Busy, busy, busy so catching up

 That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Mostly just get too distracted with other things and forget to post here. The weather is basically the same, foggy/overcast in the morning then partly clears and gets really windy towards sunset and then calm. No real chance of any serious rain.

 

 

 

Two different days approximately the same time so same weather, different day. Still very nice, only need a light overshirt when outside. Sun breaks through and it gets warm really quick then cools instantly when the clouds shift again.

 

Various flowers on my afternoon walk. I think that's Salvia officianalis? The entire front of the house has Mexican Sage and then the Aoenium and Calandrinia are in full bloom further down the street. Might have to get brave and ask if I can take a cutting of that sage.

 

I remembered the other day that the variety of cauliflower I have is more heat tolerant than other varieties. It can still be good up to 75 so as long as this weather continues it's going to thrive hopefully. Dolores has set up more pepper plants with permission to put them there. and two more on the other end. She grows them for herself and her family she said and she would have them in front of her new apartment but it's shaded almost all the time.

 

This is what the bed looked like yesterday. I've now pulled all the lettuce and all the onions in the west bed.

 

The onions were definitely ready, as big as if not better size than what I would get in the store. I didn't bother cutting the ends and saving them, I usually replant them twice and that's about it. 

The lettuce I just pulled all out, even that last little one and also pulled the radish. The leaves on that were very sturdy and it was growing fine but when I pulled it, the tip of the root was curled under.

Cilantro I have decided I don't need to flower and seed. I rediscovered the bag of seed from last year and will be tossing that in the south bed with more lettuce. So pulled up a few plants and noticed how dry the soil was so watering was done today. That little pepper has more of a chance now.

 

And the sweet peas keep coming, my little vase is getting stuffed now, but I'm a bit disappointed in the fragrance not being as strong.

 

 

Plenty of buds on the way though and hope there's still plenty in three weeks for Mother's day. I thought it was the first Sunday in May but it's the second. I'm sure there'll be plenty.

 

 

 

Dolores pulled out the tomato since it was looking rather sad and I told her that tomatoes typically do not do well the second year. She's not a tomato eater, she just let it grow because it came from her compost. Don't remember what she's putting in there to replace it but you can also see she's getting a lot more sun now.

 

I was able to get to the library yesterday for two reasons, one is I needed a new card and two, to check seeds. They had regular tomatillo (forgot to see which type other than green) and some Fish Peppers which I was absolutely tickled to find. It looks like two tomatillos have sprouted already!

"There are few peppers as beautiful, and as rare, as the fish pepper. Along with its lovely flowering plant, the fish pepper follows one of the most unique coloration paths (among chilies) while maturing. With a heat that’s capable of topping a serrano (a range from 5,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units), the fish pepper was a favorite during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Baltimore and the mid-Atlantic states, spicing up crabs and fish dishes in particular. But its popularity wained, and this jewel of a chili nearly became lost to us all. Now, though, it’s making a comeback both as a cooking chili and as an ornamental pepper plant." - Matt Bray, pepperscale.com August 14, 2022

I so hope they do well, going to drop some of the seeds in the other seedling container and hope for the best. The nice young man at the desk only gave me about a dozen seeds of each and said they would be restocking everything by next week. Not that I have any room to plant anything else. Still working on that.

There's tons of buds on the epiphyllum! Twice as many as last year for sure and I was able to get a picture of the trumpet vine that is blooming better as well. Just had to look up. Not seen very well is another two or three buds on the epi one one of the upper branches so it's loaded this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I might have to put that squash in the raised bed darn it, that thing is getting big! Still nothing from the other seeds other than the tomatillo. And Rocky in the garden again hunting lizards. When we got to the garden he spied one or two and they disappeared into the woodpile. That second picture is when he heard something on the fence.

I had to water really really well this morning. The soil just was not soaking in so I used the soaker setting to really dump water on both beds and the south bed also. Will try and do some seeding there tomorrow. Lettuce and more cilantro maybe those tomatillos and fish peppers in too.

I went through some of my old photos and this time last year I had tomatoes two inches tall and already planted out. Running behind on planting this year as I started planting too late due to weather. I'm sure it'll all catch up but those peppers need heat to start growing, that's why  I've got them out in as much sun as possible.

So that's the catching up for now.

May grey is starting early

 Definitely cooler today with that high overcast most of the day, only now is it trying to clear off and the clouds are moving back in again. Flowers everywhere are blooming or in bud green growing things all over. Breeze just started up coming through my window (as I'm writing), clouds are mostly gone but still hazy. My window faces North almost North East so the wind would be coming in from that direction. Just a bit startling to have my fan on and then wonder why I'm getting wind on me. Needless to say I turned the fan off.

Not as cloudy now but it wasn't that cold either. Just had my lightweight overshirt on and it was fine, only in the low 70's. Very pleasant day for the weather.

I picked some of the lettuce yesterday and today, pulled up another larger plant and then made the decision to just pull the romaine as well. BSS makes a good lettuce for sandwiches and adding in with other tougher lettuce for a salad. Need to plant some more in the shade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Romaine and some random weeds that someone else tossed in my bucket. I personally would not put oxalis in my compost. The squash is growing fast and I remembered now that the cauliflower variety I have 'Rober' is a heat tolerant one and can take temps up to 75. That's going to be a long haul and have to reconsider where I'm planting what now.

