End of May 2014

Out and about this morning perusing the garden to see what has popped up so far.

Karl has found a spot of shade by the lettuce planters.  (I sure hope the neighbour fixes that fence this summer.)

The south garden, if all goes well  -  dry & snap beans, broccoli, cauliflower, a few peas, dwarf sunflowers, Peppermint Stick zinnias, kale, chard, and a few green onions that survived the winter.  The square planters lining one side all contain dahlia tubers.

Our apple tree's second or third year.  I love apple blossoms!

Karl follows me around the yard, finding shady places to rest before I move on to the next thing.  These rather, uhm, rustic planters will have Sweet Meat winter squash (fingers are crossed for an extra long growing season...), Snowcap pole beans, and a Russian Giant sunflower.

A planter at the back of the house (where the compost bins were last year).  On the left side, I have planted snap bush beans.  On the right, what we initially thought was a rogue potato plant we are now almost certain is a dahlia!

The thinned-out and cleaned-up flower bed.  Creeping Thyme, Wooley Thyme, and Silver Mound (perennials) are visible.  I have planted Scarlet Flax, pink and white gomphrena, Swiss Giant pansies, and calendula.

My first year growing turnips.

Molasses Face dry bush beans emerging beside the turnips.  I think I planted the beans too close together by mistake. :(   We'll see what happens.

Raised bed containing red and white onions.

Detroit Red Beets (and lots of annoying little weeds).

A few onions, a row of Bloomsdale spinach, and (eventually) some Fordhook Swiss Chard.

Karl and Butters (neighbours' kitties) in a rare display of outdoor mutual tolerance.

The strawberry plants have flowered.

We need some rain.  All the rain barrels are empty.  While out Tuesday watering some of the garden I began to wonder what the heck I was thinking, having a garden this size.  Lugging the watering cans around is good exercise, that's for sure!

About a week and a half ago, R bought a package of hybrid short-season cucumber seeds and planted THE WHOLE PACKAGE in one of the round raised beds behind the house.  I'm not sure why the whole package, but he seemed eager and happy to be planting, so what the heck.  When we went to the nursery this past weekend to buy transplants, he thought we should get some cucumber transplants because the seeds he planted were "probably not going to come up".   He bought 4 cuke transplants and put them in the same bed he'd planted the seeds in.   

He left for Vancouver on Monday and sure enough, I discovered the next day that the cucumber seeds are germinating and at least 10 have popped up... around the transplants. Ha ha!  I hope we can find people to give the little seedlings to, though I am not holding my breath.  It seems a shame to have to pull them out and compost them.   

Can't wait for Mom to read about this.  And she thinks I am impatient...!

(Okay, I am impatient.  I have done the same thing with squash and pumpkin seeds.)

The peas are coming up nicely.  Two of the three zucchini have sprouted as well as both of the Russian Giant sunflowers.  The golden beets and Starlight Rose zinnias haven't shown their faces yet, though they were among the first things I planted.  It will be neat to see how things are doing a month from now.