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.

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.

Bug Cop patrols the tomatoes

The first tomatoes I've ever grown are so red, ripe and absolutely delicious. They're like little Christmas ornaments hanging on a festive tomato-tree.



But what's this?! Poop on the basil? Ewww! Where'd it come from?



Eeewwwwwww! More on the tomato leaves! And it's fresh!



OMG! THEY"RE EATING MY TOMATO LEAVES! I must become Bug Cop to investigate and find the insectoidial criminal!


The search ensues....



You aren't eating the leaves....you're just an earwig. Ugly, but harmless.



Hi, Ms. Spider, you're not causing any trouble...looks like you even got something for lunch...good!



You! You, Mr. Hornworm, are causing a lot of trouble. Bad! Bad! Bad! Time to squish...

Muahahaha!


I hoped it was the end, but I keep checking, and keep finding more hornworms. I'll probably have to search all summer.

To Be Continued...

GROW — July update

Around June 15 this leaf grew to be over 6" wide. Those are my hands; the leaf easily spans both. My palms are exactly 3" wide.

Exactly.

I'm getting some crazy Jurassic Park-style foliage over here. At one point they were trying to take over the entire planter, but once they got big enough I gently encouraged them to grow out the railing to trail off the balcony. I mean ... I shoved them through the railing and kept poking stray leaves back through each time the wind tried to shove them back.


At the same time, I got my first bloom. It's pretty, but I was expecting a deep red as shown on the seed packet. This flower turned out to be paler and orange-y.



But then these babies bloomed. So, I'm satisfied.





These were Alaska, saved from last year's plants. It's a very nice, compact plant. And a more prolific bloomer, but not as large as Spitfire.


The vines are getting pretty long.


I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project. Thanks, to Renee's Garden for the seeds.

Ichiban eggplant blooms and babies

I am completely, perfectly, and radiantly in love with eggplant blossoms. The way the light shines through and highlights the wrinkles; the contrast between the dark, solid purple stem, delicate and rumpled lavender petal and glowingly yellow stamens. Someone should breed an eggplant for the flowers instead of the fruits.


Not that the fruits aren't nice. And here's a photo of the first one of the year! Ichiban (Japanese) eggplants are long and slender, not bulb/egg-shaped. They're supposed to have a sweeter flavor and do well in containers. Though it looks like I might have to stake them. They're growing kind of crooked.