that sprouted is eighteen. Seven of those are 'twins' and will grow together, the other four are singles (7 x 2=14 plus 4 individuals) so technically I have 11 plants. I have no idea where they're all going. Can only fit about three in the north bed and maybe two in the raised bed. Depends on how much room I have when everything is finished.

 (Picture for visualizing the area) The onions and garlic will stay for a while, radishes and cilantro will get pulled or cut, the peas will be done in about a month or two and may get replaced by beans. So that leaves about a 2x3 foot area in the middle (funny thing about having that trellis is using it as a ruler which makes it about sixteen x eighteen inches) which is only enough room for two plants. MAybe three in a triangle if I don't grow beans. Even with putting carrots and more radishes in now there's still plenty of time for them to grow before needing to plant out the tomatoes. Don't have much to do tomorrow and it's supposed to be clear and sunny, yay! 

Saturday gardening time finally!