Patience, Grasshopper...

Today's Adventures in Gardening include eggs, face-huggers, and aliens. 

Two of those things are true. 

I did discover a patch of egginess on one of the nasturtium leaves, which spurred me to check nearly every leaf we have, now. This, as you might imagine, took a while. I didn't find any others, but I will remain VIGILANT. 

Then, as if to add insult to injury, Farmer Goth dug up this little gem a mere two hours later:

The Internet tells me this is a moth pupa, of the kind that turns into a moth larva that eats plants, so I've noped right out of that and put it into the compost where...I don't know what I expect to happen, but there's plenty of plant life in there if it wants to have a go at it within the confines of a Dalek, and now I'm wondering if Daleks are actually secretly filled with moth larvae and that's why they're so grumpy. 

Despite these invasions, things really are coming along nicely. The sorrel plant has been sending us on an emotional roller-coaster - some days it's wee, wan, and thinking about dying, and some days it's like this:

The sorrel that ate Chicago

I'm not sure I'm enforcing Social Distancing very well with the lettuce and rocket, and Farmer Goth won't let me eat any of it, yet. 

So leafy...

Our peas, in addition to threatening to form a union and demand rights, have also started to flower. This is deeply satisfying.

"We demand better working conditions!"

Also deeply satisfying? Berries. Actual berries on the strawberry plant that might actually ripen and be delicious. The current count is four. We'll update as the situation changes.

Four...four strawberries! AH HA HA!!

In other news, I am deeply excited about this turn of events - I put a bunch of flower seeds into the starter trays, and have now moved a few of them out because they were old enough for Big Seedling Trousers:

Front to back: Borage, I don't remember, I don't remember, I forget, (and Weld, but I planted that a while ago). Also, the strawberry is sending out feelers, which I find a bit disconcerting.

(A few of their compatriots are still in their trays until they're a bit bigger. You would not believe the tears when I told them they couldn't go.)

But probably the most wonderful thing happening, right now, is this little guy. He's a bean, and started to come up with the rest of them, but then something happened (I suspect it was the Chupacabra) and he lost his leaves. But he resolutely stood fast, did not shrivel, and is now showing signs of new leaves. Something hopeful, in these uncertain times! 

Grow, little guy, grow!

For those who are deeply interested, everything else is like this:

• Tomatoes: in the ground, looking leafier
• Marigolds: in the ground in front of the tomatoes, sprouting enthusiastically
• Beans: showoffs - we'll need to give them poles or twine to grow up very soon
• Courgette: I am resigned to my fate as they slowly take over the everything
• Potatoes: we need to deconstruct my panic-planting in the pot, because it's too crowded, now
• Radishes: seedlings are getting stronger, direct plants are coming along nicely
• Carrots: the Chupacabra dug in the planter, but I think I've salvaged the ones above ground
• Turnips: cannot seem to get it together, but also haven't died outright, so...
• Other carrots: no action - I think they take 100 years to germinate
• Beets/Parsnips: no clear action, but we'll give it a bit
• Cavolo Nero: sprouting!
• Chard: sprouting!
• Basil: pitched a fit about the cold, but is hanging in there
• Thyme: doing well
• Mint: I'll be cutting/drying some today to keep it in check
• Oregano: same as above
• Parsley: having a good day
• Flowers: nothing, yet, but hopefully the Evil Orb will encourage them to break free

I have also put the GrowBars into a roasting tin and am watering them diligently. Right now, they just look like to enormous slabs of gingerbread cake, but if they do anything interesting, you'll be the first to know!

Meanwhile, It's a million degrees, today, and Farmer Goth is out constructing some sort of containment device for the rubble around the Dalek. I'm inside "waiting for a parcel delivery" but have literally just been summoned to help. If I die from overheating, know that I love you all. (Also, the parasol I ordered can't come soon enough.)