There isn't enough space to grow that squash in the west bed. I need all of those plants cleared in a few weeks. There's an onion and carrot still hanging out behind the cilantro and then the green onions and cauliflower, plus the very prolific chives and pepper plant at the other end. As soon as I can get up the nerve, those cilantro will be pulled. Giving it another few weeks since the squash is still not quite big enough to transplant. Sweet peas are still going off with plenty of buds coming behind those flowers. Dare I plant a tomato at the left side while those are still there?

Just so stinking amazed and proud of these sweet peas. Definitely a do again either in the fall or next spring. Hope there's enough left for a bouquet for my daughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rocky in the garden again, he hears something in the woodpile, but there's so much between him and his objective. Layla took cuttings of plants and another flower and dug up soil from the ground and just plopped them in the pots. I will bet that at least one of those pots doesn't have a drainage hole. The Lavender Trumpet Vine (Bignonia callistegioides) is starting to bloom. Don't get over to that side of the patio often so I missed seeing it in bud. It's getting old, not a lot of flowers on it again.

 That frass is very fresh and I'm now thinking it could be beetles as well as termites. I need to investigate that closer next time. There is also this odd fungus growing on the ends of the logs. I'm thinking it's fungus. Wondering if it's ends of tunnels from the termites? No matter what, those logs may be more of a hazard to the building and will overtake my compassion for the lizards.

Well since blogger is not wanting to upload anymore photos I guess I'm done with that for now. One of the hawks flew overhead screaming and flew right past the nesting tree. Wonder if their chick has fledged yet. Mourning doves were near the kitchen window today as well so all the birds and bees are gearing up for spring/s8mmer.

Now if that yappy dog downstairs would just shut up for an hour or so.

Never got to posting yesterday

 You know the deal, getting sidetracked when you open the browser and then suddenly it's after 10 pm and not worth posting. The weather is easing into 'May Grey' where it's overcast/hazy in the morning, burns off by noon and then it creeps back in at sunset.  So this morning it was rather cloudy and  I thought 'oh well it was very windy yesterday so I suppose the weather man was half right. It is now 1:20pm and clear with slight haze at the horizon. It's warm.

The 'weather' tree I always get pictures of because it's so photogenic against the sky no matter what angle.

Bees are buzzing in the flowers, sweet peas are popping as well. Very light scent on those when it's so few of them. That deep maroon is the biggest plant so far with the  most flowers on it. Hoping the rest will catch up so I'll have a wonderful blend of them in my vase.

Two days ago and yesterday for the squash. I thought I took a picture of it today but only got a distance shot. That's going to be ready to plant really soon. Sooner than expected as the beds aren't ready yet.

I picked some of the lettuce leaves and actually one plant came up entirely so I may be pulling most of that Black Seeded Simpson to use. The romaine is making stalks instead of leaves so I picked some of the larger leaves off to go with the BSS, now have to make some dressing to go on them.

Unrelated pictures. I thought Layla had stuck that log in the ground in some odd and misguided attempt at growing it. She's not that insane turns out, she came to the garden after me and said it was to block a gopher because they're back. I nodded sympathetically and said there were traps to help but difficult to set them when you don't know where they'll be next. She also asked me if I could watch her garden starting next weekend for two weeks. I meant to ask her if I could pick some of her tomatoes while she's gone and maybe some of her sage and thyme.

One thing for sure, the gophers aren't bothering the onions which may be a good deterrent The other bed is just me digging to see how far down the soil was dry, looks about a half inch or so and the soil was very warm. I might water later today as I didn't because I had some food cooking on the stove.

 Rocky hunting lizards. He saw movement in the small log pile and I'm not really surprised. It just makes me smile that they are thriving in the garden and just wish a gopher snake would somehow find it's way in as well (although the gopher snake would likely eat the lizards). If Rocky was off leash he would have been in the jade bush, in the electrical closet and behind bushes being the good hunter he is. 

That wood pile in the sun is such a perfect spot for the lizards. It's shady but warm even in the winter being backed onto a south facing wall. I'm tempted to move some of the logs behind the west bed in the hopes they make their home there as well and we can work on getting that bigger pile moved for us.

Moved the other seedling containers into the full sun and as son as those are all started well I'll move it ... somewhere else. That big pile of logs right there is what needs to move. Layla also pointed to her tomatoes and actually thanked me for moving the planter box and how she took my advice on trimming her tomatoes. She nipped off a little of her thyme, mint and sage, I grabbed some more cilantro and then went upstairs tossed those into the pot with the cooking chicken and two bay leaves. Lunch is going to be wonderful. Yes I tossed the small mint and sage leaf in as well, the lettuce were wrapped in a damp paper towel and bagged in the fridge.

Those last pictures look sunbaked and definitely warm. Good for the plants but I will definitely have to water this evening. Breeze is picking up so likely will have morning fog and same conditions as today.

It's getting that time of year.