Goodbye :(

I just realized I never officially closed out this blog when we moved. I've enjoyed the adventure of gardening on my balcony the last few years, but I'm looking forward to having a little more space and flexibility at my new house.

Marigolds, peppers, tomatoes, violas

It rained a lot last week. At least it seems that everything loves it. At least, nothing is dying on me. *knock on wood

Enjoy the photos :)

violas and nasturtiums from last year's saved seeds


marigolds from last year's saved seeds




patio tomato


'italia' pepper

jalapeno pepper


bell boy pepper


'hot portugal' pepper

Hello tiny tomatoes

Update

Everything is growing beautifully. The cilantro is finishing up and bolting, but I got a week's worth of burrito toppings out of it first. The basil also has seen a lot of use—the grocery store has gorgeous heirloom tomatoes now, so I've been indulging in caprese salads quite a bit.

End of May

I'm really sorry that I've been so bad about updating. It's just that this spring has been really cool, so things haven't really taken off, so it never seemed like I had much to report. But I finally have something green in every pot, so you won't be subjected to completely bare, brown photos.



The herbs are very happy outside again. I harvested from them lightly, but regularly, through the winter, and they didn't put out much new growth, so they got snipped down pretty far, but they've taken off in the last couple weeks.


Last year was my first experience with growing a tomato. I decided one wasn't enough. I got 3 this year.


Got 5 varieties of pepper. I don't like to think I'm missing out on something really great, so I like to get lots of varieties, instead of many of just one variety. Got a couple well-known ones and a couple I hadn't heard of before. Sweet peppers: Bell Boy, Italian Sweet, California Wonder. Hot peppers: Hot Portugal and Jalapeno.

Also got new basil and mint plants.

It's been cool enough that the mesclun mix I planted is still going. But it'll meet it's end this week. I'll harvest it before it gets too hot. Salads for me!


And the cilantro is fabulous. I need to make vegetarian burritos so I can use it before it gets too hot.

I sowed nasturtiums and marigolds a couple weeks ago. They took their sweet time coming up, but they're looking pretty strong now.

Also have a little bunch of self-seeded petunias or violas. I guess we'll see what exactly they are when they bloom.


Oh, and I haven't seen it do this before—the rosemary bloomed. Cool!

And a maple self-seeded in the big planter and survived the winter, so I saved him and put him in his own little pot.


Overall, things are way behind where they were last year. In May 2010 the peppers were much bigger and blooming. And the tomato was also much larger and also blooming.

The weather this year just stinks.

I'm back!!!

Wow, it's been awhile, but spring is here and I'm back! I figure it has to be spring for 3 reasons. One, the robins are back in Iowa, and they're singing. Two, my pot of chives is sprouting. Three, it's been in the 50-60's for a week. So I figure the return of seasonal wildlife, growing green things and temps warm enough to get away with short sleeves for a few hours in the afternoon are clear signs that winter is behind me.

Green things! Happy-dance time!

Yesterday I cleaned up the dead stuff that I didn't get to last fall. That was icky. Then I discovered that the rosemary's pot split in two, so I repotted the rosemary in another pot. And I saw that my compost pretty much successfully composted over the winter. Cool.


Today I planted salad greens and cilantro. Two 10" pots of cilantro—the seeds were leftover from last year. Two planters on the railing of salad greens—the seeds were a gift from Renee's Garden. Thanks!!!


Also, I have to (sadly) announce that this is going to be the last season for my blog.
But it's because Dave and I didn't renew our lease, and (very happily) plan to buy a house.

So I plan on mostly growing things that will be done by the time our lease is up at the end of July. (Suggestions are very much welcome.) Which will be a challenge, but who wants to move an entire garden?! Not this girl! Last time we moved I had enough trouble with just a few houseplants.

But I hope to have a new garden and all sorts of home-ownership adventures next year, so maybe I'll start a new blog :)

Done for the season. Be back in spring.

Hi guys...Yeah, I've been gone for awhile. Sorry about that. I've been really busy...Spent a lot of time at work trying to finish some projects, then my contract expired, so I'm trying to find a new job/freelancing. I've been working on my portfolio, submitting applications, etc., and that all takes a lot of time.

And I'm either training or teaching taekwondo almost every night. And I spend most of my free time with my husband, or my little sister (who just moved out here for school).

I did manage to get the last of my harvest in before it froze. Overall, it wasn't a great year. The weather was pretty crummy—very wet.

The herbs are inside for the winter again.



I might post occasionally between now and spring, but don't worry if you don't hear from me until March :)

Double cosmos — Rose Bon Bon

I think this is what they're supposed to look like, but only a couple of the plants ended up with the "bon bon."

Seed packet illustration.

Most of them look like this.


Not that I'm complaining.

They are gorgeous.

Wine pansy

This is a pansy I grew from seed saved from last year. I know the plant I harvested the seeds from was a vibrant violet color, but I also had white/yellow, yellow/brown, and purple bordering on black pansies. I guess it cross-pollinated with the yellow/brown.

I really like the speckles.


Even though the colors are rather different, this bloom is off the same plant as the one in the first photo. It looks kind of washed out (some of the color reminds me of a blush wine), but I kinda like the little white edges on the petals.


This is a different plant, but the seed came from the same seed-pod. I really like the colors on this one.


Funny color combo on this little guy.

I have to wonder, if I saved the seeds from these, what will the next generation bring? I'll find out next year.

Green beans

I planted green beans on May 26. I don't recall the variety (I'm bad, I know), but they're a very compact, bush plant.

Flowers on July 6

Some pretty sizeable beans by July 11

Harvested the first batch today — July 14

I'll saute them tonight with butter and salt.