flowers

I am trying to alternate between vegetables , flowers, and tomatoes. Otherwise I seem to get stuck on tomatoes. I didn't even like tomatoes until I was an adult. The only ones I would eat were the ones from my Dad's garden! Thanks, Dad :) Anyway, writing about flowers today...Some of our baby trees that we transplanted to the embankment in the spring are doing well and starting to flower.
I think I have 4 different colors of gladiolus now. Most are still just starting out.
Red was new this year!
I need to post photos of my flower beds occasionally, so that I can check back and remember more or less where the bulbs were.
I planted some petunias in this dark miserable space between the classroom and shed that is usually filled with dokudami and other weeds. I thought they would die, but apparently they don't mind minimal sunlight, no nutrients, and being right in front of the air conditioner vent. We have a mouse living in our tool shed on the left. I am afraid I will decapitate it when I put the shovel back one of these days.
I think these wild flowers are very cheerful in large numbers and on a mission to fill our embankment with them. Every time I walk the dog I dutifully bring home piles of seeds from up river and spread them over our embankment but so far...
We only have the one. Can you see it, right in the middle? Not really. But it IS going to happen. I am determined. Bachelor's buttons followed by yellow flowers followed by cosmos. A hillside of flowers. Maybe daisies, too.
Marigolds in the rain amongst the watermelon vines.

flowers

Pink glads are blooming.
Bets now open: watermelon, okra or marigolds? Or can they all just get along together nicely?
White balloon flower at the back, can hardly be seen. Must remember to move it in the winter.
Purple balloon flower.
Forget-me-nots from freebie seeds my mother gave me (thanks, Mom!)
Red spapdragons, I think. Oh, Vicky told me what these are and now I've forgotten.
Pink lily also hidden behind many taller plants. Must remember to move in the winter. Must remember. Must remember long enough to tell my daughter when she comes home from school today so that she can remind me...Need to plant more forget-me-nots. Can I make forget-me-not tea?

mostly flowers and a turtle

We saw our friend the turtle, or maybe it was another turtle, in the pumpkin patch the other morning. I think her eggs got eaten by a mole or other burrowing animal.
White and pink lilies are blooming.
butterflies on a pumpkin leaf
Sunflower has survived the horrible dusty bugs and looks as if it may flower.
marigolds are really coming along
good (left) and evil (right) on a pumpkin plant

Last day of May

My marigolds, which I started from seed at the beginning of April, are finally starting to bloom!

Blue Flax (linim perenne) is a perennial. Thank you, Mrs. C. for the identification! I'm sure everyone will be pleased not to have to have photos posted every other day of the same flower. I'm still counting on all of you to help me watch my tomatoes grow, though!
My husband is finally going to pull the lettuce which bolted 4 weeks ago and some of it was almost as tall as me! He needs the space for edamame. I will be happy to have the aphid nests away from my tomatoes!
Baby green beans are starting to come in.
They are still pretty small, though. Nice close up of my grimy fingers, too.
The zucchinis sure do grow fast. I think I will harvest this one (our first real zucchini) tonight. This plant seems to have developed some sort of stem rot. I have beenr emoving the infected leaves, and still seems to be intent on producing new leaves and zucchinis, so I hope it will be ok. If not, I have 3 more adult plants and 2 more seedlings, so we should be okay in the zucchini department.

flowers

difficult name starting with o... Common name anyone? transplanted last week and doing well














first iris of the year















marigolds starting to sprout















rosemary outdoing itself

March 30 2009 mostly vegetables

New seeds planted today: green beans (つるなしいんげん), zucchini (black beauty Botanical Interests), french marigolds (サカタのタネgreen packet), campanula, forget-me-nots, cornflowers (maybe, or maybe not, I don't know what they are called in Japanese or English). Dh's acorns on the right. Baby broccoli (planted March 2) on the front left.











Baby carrot mix (planted March 1). Bountiful Gardens.















strawberries















negi (green onions) are starting to flower and need to come out. Spinach (center) is kind of yellow, maybe planted too late (Feb). Broccoli (bought, not from seed) on right.












Peas: hopefully snap peas. The package says スナック753。 Last year we planted green peas by mistake. I was so disappointed, I love snap peas.















My husband's baby cucumbers (planted March 2)














Salad Bowl Blend lettuce (planted March 2) and Clemson Spineless Okra (planted March 2), both seeds from Botanical Interests.













My babies! Tomatoes (planted March 2). I've had to bring them in every night this past week since it's been chilly. Only one tiny money maker has come up, but 2 or three each of Brandywine, Cherokee purple, Big Rainbow, Evergreen, Black Krim, and Marmande Super. Bountiful Gardens Tomato mix.











Cherry tomatoes (planted March 2). Two or three of Black Plum, Gold Currant, Riesentraube, one Chadwick's chery, and one Sweet Orange II. Bountiful Gardens Cherry Tomato mix.