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.

 

 

Same ol' garden, new problem and flowers!

Weather is still warm and predicted to be warmer on the weekend. Still breeze thankfully but it's not a cooling breeze just air moving about that's slightly cooler than the rest of the air.

I 'might' have some pocket change to get some seeds or fertilizer, one or the other not both unfortunately. The new problem is: I sprung a leak in my hose.

 Less than a year old and it has a hole already. I kept the original cardboard label/wrapping for it but have long since lost the receipt. I bought it at HD and they can look it up using my card. It has a ten year warranty and I may just haul it over to get an exchange. Or, I have the mending tape to take care of it. Decisions will be made tonight.

The marigolds are opening!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The peas are just about ready to pick, might pull a few pods tomorrow and get a continuing harvest for the next few days or a week. Luckily they keep for a while and by the time they are done, I should have some beans to plant.

Not quite fat enough and there's a number of them that won't be ready for at least a week. Just going to keep them watered and hope I can get some fertilizer in there and the other beds soon.

Keep forgetting I want to plant chives and onions later in the fall. Will see about the chive seeds this weekend maybe and the onions will definitely have to wait until fall.

Watered the south bed really well, the other two weren't as needful, did sprinkle them a bit but not heavily. I realized that one of the things people make a mistake about is seeing a wilting plant means they have to water. If the soil is bone dry, yes most definitely but if it's middle of the day and the soil is still damp, no. Check back in the evening or the next morning and do the watering then.

I've mentioned before about the '3 o'clock wilt' how it can get so hot during the day the plant responds by wilting to conserve moisture. The other reason for wilting is it can't pull up enough water even if it's available, to compensate for what is being lost from transpiration. Soaking them at that point could actually do more harm than good. 

Hence I just got the surface moist to cool things a little and was good with that. Me personally, wanted to make sure that the guy that just hates to see things wilting would see the soil was wet and leave them alone. He hasn't touched  the garden as far as I know since we had our little talk. 

I remembered to try and check the lemon bush for damage but forgot by the time I was done with doing my things. Oh well. There are times when intervention in someone's yard is needed and other times not. When it is a definite threat to a larger area like citrus groves and grape vines yes. Years past it wouldn't have been an issue but in the last ten years it is a serious threat to everyone's yard if they have certain plants. 

Anyway... warm weather, flowers and such.