Saturday, August 17, 2013

Mother Nature Would Like To Remind You...

Don't blend in, blend out! Don't be yourself. Be your best self. The most amazing magic is always in the mix.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Garden Medley

No need to wonder why I look forward to this time of year so much when you see a quartet of flavors pulled fresh from the garden like this. We have red Tiny Tom and Canary Tumbling Tom tomatoes accompanied by savory carrots and bulb green onions. And by the way, these were all grown in containers.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Where Late The Wild Tomatoes Roamed


Last year my large blue container(PC language for a busted up, repurposed garbage can) was host to a Russian Persimmon tomato plant. This season it is providing a home for a winter squash plant. And as you can see, things are coming along quite nicely.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Ode To A Melon

Oh wonderful sight,
Oh most excellent orb,
Oh fruit of delight,
Oh sweet succulent gourd,
Born of earth and water and light
You are a true child of the vine.
And I must wait.
Until the date,
Nature makes your taste full and divine.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Out Of One Pot And Into Another

Last year I decided not to grow any squash. My hope was that any squash bugs that emerged from eggs laid the previous year would starve to death and be unable to lay any eggs that would hatch this season. So far, it seems that strategy worked. There hasn't been a squash bug sighting yet. And I've had a good harvest of summer squash while the winter squash is developing quite nicely.

Today I harvested the papaya pear squash beauty you see in the photo above, along with some jalapeƱo and pizza peppers, to make soup. And yes, it was delicious.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Another Liquid Laundry Detergent Container Success


The only thing I hate about peppers is that they are so deliberate in their rate of growth. It's vexing to know that no matter how early I start them, they really won't hit their stride until I put them outside. And even in a container, I have to wait until the outdoor night temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. And of course we gardeners have absolutely no say about when that occurs. Something that was especially true this year when it seemed that Mother Nature couldn't make up her mind whether to have spring or just skip straight to summer.

Well as you can see, this plant is doing just fine in it's re-purposed container  home. And it's providing plenty of pizza peppers ready for harvest.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Let's Get Small!

You say you've got no balcony? You say your apartment is so small you have to go outside to change your mind? You say you wish you could grow something edible in your south facing window? Have I got a tomato for you! Meet Tiny Tom, a tomato plant so small that it can be grown in 6 inch(15.2 cm) pots. You say you don't have money for plant pots? Well, the little beauty pictured above is nestled in a re-purposed liquid laundry detergent container.

Just make sure you clean and rinse the container thoroughly and just as a precaution, use a plastic shopping bag with a couple of holes cut in the bottom to line the container to make sure no errant trace of detergent gets to the roots of your plants.

While it's true that you won't be able to boast about the fist size tomatoes you've grown. A little green makes the day brighter. And when they ripen, you'll have something to nibble on that won't make you feel guilty in the least. You can even sprinkle them in a salad as an extra pop of tomato flavor.

O.K., now you have no excuse not to get growing and add some fresh vegetables to your diet. Enjoy!