Gardening is so easy I can do it from Missouri!

While I was traveling in Missouri last week, my garden continued to grow. (Thank you to Heather for watering and talking to my garden.) I had planted the Squash Ghetto a day or so before we left, and look at it now! Corn has sprouted and is 4-5 inches tall. And the squash, melon, and cucumber plants are well-established. Hurray!

I was also excited to see the peas and green beans I planted at the same time as the Squash Ghetto were doing great, too. These pictures were taken before I weeded. 

My oldest blueberry bush (which isn't very bushy) is actually making blueberries.

The snap peas are not only clinging to the little fence, but they are also starting to put out flowers.

My tomato plants grew exponentially while I was away. They now have buds on them. I expect flowers and tomatoes soon.

And all of my other veggies are looking great. I've got edible radishes. I'm looking for a good radish recipe to use my first produce.

AND MY IRISES ARE IN BLOOM! There weren't even buds on them before I left, so I was shocked to find them in full bloom.

Mid-May Garden Update

It's been a little while since my last garden update, so I've got some progress to show.

My strawberry plants are making blossoms and little strawberries.

One pot of chives has purple flowers. When I see the flowers, I sing "chive blossoms" to the tune of "Jive Talkin'."

The transplanted tomato seedling is doing great as are the tomato seeds I planted at the same time. I'm very excited about all the cherry tomatoes I should be harvesting this summer.

Only one snap pea plant is doing well, but I planted more in hopes that the warmer weather will improve my results. I really want my snap peas to do well. I eat a lot of them.

The greens and herbs around the Pea Haven are doing well. Unfortunately, the peas and green beans aren't doing as well. Only one green bean plant is doing well. So like the snap peas, I've replanted and am hoping for lots of purple hull peas and green beans. I planted a filet variety of green bean because I like more green and less bean. Recently, I've been buying fresh filet beans at Kroger, steaming them in the microwave, and eating them without butter or any seasoning. I even eat them cold the next day. I'd love to grow my own. It would be much, much cheaper.

I finally got my Hose Hut put together so that I don't have to keep unkinking the water hose while I'm watering the garden. And since my rain barrel issues aren't resolved yet, I need to drag the hose to the other side of the house to water the Squash Ghetto.

And speaking of the Squash Ghetto, it is planted! Two types of corn, watermelon, pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, yellow summer squash, and zucchini were planted this week.

Sprouts of All Sorts

My garden is growing pretty well. I've only run into a few snags. One of my tomato seedlings isn't looking good, a few of my root veggies haven't come up yet, and I'm working out some problems with the hose attached to my rain barrel. But everything else is doing really well.

Below are a few examples of the successes.

Broccoli (in the back planter) is doing well. I've got two plants growing and a couple more seeds sown. Kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts are transplanted and sown nearby. They are also doing well.

Turnips are growing in the block in front. My radishes and a carrot are also sprouting in blocks. Parsnips, leeks, and beets are starting more slowly.

The chives, garlic chives, and green onions in the back planter are doing good. The really tall chives were transplanted. They were in pots that I kept inside all winter. I transplanted them too early, and the cold "thinned" them, which was good for them. I always over-crowd when I plant and I hate to thin, so they tend to be spindly. I tried extra hard not to over-plant the chives this time. I hope it turns out well.

The front planter has spinach and arugula. Hurray!



I bought strawberry plants from Walmart and put them in strawberry pots. They are still alive and making flower and berries. I'm looking forward to fresh berries this summer.










I bought two new blueberries plants because I was afraid the one from last year wasn't going to come back this year. It surprised me. It came back and is putting out leaves and buds. I don't know if I'll get berries this year, but I'm excited about the progress my blueberry plant is making. In a few years I should have an ample blueberry harvest.


I'll take more pictures as more things grow. I planted lettuces and other greens around the Pea Haven last weekend and planted some purple hull peas and green beans in the two rows inside the Haven structure. I hope to get my rain barrel hose issue straightened out soon so that I can plant corn, sunflowers, cucumbers, melons, and squashes in the Squash Ghetto.