One of the things about blogging I love is being able to share experiences instantly with the world. One of the more rewarding experiences to share is gardening which happens to be a highlight of my summers after those long Canadian winters. If you agree with me, I would recommend you head on over to the Garden Journal Challenge by
and read about other blockchain gardens or even post about your own.
I am somewhere around the 6th year of The Pickleman Family Garden on #hive. What started as a reclamation of lawn and repurposing to a simple garden veggie box has become and expanding and perpetual yearly tradition of exploration.
This edition, the heat has subsided and it is time to take a look under the wild growth for some veggies.
Last Update
The last update, we were on our way and then got pounded by a week straight of +30 Celcius (which is 90 in Freedom Units.) That meant for a beautiful blast of sun for the growth but a but of an exercise to keep it all watered. White people problems.
The heat wave broke and we have returned to warm and clear with a few showers for relief. The sun messed with the exposure a bit on this one but you can see the tomatoes are about a foot taller and my yellow hydrangeas are now a puffy white. Let's see what else we have going on.
Tomatoes
The tomato jungle is growing heavy and thick as anticipated. This year, we planted them out in the sunny side of the box a little too many and closely together. I let them grow wild a little just to get established but spent a shift trimming lower branches and suckers as well as putting up bamboo trellises on which they could climb. It will be a challenge this year to keep them trimmed for air flow and coexistence but I am up for the challenge and to share what works and doesn't.
The Cherry Tomatoes are looking a little more like grapes but are starting to roll! I can see about a dozen little clusters like this forming so there should be plenty for summer salads.
Cucumbers
The Straight 8 (or were they slicers?) cucumbers I planted from seed are doing well. I have them in the end of the greens bed, plenty protected from the critters, and out where they won't have to compete with sun.
Squash
The squash are completely taking over their end of the box with spaghetti squash and a bunch of zucchini. the leaves are a foot across and it has climbed well over 6 feet tall.
I might have to reinforce the stick structure to handle more growth and big heavy squash when they start to pop.
I am noticing lots of male flowers without squash on them which might mean the flowers are not being pollinated adequately. Not big deal as I pick the first few off, have trimmed the big leaves back, and can take a little brush to all the blooms when I water. If this works, we should have a bumper crop!
Peppers
I have a nice variety of hot peppers growing from jalapeno, habanero, even ghost peppers but they seem to be pausing in their big growth. I am not concerned as they are probably looking for the very hot and dry when we have had mostly warm an rainy. The Mad Hatter peppers seem to be enjoying the hell out of it. That and their room mates (more tomatoes) which are in the box where hot peppers did so well the last couple years.
Gnomes
I am not really growing gnomes but there seem to be some out there. This little fella is guarding the basil.
Another one is hiding among the lavender which sprung up on its own this year. they keep moving around so it might be interesting to see where they end up this summer
Early Summer Blooms
The theme this year for me was to get the garden rolling and flourishing for as little money as possible. I have the tendency to buy a huge delivery of garden soil and splurge on annuals for the aesthetic appeal, pollinators, and happy women. I am still holding out for a huge clearance sale from one of the nurseries here and will take you shopping with me if that happens.
'Til then, I am enjoying some of the few we have growing every year like these hydrangeas.
The orange lilies also come up every year. Not only in my garden but I see them everywhere, even growing wild in these parts. I love them as they are hearty and fill a bed with green even when they are not in full bloom like this one.
The trumpet vines on my tool shed are starting to pop their orange beauties. I battle them every year so they don't swallow the shed and do love how much these bloom.
These Zinnias came up this year which is a bit of a surprise as they are annuals. Wonderful little flowers with flowers inside of them and they grow packed with seeds. Would recommend growing them as they give you sees to replant every year, and they are rather spunky even in the colder climates.
Years ago, I would not be very impressed at discovering a milk weed in the wild flower garden. Since then, I have come to appreciate they are a breeding ground for monarch butterflies and love that one has sprung up. My little ones love collecting the little caterpillars, raising them to butterflies, and releasing them. so much fun to watch so fingers crossed.
So far so good.
It is shaggy looking for my taste but I had a couple weekends of adventure that kept me from putting too much time in. Grass is mowed and it is time for a little weeding, pruning and trimming in preparation for some veggies! About time to fertilize too so hopefully the next edition of the garden journal will show great results.
Thus ends this chapter of the garden update. STILL holding out for the big sales on annuals and looking forward to some July veggies!
Mom started me along my path of growing stuff when I was a kid. Motivated by so many blockchain blogging gardeners, I figured I would plant and share and learn as I reclaim as much grass space as I can. It has turned out to be a fruitful experience and I hope to inspire you to sow and grow no matter what your location or experience level is.
Wherever you are...JUST GROW!
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