Dwarf Purple Heart

     The weather has been cool, cloudy, damp, and windy for the last week or so.  Awful weather for hardening off the tomatoes.  They are looking ratty and still aren't ready to be planted outside.  They need some warmth and sunshine, ASAP.

    The only transplant of Orange Strawberry (tomato) snapped in half when the shade sheet was blown off.  One of the rocks holding the sheet in place landed on top of it.  I replanted the top half and am hoping it takes root and grows stronger than ever.

    One little transplant made me smile this morning.  The single Dwarf Purple Heart (from the only seed of this variety that germinated) produced a flower.  It is so cute!  

    Taking advantage of the cool days, we planted carrots (assorted varieties), potatoes (Norland and Kennebec), a few beets, and lettuce earlier this week.  This morning, I transplanted some Swiss Chard, kale, collards, and parsley from the milk jug greenhouses into the "bathtub planter" and the shady corner of the south garden.

    R. spotted two volunteer squash growing in one of the window planters!  I wish I knew what kind they were.  If they were zucchini or prolific straightneck squash - both fairly compact - I would try to move them into a larger container or one of the gardens.  The other possibilities - spaghetti squash, Galeaux D'Eysines, and North Georgia Candy Roaster - are large and vining, and I have different varieties of winter squash planned for this year.  In any case, they're hardy little souls, coming up despite this cool weather.  Credit where credit is due!