More Tomatoes

Today I picked the first Cherokee Purple tomatoes and the first bell pepper. We had one tomato for lunch. Yummy! I picked the second aubergine, with several more smaller ones to be ready soon. The Boothby's Blonde cucumbers have been producing nicely. Two more today.

I've started some pak choi, which is now up, as is the chard. The broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage that I started in the ground had not been doing well, so I moved them into small pots. I think the problem has been the roots of the arbor vitae hedge next door. The ground is almost solid tiny roots. 

I've cut all the growing tips off the melons and pulled off anything smaller than one inch. I'm not sure if the smallest ones will ripen, but we'll find out. 

More Fall Planting

I sowed a patch of snap peas (bush type) in the squash bed. I also sowed a row of kohlrabi and a row of beets, one on each side of the asparagus bed. And I sowed the last two rows of carrots.

I've harvested the last of the cabbage. One head had split, but the rest are fine. I made three more jars of sauerkraut, plus I left some for cole slaw and stir fries.

The weather has become very summerlike, with highs mostly in the 80s. The cherry tomatoes are ripening, but so far no other tomatoes. There's one cucumber about three inches long and an aubergine about two inches long. And I found the first tiny green bean. I've had to extend the bean trellis with some string. I hope it's enough.

We're getting lots of zucchini now, and the Delicata squash is finally being pollinated.

Lots of Veggies In

We've had a few days in the mid-80s, so I was anxious to get things into the ground. I've planted eight tomato plants, eight pepper plants, and two aubergines, all in the rose bed. I've planted zucchini and delicata squash and cucumbers in a raised bed, all ones I had started. Two melon plants went into the bed along the back of the house, in front of the raspberries.

I sowed some pole beans along the trellis on the deck where I killed the clematis montana by pruning it too late. I hope the ground is warm enough for them to sprout. And I sowed another row of carrots. Something is eating the first row, but I put Sluggo Plus down, so I hope that stops whatever it is.

The blueberries have lots of fruit coming, as do the new strawberries and the raspberries. And both the asparagus and potato beds are looking good. The pear trees has lots of fruit, and even the peach tree, which looks totally butchered, has quite a bit of fruit. And the mandarin is loaded with flower buds.

Starting Fall Cleanup

The weather has turned very fall-like with no prospects for any more warm weather. Today may be our last day in the 70s. So I pulled out the tomatoes, after picking any that were close to being ripe. I also pulled the aubergine, the cucumbers, and the peppers except for the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter peppers are still green, so I'm going to give them a little longer in the ground before I pull the plant up and hang it upside down in the garage. I'd really like to get some to turn red.

Last week I pulled up the melons and dug up the rhubarb. We just don't use enough of it to justify the space it takes. We've also pulled out all the strawberry plants. I'll start new ones next year in a different bed.

I've left the zucchini for now, as it still has some squash coming. But without much heat they may not make it. The plant really looks ugly, covered with mildew.

I still have snap peas, lettuce, and bok choi, which has been a great success.

The Battle Continues...

I've now taken out the pole beans.  They were being badly damaged and there was no way to reach the upper vines.  The last stand seems to be the cucumbers, which we have been patrolling religiously. 

The bean bed has been planted with more kohlrabi, a row of beets, and a row of spinach.  I've removed the largest planting of basil (I had delusions of making pesto) and planted a short row of chard in the space.  I found stink bugs in the basil. 

I've found an occasional stink bug under the netting in the tomatoes and the peppers, but so far the damage is minimal. 

Cucumbers!

I picked our first two cucumbers two days ago.  They were a bit small, but very tasty.

Today I picked two more cucumbers, a bit bigger.  I also picked the first tomato, ping pong ball size.  It's from the plant I thought was Sun Gold.  I'm pretty sure it's actually another Stupice. 

New Fountain

Today we got a new fountain for the deck. 

I started melons and cucumbers and sowed leeks in the onion/garlic bed.

State of the Garden

Here's what the garden looks like today.  Not seen is the bed behind the asparagus, which is now empty.  I've pulled out the snap peas and kale, and dug the garlic.  It's now on a screen in the garage.  I have 36 heads again, which is probably too much, as I still have quite a few left over from last year.

In the past I've always had two plants of each squash variety, planted together.  I'm already being overwhelmed by summer squash, so I've pulled one of each out.  I think we'll have plenty, and I won't have to feel guilty composting squash we don't eat.  And maybe the air circulation will help keep the mildew at bay.

I've also pulled the bush cucumber, which wasn't looking very bush-like, and one of the climbers, so now I have just two.  I think that will be plenty.  Lots of tiny fruit on them.

The bush bean rows are still too close together.  We've started picking them, and there seem to be lots, so just two rows of each planting should be fine.  And maybe just three plantings instead of four, spaced wider.

 The aubergines and peppers are doing really well. 

The golden bell is looking golden, and the 'Pinot Noir' has been purple almost from the start.

Another Try at Cucumbers

My cucumber seeds never came up (I guess I need to start them ahead indoors).  So I went looking for plants.  I found a bush type at Home Depot, then found 'Marketmore 97' at Winco.  So I've planted three Marketmores and one bush.  I'll see how they do.  Actually, I'll probably pull at least one of the tall ones, because four plants is way too many.

I also sowed the second planting of 'Provider' bush beans. 

I've had a couple of spots of leaf miner damage on the chard, but mostly they look great under the netting.  We had our first meal of them today.  The beet greens have also been attacked, so maybe I should cover them, too.

First Cucumber

Yesterday we picked our first cucumber.  There are three others about the same size,  But then it looks like a long wait for the next round.   Who knows why.

Lost of Firsts

Today the first rose, Lillian Austin, opened.

 Also first blossoms on the peas.

 The lemon daylily opened today.

And all the cistus in the front yard are in bloom.

 The salad greens that I planted on May 7 are all up, as are the beans.

Today I added compost, all-purpose fertilizer and 5 cups of fish bone meal to the sweet potato bed.  I then dug a trench down the center and put IRT plastic over the top.  I received the plants yesterday, but they are a bit bedraggled, so I put them in a glass of water to recover.

The tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are all in pots in the cold frame.  They're ready to go in but we're due for a couple of cool days with rain, so I think I'll keep them under cover for now.  I planted the squash in two large pots on the deck, also four cucumber plants with a cage around them.  The melon starts are just about setting-out size. 

Oh, and the parsnips have finally come up.  But alas, no asparagus yet.

The older lemon cypress has died suddenly, maybe from drying out when it was hot.  We've decided to find a home somewhere else for the newer one.  Too fussy. 

The pots on the deck are starting to look really nice. 

Busy Days

We've had a wonderful couple of days.  Lots of sun and up to 80 degrees today.  Tomorrow we start heading back to normal, with rain to come. But for now, it's been great.  We even had breakfast outside this morning.

I've  now sowed dill and chervil outside, started all my melons, cucumbers and squash, and sowed parsnips in the carrot and beet bed.  The peas are looking great, having finally found the trellis. 

Today I went to Terra Gardens nursery and bought a bunch of plants for the deck.  I got a windmill palm, a Eureka lemon, some red geraniums, and several other things for pots.

I also found some larger artichokes to replace the puny ones I had planted.  They were being devoured by slugs.