You'd think that with the warmest Spring on record...
...my flowers would be going crazy.
They are not.
I am impatiens. (SEE WHAT I DID, THERE? Ha. I'm not even growing those.)
This gardening business is not for the faint of heart. The last week has seen our first real incursions (barring Chupacabra interference) of pestilence. A few moths have left neatly-laid rows of easy-to-brush-off eggs on some things, but the black fly larvae have been wreaking havoc on the nasturtiums. Which is, according to The Internettm, what nasturtiums are particularly good for (that is, being a decoy), which is why you companion plant them with just about everything else in your garden. Poor things have taken such a beating. But I've acquired some natural pesticide and attacked the pockets of ant-herded black bug things, so hopefully we'll eventually win.
This little guy, though...truly taking one for the team...we had to jettison two green caterpillars, this morning, from their attempted annihilation.
The other big news is the arrival of an enormous blue bowl planter so the lavender (and, for now, a few other floral things) can have a nice home. I moved two nasturtiums that hadn't been given a very good start in life, and put in what I think are marigolds, and two other flowers that I don't remember what they are, so this will be fun.
Everything else seems to be trundling along nicely. Some things are starting to flower:
[Ed note: in a text exchange between Farmer Goth and his father about courgette flowers, this morning, the immortal line "the male always comes first" appeared, and I have not stopped snickering because obviously.]
Other things are starting to bear fruit:
Here's a pictorial tour of a bunch of other things, so I don't bore you with inane prose:
In hopeful news, I've planted a few more flowers since the ones in the starter trays couldn't get their act together. Also, the other strawberry has been sending out runners, so we're capturing one to see if we can get it to propagate, and then we'll very likely give it away, definitely, maybe.
But the bit you've all been waiting for, I'm sure (aside from another shot of Farmer Goth's butt) is an update on this little guy. Mr. Bean is making a solid run for it. He's well behind the brotherhood, but improving with each passing day!
We've started to take advantage of our bounty, already, too. Lettuce and rocket have made their way to our plate, and on Friday I whacked the mint back and dried the leaves, and whizzed up some of the sorrel and put it into an ice cube tray for future use, which is all very satisfying.
Otherwise, it's been a bit of weeding here, ejecting interlopers there...a lot of sitting out there and just looking at things...
Not bad going, really.
They are not.
I am impatiens. (SEE WHAT I DID, THERE? Ha. I'm not even growing those.)
This gardening business is not for the faint of heart. The last week has seen our first real incursions (barring Chupacabra interference) of pestilence. A few moths have left neatly-laid rows of easy-to-brush-off eggs on some things, but the black fly larvae have been wreaking havoc on the nasturtiums. Which is, according to The Internettm, what nasturtiums are particularly good for (that is, being a decoy), which is why you companion plant them with just about everything else in your garden. Poor things have taken such a beating. But I've acquired some natural pesticide and attacked the pockets of ant-herded black bug things, so hopefully we'll eventually win.
This little guy, though...truly taking one for the team...we had to jettison two green caterpillars, this morning, from their attempted annihilation.
The little bastards are, apparently, part of the Clean Plate Club.
A bit of colour in the vast greenness that is The Courtyard at La Palmerosa
Peas!
If you look closely, you'll see that it's a courgette in a hat
Purple potato proto-blooms
[Ed note: in a text exchange between Farmer Goth and his father about courgette flowers, this morning, the immortal line "the male always comes first" appeared, and I have not stopped snickering because obviously.]
Other things are starting to bear fruit:
A PEA POD! I AM SO EXCITED!
Om nom nom...
Here's a pictorial tour of a bunch of other things, so I don't bore you with inane prose:
Learning from the gloriously over-crowded lettuce/rocket situation
I have thinned the chard
The tomatoes are starting to come into their own, now
Borage! I'm so excited that I planted some more
Lady's Bedstraw - apparently the flowers are lovely and smell delicious
RADISHES!
Cavolo Nero, slowly making its way upward
Parisian carrots with seemingly the
longest goddamned growth period in the history of vegetation
In hopeful news, I've planted a few more flowers since the ones in the starter trays couldn't get their act together. Also, the other strawberry has been sending out runners, so we're capturing one to see if we can get it to propagate, and then we'll very likely give it away, definitely, maybe.
All of this is just a grand experiment, anyway...
But the bit you've all been waiting for, I'm sure (aside from another shot of Farmer Goth's butt) is an update on this little guy. Mr. Bean is making a solid run for it. He's well behind the brotherhood, but improving with each passing day!
That's him, there, in the front - I'm so proud
We've started to take advantage of our bounty, already, too. Lettuce and rocket have made their way to our plate, and on Friday I whacked the mint back and dried the leaves, and whizzed up some of the sorrel and put it into an ice cube tray for future use, which is all very satisfying.
The sorrel survived the indignity of my removing half of it to freeze
Doesn't seem bothered in the least, if I'm honest
Otherwise, it's been a bit of weeding here, ejecting interlopers there...a lot of sitting out there and just looking at things...
Not bad going, really.
Comments
Post a Comment