grow my own vegetables

. . . all those little black things - and yes! lots of blossoms still in the blossom stage and getting ready to set - I am amazed at the eggplant production, there are over a dozen fruits already. I have harvested all the beets, turnups, carrots, cilantro, spinach, and lettuces - and have retilled and replanted (crop rotation) - so I am working on my second crop—more pictures in comments.

. . . sorry I have been busy, but it is summer! Pulled all the beets and turnips a week ago, and the spinach is out already, the carrots will come out this week. The Eggplants continue to make blossoms, and have baby eggplants growing on them! Yah! And finally, I have got a couple of ripe tomatoes off the Better Boy - I don’t know if it is the variety, but it seems the Better Boys take a whole lot longer to go from green to red than the Early Girls - but finally, tomatoes and cheese under the apple tree for lunch—that is how I measure summer.

. . . The zukes and crooknecks are making, and the okra is struggling along, maybe even a blossom or two. And the brocolli is outrageous! Brocolli is hard here because of the intensity of snails and slugs, they come from miles around when they “smell” it—if smell it they do, so the greenhouse is about the only way to get blemish free brocolli.

. . . I have to get a good heavy watering in (today) and then a re-seeding for second crop. This one will be a bit slower, but will still make over the next 60 days. Then I will be switching to the winter run of cool weather stuff.

Happy Gardening everyone!

. . . yeah, I know, out gardening quick update, got picked up by a garden blog with a post about my greenhouse designs

garden is growing great!

http://sacgardening.blogspot.com/2006/06/some-veggies-like-it-hot-but-not-too.html

My eggplants have blossoms!!! and lots of buds - I tried taking a few close ups but I held the camera too close, when I get a really nice close up i will post it. And just think, Summer Is Finally Here - now watch out, everything is going to start taking off . . .

Every morning I go down and roll up the wall and nibble on my lettuces and spinach. I feel like a rabbit having breakfast. The eggplants have blossoms!! I will take pictures this afternoon and post tomorrow. The tomato plant is over 5 feet, the corn is coming up in 3 hills now, two more to plant. But those darn beans! just one little scraggly guy, not sure if he will even make it, I have already put other seed in the ground. I will not be stopped! I will have my beans!

And way cool - I put out my squashes this year in “tire rings” - the old tires act as heaters to the soil, and elevate the squash, well, a slug found them, so I encircled the tirs with a 3 inch swath of copper foil tape, and its TRUE- they don’t like it - I actually watched a slug reapeatedly try and crawl on the copper, but kept turning back—that was awesome!

The copper tape can be expensive, so look around on the net.

The photo is from last year, I just wanted to get everybody’s juices going . . . .

Yesterday went well with gardening. And I finally had the sun in the afternoon to take photos of the “other” side. And (Glory Halelujah!) one on my beans has finally decided to wake up and stick its little head up out of the dirt—had pretty much given up on these guys, that’s a long time for a bean to sprout (10 days). Turnip greens (and a small turnip) for dinner tonight. Good Gardening to all. (And just think, the best is yet to come!)

It has been a frustrating week - overcast, foggy, rainey - and today is gorgeous, chilly, but gorgeous, so first thing - I got some morning shots, then nibbled on everything for breakfast - Um m m m - so good to pick fresh spinach, then just eat it right then - the growhouse is keeping everything clean, no dirt on the leaves, almost looks like everything is dusted off each night by little elves (they do that sort of thing, don’t they) - when the sun gets to the other side this afternoon, I plan on doing some promo shots, and then harvest some of the large turnips for dinner - but here is a photo from this morning

Keep Smiling and Good Gardening

. . . the garden is doing well, it is all inside for the most part, but I want to set the cherry tomato out - tomatoes are so tough here on the coast, but cherry tomatoes can be ok - I guess because they do not have to grow as large . . .

and then I need some good pictures, it may ba a couple of days before we get a sunny afternoon

. . . The continuing saga—my insulated greenhouse is AWESOME! it is exceeding expectations.

Click on the picture for the enlargement, I have labeled as many of the plantings as I could, unseen are the sage, cilantro, parsley, okra - they are on the other side. The turnips are getting ready to come out, and I cut lower leaves yesterday and had a mess with lime juice - so good

We are now looking at about 45 days since planting. And almost no pests whatsoever (or dogs, cats, deer, racoons) - there is one or two bugs sneaking around in here, but I will get them sooner or later. The goal, of course is all year gardening in adverse conditons. This garden is within sight of the Pacific Ocean and 250 miles north of San Francisco, and again today, it is foggy and overcast - but the light and heat build up in the 40 sq ft greenhouse is keeping growth happening!

for the really interested, check out www.heatstick.com

I will continue to add updates as the weeks progress - the only frustration I am having is I have not been able to get any beans going - the little containers near the front are my bush breans, but no sprouts yet – Arghhh - I so want beans! my tomatoes are next door in a different growing envrionment, and my squash is outside - too much leaf space for the growhouse

hey—good gardening to all, and Keep Smiling!!

My little green house is cooking - it has only been a bit over a month since I planted seed, and everything is coming up - and I am eating the thinings, and starting to nibble at some of the leaves on the lettuce and spinach—got 2 fresh strwberries the other day. . . .