The Growing Season Is Upon Us ..
And before we totally miss our window of opportunity this year, as we did last year, we made a #Weekend plan to get out to the local garden center. Were we on time? Nope. About two or three weeks to late, but not totally missing the window. If we waited any longer, then the pick of decent veggie plants would be past. The variety becomes less and less available, as the summer treks onward. Eventually the garden centers throw out what's left over and that's that.
We Made It Though! ..We got to that garden center, despite the brutal hot weather, and scored a few nice hanging baskets and several different types of vegetable plants.
The Hanging Baskets ..
We browsed the multitude of baskets they had in and out of the greenhouses, and ultimately agreed on a purple and pink Petunia variety. These will sort of cascade down a little bit further than how they appear now. Also they usually like full sun, or at least part sun through out the day. The front of our home faces due North, so sun, let alone full sun, is not an option. We've gotten Petunias before, and they've done well.. so finger's crossed!
The pink one will be hanging from the porch
The purple one we have hanging on a decorative tripod thing we bought a while back.
I'll step back so that you get the full view of how they look. I know, not super impressive, but color none the less. A little something to brighten up the front of the house.
What we really need is a little table and chairs or something along those lines. That may make the porch feel more hospitable. Or a bench maybe.
Molly Has The Right Idea! ..
Before I move on, let's take a break and see what Molly is up to. Yup.. Just where I thought she would be, on the couch, in the cool, on her pillow thrown! Smart Girl!!! She says that it is WAY to Hot out for gardening. Better to be lying around and conserving energy...
The Garden Veggies ..
Above We Have The Vegetables .. That we decided on. We didn't want to get a whole bunch of stuff that we wouldn't eat, just for the sake of getting plants, so we limited our purchase. We also didn't want a huge hard to manage garden this year. Just enough stuff to have fun with, eat, and to enjoy growing. That is the plan.
As seen above, I gave them a nice drink of water when we got home. I would be planting these later after the sun dropped down and the temps cooled off. So, I wanted to make sure they would be well hydrated until then.
Later that day.. After the sun was approaching the horizon, I made my move toward the garden. An hour later and the garden didn't look quite as empty as it did earlier. It doesn't look like a whole lot now, but in another few weeks, we should have LOTS of green.
Well, we should have a lot of green.. as long as the Groundhog living under my shed leaves it all alone. Otherwise I just planted some expensive Groundhog food. hehe. I need to trap him and humanly relocate him to a new home before he or she does some real damage to the shed or it's foundation.
THE INFAMOUS GROUNDHOG!
And our empty garden as well as a few birds doing what birds do...
Below are the planted rows of veggies.. I give everything enough space to grow without crowding. They are usually happy and I have enough room to weed and pick the vegetables.
What Did We Plant?? ..
A Single Tomato Plant.. It's only the two of us an Molly, so we don't need much. One plant usually produces too much for us anyhow. It will be just perfect! I chose a spot at the end of a row, to make for easy access to the fruits it will produce. It is sitting right between two strong stakes. As the plant grows, I will tie it up to the stakes for support, as the winds can get kind of strong when summer storms roll through.
I Planted A Few Watermelon Plants .. Next to the Tomato. It is the widest garden our of the four, so they will have plenty of room to fill this area in. I tend to keep them trimmed up and within the edges of the row anyhow. Just wait, these things are going to be 20X this size in a week or two...
If the soil looks a little dark and sort of woody, it's because I mix in a scoop or two of compost when planting the plants. The rich nutrient filled soil, gives them just the perfect blend of nourishment as they are starting their lives of growing.
Lets Move Over To The Next Garden Where We Have Yellow Squash Planted.. The Squash are just babies too, and like the other plants, they will put on a ton of new growth in a rapid fashion. I love grilling yellow squash. I slice them along the length of the squash, into thick slices. I prep them with butter or olive oil, a little Mrs Dash (Seasoning), and then grill to light brown. When they are tender and just about ready to come off the grill, I add a mix of cheese. Delicious!
Now For The Peppers.. I planted them at the end of the next garden over. We got four plants. I also planted these next to stakes. When the Peppers really come on and fill those branches, the limbs get very weighted and the plants could topple over. The stakes work wonders! And save me some grief.
Last But Not Least, The String Beans.. Right next to the Pepper plants, I have a row of stakes. You guessed it, I planted 8 bean plants next to these stakes. I will also tie them up as they begin to grow.. That is if the dang Groundhog leaves them alone. I have my doubts and envision another trip to the garden center soon. hehe. I hope not though.
Did you spot the rouge strawberry? hehe
One Last Thing ..
Before I wrap this weekend garden adventure story up, I wanted to give you an update on my Pineapple plant. I cut the top off a Pineapple several weeks ago, ate the fruit and planted the top in the garden. It turned brown, but is starting to push out a few new leaves.. so things are looking good so far! Let's see how it progresses from here.
It's hard to see the new leaves, but trust me they're there.
This Seasons Garden Is Officially In!
Pepper (RIP), fast asleep with his blanky pulled up all snug.
“They sowed the duller vegetables first, and a pleasant feeling of righteous fatigue stole over them as they addressed themselves to the peas.”
― E.M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
About Me ~ The Artist
My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.
Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.
For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.
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