How was your Memorial Day weekend? It was wonderful to spend it back in Minnesota where it was lush and green and full of friends and family. We crammed a lot of fun and a little sleep into our trip and now we’re back in time for “June Gloom” as they call the cloudiest month of the year here.
Happily while we were gone my garden figured out that it’s warm and sunny enough to get moving! It’s been a while since my last update, so here are a few highlights.
I couldn’t resist starting a few more seeds figuring that the long growing season here is more forgiving. On the left is one of a few sprouted Hungarian Yellow Wax Pepper, on the right is a sprout of marjoram.
After sprouting these cherry tomatoes from seeds I transplanted them all figuring a few wouldn’t make it. Ha ha ha. They were pretty small less than a week ago but seem to love the sunny spot where their pot is. Wow. I moved my other tomatoes to that area of the patio.
The last cilantro I had I bought sprouted from the garden center and it didn’t last long before bolting. This is slow-bolting organic heirloom cilantro, so I’m hoping I’ll get a bit more mileage out of it.
I couldn’t resist a buy-one-get-one-free sale on organic peppers last month so we ended up with two. This is a jalapeno destined to mingle with those tomatoes and cilantro for pico de gallo. It’s got several flowers already.
That pico de gallo will also need some lime juice and there are definitely flowers and tiny limes on our lime tree. It’s been a bit chilly and quite windy this spring so a lot of the tiny citrus get blown off the branches. Poor baby limes.
The other half of that pepper purchase was a banana pepper, just for variety. There’s an awesome pizza we used to get in Minneapolis that had banana peppers on it which I am hoping to recreate.
Last but not least, two rounds of lady bugs and an aggressive pruning seem to have saved my lovely hibiscus and it is blooming again. I’m pretty sure the hibiscus is the plant I brought home with the aphids that infested the rest of my garden, and it was so saturated with the pests that I had to cut off all the buds and blossoms to save it. Thankfully it seems to have worked and I’m looking forward to a summer of flowers!
A few of my kale plants are still doing decently, we have basil and mint, I’m treating some mold or fungus on my tarragon with cinnamon which I think is working, and the lettuce and arugula are a bit touch-and-go yet. My hopes are high.
What’s growing in your garden?
Never miss an update: Subscribe via RSS feed, connect on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter.Comments? Leave them below or email me.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Last year we had more volunteer cherry tomatoes than any other weed! They don’t die.
I’ve got squash and carrots in the kid’s garden. Oregano, sage, thyme, garlic and regular chives trying to escape. Self-seeded fennel (2-3). Asparagus (we can pick some next year) and strawberries. And some volunteer Brussels sprouts and a volunteer tomato. Plus we’re trying mint again (yeah, we can’t grow mint. Shut up.) Also, the new rhubarb doesn’t seem to have the ick and should be ready in a few years.
Mostly perennials right now. Most of the main garden is fallow this year. It was hard to keep up with harvest last year. The kid’s less hindrance this year, but still makes it hard.
And we’re house/garden/cat sitting and getting sugar snap peas this week.
Look at all that goregous growth! So lovely. It’s been raining here a lot lately but things are coming around. I’m hoping to get my tomatoes and peppers in the ground soon, everything else has been planted at this point!
Gah, southern New Mexico is so clearly not the natural environment for the tomatoes, basil, beans, and zucchini I’m trying to grow. I’m watering everyday (not sure what’s going to happen when I go out of town next week…), and everything still looks scorched. Although that doesn’t explain why my New Mexico green chile plant also looks unhappy… I’m not good at this whole “growing things” idea.
Gorgeous! I have 7 tomato plants in pots and am really hoping for some success with them. I also have herbs – rosemary, basil, thyme, dill, and chives. Those usually do pretty well.