Tomato Frenzy

Well, it's been a while.  I've been much too busy to blog  or garden for that matter. The garden is producing but it shows the lack of care.  I need to remember that August is my busy month, but the garden needs a lot of attention in August. I am very glad that I didn't invest in chickens.  I just don't have time for them.

So today is tomato frenzy day.  I have pounds of tomatoes that will go bad if I don't do something today.  So I will peel, and boil, and can them. I don't have anyplace to be today, but lots of jobs around the house. The tomatoes can boil while I get the rest of the work done around here.

There are also peppers to chop, and corn to husk. Wow, I better get off this blog and get busy!

First squash!

This week the squash took off!  I have two zucchini almost ready to pick. The yellow squash is just forming now. Naomi's pumpkin plant is taking off, too. No fruit yet, but it is getting big.

 The snap peas are about done so they will come out next week sometime. I still get several off every day, so I'll let it go for a day or two more. I plan to put melons in their place, but have not decided for sure. Cucumbers are my other choice.

Naomi and Eli came and got some carrots, beets and an onion yesterday, They were excited to see what had grown under ground. They helped me find some strawberries, too. Eli really likes to hunt for them. When he found little ripe ones he said, "Oh look at the tiny one. It's so cute!" This is all new to them. I hope they enjoy it enough to continue gardening when they are older.

There are lots of green tomatoes on the vines. I hope the warm weather ripens them soon.  I hate to buy tomatoes at the store.  They are flavorless and expensive. Patience is needed when gardening.

Rearranging

One of the lovely features of square foot gardening is that one is always rearranging their produce. This morning I pulled out the spent bean plants and chard planting cabbage, carrots, cilantro and more beans in their place. It feels sad to pull up the old. but invigorating to plant the new. The snap peas are almost done producing.  I think I will plant cantaloupe in their place.

In a few short days I will see new growth. I love my garden. It reminds me of the old stuff in my life that is just hanging around taking up space and sapping nutrients from my soul. I need to do some rearranging there, as well. Plant some new seeds to enjoy the new growth. Tending the garden of my soul is well worth the effort.

Tending the garden of my soul.......

hmmmmm, there's a poem there, I just know it.  I'll be pondering that all day

What a mess!

I just got home from vacation and wandered back to the garden. My oh my what a week of no attention will do!  I have my work cut out for me. Good thing I took another day off.

There are tomatoes on the vines, and peppers on all three bushes. The cucumbers are gaining strength and the corn is getting taller.  I am excited to see what the next month or two will bring!

I need to plant some more melons. Three sisters plot is ready for beans. The weather is finally right for them. I love my garden. June gloom or no, summer is on the way!

The Lopez planting

Today as I watered the garden plot, I noticed that all of the Lopez family's seeds are sprouting.  The pumpkin, squash, sunflowers, wildflowers, carrots, and chives just broke through this week.  The children will be so excited!

My cucumbers have sprouted, but the watermelon has not. I think I will have to plant some more corn since only two of the 15 seeds I planted have germinated. The bush beans have taken over the plot where I put them.  I'll have to remember next year that they need a lot of room and 9 per square is too many.  I had to pull the lettuce up, it was too crowded with the beans. It may be too warm for them to grow now, but I think I will start another square anyway.

The tomatoes are coming along nicely, lots of flowers on each plant.  I will continue to pick out the suckers and try to contain them in their wire cages. Last year was a chaotic mess of tomatoes! This year will be nice and neat with any luck.

I love my drip watering system! Unfortunately not all of the planted area is set up with a dripper.  I have to remember to go out and water those areas. It has been fairly cool lately so it has not been a problem.  I will try to get out this week end and expand the reach of the drip system.

Naomi and Eli

Today Naomi and Eli came to help me in my garden! Blanca came too, of course.  We dug and planted and watered for almost two hours.  There are now petunias in the flower bed between the roses and sunflowers between the roses and the cactus. There are wildflowers on the east fence of the garden and a pumpkin mound in the corner.  Naomi wanted to make a sign that told that the garden with the pumpkin was hers. So I gave her some paper and she made a lovely sign. So cute!

We also planted a zucchini seed, some carrot seeds and some chives.  I hope some of it comes up.  The kids will be disappointed if it doesn't. They will come and water every other day or so.  We'll see how it goes.  We can plant the seed but God makes it grow.

Rent - a -student

This week end was rent a student week. I paid for 3 kids from youth group to come and work in my yard.  Malachi Hose was one of those students. He did amazing work for me.  Because of his hard work, I now have my garden plot all cleared out and ready for planting! Corn, beans and squash will go in the new section of the garden. Today I built the berms and got the space ready.  Tomorrow I will plant the corn. In a couple of weeks I will plant the beans and squash to build a "3 sisters" garden. I have been wanting to do this for years. We'll see how it works.

The idea is that the corn grows tall and supports the beans to grow on and the squash shades the ground to help with ground temperature. It sounds cool anyway.

Now my problem is, where to plant the melon? I need to expand the garden already!