Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like there are a lot more dragonflies this year. I’m being dive bombed at home and at work. Fewer pesticides? Better breeding conditions this year versus last year? I suppose I don’t care, as long as they are beautiful.
Is anyone else noticing the same thing?
You’ll remember my last post about the Nasties. They’re not dead yet, so I don’t have to write a death notice. They’re not dead, but they’re not flourishing either. They’re just hanging on.
Thanks to Mother Nature, we’ve had some cooler weather. Although tomorrow is only supposed to be 86 degrees, we’ll hit the upper 90s by Wednesday.
I hope that I’ll be able to write a happier post in a month or so. I’ve cut back the dead bits and I’ll probably plant a few more seeds towards the end of August. I’m hoping for a bumper crop of flowers and some seeds to try next year. Until then, I’ll eat ice cream and hope for cooler weather.
I’m growing Nasturtium “Spitfire” for the GROW project. Thanks, to Renee’s Garden for the seeds.
While it’s so goddawful hot outside, I’m thinking ahead to fall plants and next year’s spring crops. I have to pull out my fall planting guide that I received at the WDC Gardener Magazine Seed Swap this past January. I’m sure I should have started a bunch of stuff already… I also have to think about what I’m going to start next spring. Now I have a cold frame, so I can start things even earlier. Who knows, I might even get organized enough to do some Winter Sowing.
I just ordered coconut pellets for the next batch of plant starts. No more peat pellets if I can possibly help it. Peat pellets have been the most reliable method of seed starting for me, but the environmental toll that harvesting peat causes, negates the benefit of my growing food for myself. Coconut fiber is supposedly more sustainable (until someone tells me otherwise) which makes me feel better about using these pellets.
In the meantime, I’ll be sitting in the house, enjoying the A/C, and looking at pictures of what is outside:
JMack found these on a walk we took in April.
Of course, I had to take a picture. I posted this picture on Twitter, earlier today, hoping that I would find out what it is. I haven’t heard anything, so I thought I would post it here as well. I’d like to know what kind of tree it is, and what the heck the pink growths are. Any help is appreciated.
Check out Black Swamp Girl’s blog for more information on Foliage Friday.
When I signed up for the Seed GROW Project, Renee’s Garden generously offered us seeds for the project and a special gift of a new kind of double Cosmos called ‘Bon Bon’. Renee’s Garden also offered Seed GROW participants the opportunity to try out additional seeds. I selected Alpine strawberries ‘Minionette’ as one of my additional seed packets.
Alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca) have been on my wishlist for ages. I love strawberries, and I’ve always wanted to try growing them. Last year, I was offered a taste of an Alpine strawberry from a local gardener’s garden. I was amazed at how big the flavor of this tiny berry was, and I decided then and there that I must grow this plant.
I’m really happy with progress so far. The picture below was taken on Sunday, almost exactly two months after sowing the seeds. This particular plant is actually about three inches across – the largest of the four plants I currently have. Supposedly it is possible for the plant to bear fruit the first summer. I’ll be shocked if that happens this summer, but I’ll be happy whenever I get berries.
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been very excited about the Marigold seedlings that popped up in my garden this year. As I was out in the yard watering early this morning, crowing over the multitude of little baby Marigolds, I noticed that the seedlings looked a little weird.
I squatted down on the ground and took a closer look…. Hmmmm… definitely odd. Let me rub the leaves… Sniff, sniff… HOLY CRAP! All those cherry tomatoes that dropped on the ground last year? Yep, I have about eleventy thousand TOMATO seedlings and not a single Marigold in sight! Anyone want some Sun Gold cherry tomato seedlings (or possibly Gold Rush currant tomatoes)?
I futzed around with Folia today. Added the seeds I started on Sunday and updated my seed stash. I upgraded to a supporter account, so I have some additional features, which is nice. How much I use those features remains to be seen.
An Alaska Mix Nasturtium. Taken today, edited slightly to sharpen up the iPhone blur.
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
