The Sequel

Come on in, meet my fungus. So I thought maybe this year I wouldn't have to deal as much with this particular plague, as rain has been pretty scarce. However, here it is again, even after all my precautions of bleaching my container and sterilizing soil, etc., etc.

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Now I've been pondering this problem of Attack of the Killer Fungus, Part Two, for the last week and have pinpointed my mistake. I had half a bag of leftover mulch from last season and so I used it on my tomatoes and peppers. I took a good look at my planters and realized that the fungus came from the mulch. I never even gave it a thought that after having sat in the garage for a few months the mulch may have fungus on it, but it did. So, okay, important lesson number two learned this year - If you use old mulch, inspect if carefully! Hopefully this won't take over my tomatoes. The peppers don't seem affected by it so I guess they're fairly fungus resistant.

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So I have a new and exciting challenge. No more sitting around - Back to work!

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Fungus, fungus go away
don't come back another day
I dislike you very much
for, alas, you do make such a fuss!

Hola!

So things are getting spicy around here! Last year's jalapeno pepper plant has its very first fruit. Now last year it had one pepper all season and that one was punctured by a bird beak, so I'm hoping I actually get to try some home grown jalapenos this year. Caliente!

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Overall garden chores are lighter than they were a month ago. Not much to do but water (and water some more) and check for bugs and disease. I just watch and wait for fruit to eat - Sweet!
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Jalapeno, jalapeno
You're the only one I've got
and I and assuming that you are very hot.
Ripen little pepper and be sure to make some more
So I can breathe some fire into recipes galore!

My, What Big Plants You Have!

So yesterday was Goldilocks and today is Red Riding Hood. I find my mind often reverts to fairy tales when I write. I guess our brains retain what we love, and yes, what big plants I have! Behind me (and taller than me) are the Big Boy tomatoes. In front of me are the banana peppers, and to my left are the grape tomatoes that I seeded in March, already over a foot high. So far I'm feeling quite satisfied with this year's garden. I'm still watching the fungus among us and keeping ever vigilant for tomato horn worms, but thus far all is quite well. There are many, little green fruits, both in pepper and tomato form, just bursting forth, so my salads are going to be great in no time!

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A little love

A little care

and plenty of bounty

soon to share

Goldilocks

Someone's been eating my chives!

As the three bears in Goldilocks were perplexed, so am I as to what is eating my chives. Perhaps a couple squirrels or oppossums decided they needed a little kick to their evening meal. Whatever the culprit, it is just munching off the top three inches or so, saving some for me I guess. How considerate...

The garden truly brings new challenges every day. That's part of the enjoyment, trying to be in harmony with nature instead of battling against it. We've been in our usual drought this time of year, although a little more severe than normal, but today we had wonderful rain all day. The grass is unfolding and the living plants and creatures all seem to be giving a sigh of relief. We should start the rainy season soon in May, so just everybody hold on!

My Goldilocks, I doubt you're blond

disappearing chives, family of onion

lizard, oppossum, squirrel, rat

I just want my chives back!

Cast Out the Nets

Well, there it is, little beak holes punched into my tomatoes. The birds have begun to peruse my garden (a gray cat bird in particular). Yesterday I saw him steal a strawberry - plucked it right off the plant himself and had a little snack. Now I have better tolerance for the disappearing strawberry than I do for the "holy" tomatoes. After all, the little gray cat bird actually ate the strawberry. The tomatoes on the other hand are just pecked to death. So I think it's time to get out the bird net. I'll continue to share the strawberries, as I had a nice time watching the snack encounter at my kitchen window, but whatever pecked my tomatoes has gone too far! If you want it, take it, but don't waste it!
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Birdie beaks have gone to far
peck, peck, pecking in my yard
leaving holes in tomatoes firm
just as if they were little worms!

On the First Day of Spring

My garden brought to me:

One really great dog.

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On the second day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Two eggplants and one really great dog.
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On the third day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Three peppers, two egg plants, and one really great dog.

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On the fourth day of Spring my garden brought to me: Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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On the fifth day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Five strawberries!

Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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On the sixth day of Spring my garden brought to me: Six sprouting dill buds -

Five strawberries!

Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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On the seventh day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Seven oranges hanging, six sprouting dill buds -

Five strawberries!

Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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On the eighth day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Eight sprigs of spearmint, seven oranges hanging, six sprouting dill buds -

Five strawberries!

Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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On the ninth day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Nine peppermint leaves, eight sprigs of spearmint, seven oranges hanging, six sprouting dill buds -

Five strawberries!

Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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On the tenth day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Ten long lean chive sprouts, nine peppermint leaves, eight sprigs of spearmint, seven oranges hanging, six sprouting dill buds -

Five strawberries!

Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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On the eleventh day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Eleven tarragon shoots, ten long lean chive sprouts, nine peppermint leaves, eight sprigs of spearmint, seven oranges hanging, six sprouting dill buds -

Five strawberries!

Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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On the twelfth day of Spring my garden brought to me:

Twelve lemon basils, eleven tarragon shoots, ten long lean chive sprouts, nine peppermint leaves, eight sprigs of spearmint, seven oranges hanging, six sprouting dill buds -

Five strawberries!

Four round tomatoes, three peppers, two eggplants, and one really great dog.

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Whew!

Sweet Pea

Well, Bill and I have been on our journey and back. The garden does a lot of growing in five days! Peppers, tomatoes, and chives are popping out all over. So I definitely missed some garden growth here at home. HOWEVER...I have been watching another little sweet pea growing while we were gone:

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Our new little niece!

No, she's not from the garden, but she's certainly sweet!

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Little sweetie, special girl

Will you have many curls?

Eyes of dad and ears of mom

Smile that's as bright as sun.

Watch you grow and send our love

Blessings of the Lord upon

all your life and days to come!

Metamorphosis

Wow! Okay, I've been AWOL for a little while. It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks. The garden is in full force and Bill and I are getting ready to take a mini trip out of town - so I'll be missing in action again for the next four or five days!

However, I did stop and smell the roses, or in this case when cleaning out my perennial bed I stopped to admire this beautiful cocoon. I almost hacked the poor thing down before I noticed it. Whew! If you look quite closely you can actually see the orange and black butterfly wings inside. I figured it would be emerging soon and I was really hoping to see that.

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HOWEVER...No such luck. I checked back the next day and the butterfly had already emerged and disappeared. I guess he was AWOL too.

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So as spring has sprung, so too has my time clock - just picture little gears popped out all over the place! However, the garden in its unending work is also an unending joy and respite from the craziness that goes on out there in this world. So gardeners rejoice - it's time to get out there and grow!

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Butterfly butterly

in your cocoon

Emerge you did

and oh so soon!