Bea Goes for the Good Stuff

Rain water is sooo much tastier than tap water...

Persevering Plants and a few Casualties

   The ground is so wet from all the rain we've had that a number of the larger plants are falling over.  This includes several sunflowers (this one is propped up with a branch), all of the Early Romanesco cauliflower, and a squash.

   This was the healthiest and largest of the Early Prolific Squash I had growing.  Between the constantly damp soil and last night's wind, the plant blew over, damaging the roots and the main stem.  Er ist kaputt.

The two Black Sea Man plants have started to develop tomatoes.

The first batch of raspberries are almost ready to be picked! Unfortunately, weeding of the patch will have to be finally be done at the same time...groan...

  

The first little Coastal Pride Orange tomato!  (Left side of plant, halfway up.  Click to enlarge.)

Some of the volunteer pansies transplanted from the main gardens.

Gazanias

And the zinnias have started to open.  :)

Despite So Much Rain, Progress

   Rain, rain, and more rain.  What a soggy summer this has been so far.  Puddles are forming in the driveway as I type.  The last few evenings have brought thunder and lightning as well.  The rain barrels are full and we are not motivated to fill the extra buckets, like we normally do.  Everything is thoroughly (excessively?) watered, and more rain is in the forecast.

   We were given a break yesterday with some sunshine - woohoo! - so I took a few pictures while I could.  

   The first female flower on the Lower Salmon River squash plants opened yesterday.  I was able to hand-pollinate it. Things are underway!

   The peas (Lincoln and Green Arrow) are loaded with flowers and pods are starting to develop.  The ones pictures below are Lincoln peas.  The two varieties are very similar.  This is our first year growing Lincoln peas.  They are a few inches shorter than Green Arrow and seem to have less tendency to reach across the rows and cling onto other plants.  They are a bit more compact. 

Red Swan Beans

A bright pink Cosmo (Dwarf Sensation Mix)

Bachelor Buttons.  I'd never seen a pink one before.  :)

Assorted mints drying in the kitchen.

Two Scotia tomato plants. They are loaded with flowers.

A newly discovered Brad's Black Heart tomato.  How did I miss seeing this until yesterday?

   
Bea emerging from her snoozing spot between the water barrels.

Lou preferred to sleep indoors, away from the hot sun and humidity.

Springtime Cassis pansies

Begonia

Seed Voyage - Connecting Growers and Eaters

   
   Yesterday, I discovered an article about Seed Voyage in the Spring 2019 edition of Seeds of Diversity's member magazine. Thought I would share a bit about it here.
 
   Seed Voyage is a website that connects gardeners with people in their neighbourhood who enjoy fresh produce. It is free to register on the site, and it is available throughout Canada and the US.

    "Growers" post items they have available for sale from their garden, and registered "Eaters" will receive a notification that the produce of their choice is available for purchase in their area. If they decide to make a purchase, they do so from their Seed Voyage account and then pick up their goodies. A small transaction fee is deducted from the payment the "Grower" receives.

    A segment about Seed Voyage featured on CTV Toronto:

   Updates and more information about Seed Voyage can be found on their Facebook page, as well as on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Dwarfs and Determinates

Coastal Orange Pride (dwarf), picture taken July 4th.

The same plant on July 13th.

 

The pictures that follow were all taken July 13th.

Dwarf Purple Heart (my only one!)

Dwarf Roza Vetrov

Black Sea Man (determinate)

Scotia (determinate)

Early Annie (determinate)

   There are no flowers on the Coastal Orange Pride or Dwarf Roza Vetrov yet, one flower on the Dwarf Purple Heart, and a few flowers on the Black Sea Man plants.  

   Scotia and Early Annie are ahead of all the other varieties I am growing this year, with many flowers and tomatoes starting to form on both varieties.  Black Prince (an indeterminate) is the next earliest after Scotia and Early Annie.

Little Tomatoes

Early Annie

Hungarian Heart

Hungarian Heart

Brad's Black Heart

Brad's Black Heart

Midnight Sun

Cosmos (Dwarf Sensation Mix)

Lower Salmon River Squash (starting to branch out) and sunflowers

Center of a sunflower

Pansies (the white-rimmed purple one is "Cassis"). Lollo lettuce leaf in front.

The Little Asparagus That Could

Dwarf Bachelor Button

Bea in the Cosmos

   We were finally blessed with some sunny, warm weather yesterday.  R. grabbed the chance to mow the lawn, while I mulched sections of the garden.

   R. dumped a bag of lawn clippings in the East garden, where I was weeding.  We wondered out loud where Bea was, as she usually she likes to join us when we work outside.  As soon as her name was mentioned, we heard a little "meow" nearby.  It took us a minute to spot her, even though she turned out to be right between us. Hidden in plain sight!