Sunday, June 7, 2009

Progress Report 060709

I've been battling a bad cold and going out of town a lot for work, so I've been lagging on blog posts and visiting your blogs. I'll be back in the game soon! In the meantime, here are some snapshots of what's happening in my garden:
Yellow pears are the first tomato babies I have. All of the tomato plants have blooms.
Strawberries and shallot bed. Strawberries are finally producing now that the beer and heat have taken care of the slugs and the netting has fended off the birds. Shallots are a different story - why are mine taking SO long? I planted these around December! Everything I've read says they should be ready in about 90 days. Mine have lots of healthy top growth, but they haven't really started forming new bulbs yet. Help?
The squash (above) are insanely healthy! Cucumbers (below) are growing well on the chain-link fence (they aren't yellow - it's just the light).
Bell peppers are staked and growing well. They take so long to produce, but I love that they are pretty much pest-free.
Eggplant are finally growing nicely.
I never thought the above plants would get so big after waiting so long for the seeds to germinate and grow! Here was the lone seedling I had weeks after starting my seeds (turns out they just needed more heat):
Here is a side bed that is progressing nicely: rose, lambs ear, gardenia, and one crocosmia are blooming. Iris is done for the year. Mums, peruvian daffodil, daylily and more crocosmia are coming soon.
Here is the same bed in March, after I transplanted most of its new inhabitants from other parts of the garden:
And here it is last year before I removed that awful shrub!
Gardening requires patience and planning, doesn't it? Of course, that makes the payoff extra sweet!

7 comments:

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

in about six weeks you will wonder what to do with all your great produce! enjoy!!

Susie said...

Okay so what's the secret to growing squash? Last year mine pooted out and they don't look much better this year. The zucchini is about the same too.

Sorry I don't have any advice for growing shallots.

Heather said...

I don't know jack about shallots except that I love to eat them. I do know my leeks are being the same way this year. Maybe not a good onion-type year. That is the answer i will stick with.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I hope you're feeling better now. Your garden is looking great. I love those yellow pear tomatoes, now I wish I had planted some :)

Ginger said...

Janet- I can't wait for the tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes! I'm not sure the squash will make it, though (see below)!

Susie- I was about to tell you how mine got so healthy - raised beds with 1/2 native (clay) soil and 1/2 good bought garden soil. But then I went home and found that the BORERS are already in my squash!!! So, those beauties aren't long for the world. I hate borers! At least we have a super long growing season so I can try another crop.

Heather- OK, we'll go with that :) I often say that gardening is the only hobby I've had where continual failure hasn't made me want to quit! LOL! Who knows if the shallots will ever be ready, but at least they were cheap.

Catherine- Thank you - today I am finally feeling better (just in time to go out of town again for work - yay). If you want some yellow pear seeds, I have a bunch left over and can send them your away. Just let me know!

MILLIE said...

I hope you're feeling back to normal. I'm glad the slugs are finally leaving your plants alone. I tried shallots once, but I think they got weedy..because I don't remember eating them..just planting them. Isn't that strange?

Victoria Williams said...

Gardening does require a LOT of patience, that's for sure. Your veggies are looking great. Our eggplant are still really tiny, and I just discovered that the strawberries I planted probably aren't perennial in our area. Go figure.