We've been moving slowly around here since returning from our weekend of camping at the beach. It was 95 degrees yesterday, after highs in the 60s in Morro Bay. I might be wilting, but my garden is loving the heat! We came home to our first pink tomato out of at least 100 green ones, and my oldest gobbled it right up. I'm not sure it was actually ripe, but he enjoyed it anyway.
We also had two giant sunflowers bloom this week, and they sure bring a bright spot to the yard. We planted four packets of flower seeds this spring, but I'm not the best at sprouting flowers from seed. Apparently they like to be watered. 'Course, I wasn't expecting the rainy season to end the first week of February.
I pulled up a few carrots yesterday, and my middlest picked the first green bean. The carrots haven't done as well as I'd hoped. Many of them never sprouted at all, and a few rotted before I got to them. The ground was a bit uneven, and the water pooled in one spot. Also, that corner of the veggie patch got more shade than I anticipated, and they probably needed more sun.
The heat was also a good reason to dig a mud hole -- in my neighbor's backyard this year, instead of ours! I filled in last year's mud hole for the veggie patch this spring. It made for nice, loose soil, though the boys were a bit disappointed. I told them they could dig another hole on the other side of the yard where the soil needs some work, but they haven't yet. Maybe they'll be content to play across the street this summer.
I'm already making plans to expand the garden for fall planting. About the only thing I could put in right now is eggplant, which I might do if I can find some soon. Otherwise it's time to order more seed to start indoors where it's not so hot. Then I can put them in the ground in September. In the meantime, I'm waiting on Scott to bring home old newspapers from school so I can start mulching over the weeds and preparing the new beds. I've got a pile of old boxes my neighbor Cassandra left me when they moved last month, which I'm planning to use under mulch for the paths.
We'll see if I actually get that all done! The best time to work outside is turning out to be after 6 p.m., when the sun has gone behind the house. The sun is on the yard from 7 a.m. on. We're staying up later, and waking up later, which isn't my favorite. Maybe I should start napping in the afternoon so I can more done in the morning!
I'm sooooo impressed with your garden and all that vegetation! And the mud hole sure looks like fun. My boys would have been in heaven, I'm sure. Glad you are back and had a nice vacation.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I want a mudhole!! I bet my girls would love it :).
ReplyDeleteYour garden is wonderful :). My oldest planted sunflowers for the first time this year. How fun!
Love your blog :)
I love your garden, great inspiration for a newbie gardener like me! Right now, I am working on keeping the cats out of my garden, and getting our hard clay soil "right". I have organic seeds in a pack waiting to go. What do you do to your tomatoes to get them like that, they are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteNice post, nice mud hole! I'm going to make one for my kids! Jen from Huntington Beach, CA
Thank you for all the compliments! :)
ReplyDeleteJenni, I don't do anything special to the tomatoes. I just added compost to the soil before planting. I should feed them, but I haven't picked up the fish emulsion and liquid kelp yet. (Although, I did have one of the boys pee in the water bucket -- I heard that really does wonders! LOL.)
We're all composting our pee early for the party tomorrow! It seems strange, but that's a really easy "green" step for my kids and I to do, especially in the summer. We all need to buckle down with water conservation, esp. in California. Thanks for the tips about tomatoes! Enjoy your blog, now we are thinking of making camping res. for Morro Bay, after I read your post! Peace :-]
ReplyDeleteJenni, thanks for the reminder! We'll be out picking up our CSA produce in the morning, so hopefully we'll remember! I discovered something kind of gross, though. The urine water attracts roaches. ('Course, if I'd used it right away, it wouldn't have.) They drown in it, which is good. But it's not for the squeamish!
ReplyDeleteBe sure to head across the street for berry cobbler if you make it to Morro Bay! :)
I love it! That's too cute! My boys always loved playing in the mud :o} I ran across yourblog and just had to comment on the mud!
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