hi there! i'm a newbie, so i'm just watching, anxiously, my garden grow, lol!

but really, i've discovered my first aphids (in a 2 of my little cabbage plantlings) so i've been out picking at and rinsing them. gave everything a good soaking as we've had a bit of a hot spell this past weekend (i'm in the sf bay area), but now the fog has rolled in with a vengeance!

i'm fretting over whether, as a newbie, i've planted too much in one of my beds, and if i should/can replant some things. i'm in complete love.

i have two 3ft by 3tf by 18in deep raised beds with cabbage, broccoli, collards, tomatoes, italian beans, sweet peppers, summer squash and some stray spinach plants. then i have in a 24inch wide by 10 inch deep wine barrel top (this is what's giving me the worries) with more spinach, romaine, mesculin, red leaf, parsley, tarragon, sage, and rosemary. yes, as i type this i know i have too much there.

well, it's high noon now, nothing to do but watch my garden grow! thanks for asking!

angela

Hello,
I've been getting things ready for containers. I'm mixing up some of the 5-1-1 mix. My son has been helping. We got a daisy plant put in one of the beds, and have been chasing bugs! I don't have aphids, but there is a white bug making a mess of our sunflowers!

Trying to tidy, and get things ready for planting.

It's lunch time, then back out..:)

Have a great day!
JoJo

Checked a troublesome container plant..... Turned out not enough perlite, and, not distributed evenly at ALL.
Fixed problem for that plant, now off to buy a BIG mixing container; 5 gallon not doing it.
d

I planted some shasta daisys,marigolds,impatients,and still have some lobelia,and petunias,and one begonia to plant.Had to stop as it was getting too hot and i can't be in the sun too long.Learned that the hard way 2 weeks ago,even though i had been told that by my dr,i forgot and went out on an overcast day and planted.Next day realized i had a bad sunburn on my head.Hair isn't thick enough yet too protect it.Oh well,won't make that mistake again.
Kathi

Hello,
Had errands to do after the holiday, so didn't have a lot of time to spend in my garden, but I did manage to have my first basil harvest this season, enough to make a batch of pesto for dinner.
Also harvested some salad greens for dinner and mint to make tea, Yum!
This afternoon my son who is a photo journalism student asked if he could have me sit for some shots in the garden so he could use the big Calumet camera they are working with right now. Boy, that thing is a real hulk... it even has the old fashioned cloth to put over your head and the negatives are huge, 8 by 10 inches. They have to learn ALL the hardware available to be a pro, I guess!
So I sat and he took pics of me amongst my marigolds and zucchini.

Hi, I mixed up a batch of Al's mix (sort-of) and filled 2 big pots for tomatoes. I planted Sweet 100 and Grape toms. It sure is hard work making the mix! I used a combo of pro-mix and pine bark from Agway. I also threw in a little of my homemade compost just because I couldn't stop myself. I know it's not recommended but I'm so proud of my beautiful compost, and it looked so gorgeous, I just had to throw a few scoops in.

I just got done rinsing a strainer full of lettuce and spinach for tonight! Found what might be eating a few holes here and there in various plants so going to spray some soap spray in the morning.

I have all my cuttings in the house for at least a week or so, and I got the dreaded fungus gnats!! They even got in the butter!! YIKES!

Googled how to get rid of them, and I made up a cocktail with a little sugar, soap and apple cider vinegar, to trap the adults. I did this this morning, and so far, nothing!! But they are buzzing around the baby cuttings like crazy!

JD is off to the store to pick up some sand. To get rid of the larvae, I need to scoop 1/2" of their propagation mix out and toss it, and replace it with 1/2" of regular sand. Evidently those gnats will NOT lay their eggs in good old dry sand!

My day isn't over. I'll be scooping and replacing for a couple hours later this evening! Cooking a chicken for dinner and having a little wine at the moment.....
Suzi

I just picked a special flower, in particular a gardenia for my sick mom which made her day...

I also cut my grass and then discovered a jade that had rooted without my knowledge..

Everything I have is planted in the 5.1.1 or gritty mix, and it feels good to stand there in the early am and water all I want in the warm sun, to hear the water falls I see surrounded by my many plants gleefully growing in the warmth..

I can almost here them thanking me for all I do...

My parents,family, friends, and 'plants thank me each day for the TLC..

I just thanked my container lettuce for the awesome salad I had tonight..:-)

Mike

I planted four kinds of bush beansÂBlack Valentine, Royal Burgundy, Provider, and TenderpodÂin containers. Planted twice as many of the Tenderpod seeds because I read on one of these forums that they have germination issues.

Set out ten sunflower plants in the garden. Have many more to go, but a storm rolled in.

Spent more time than I would have liked ridding my mailbox of ants and their eggs. I have an extra large mailbox, and the whole floor of it was covered. I felt sorry for the frantic ants (I'd be frantic, too, if they were my eggs), and got as many out as possible before resorting to insecticide. Had to do several "sweeps."

Photographed irises.

Susan

I planted carrots yesterday thinking the rain was over with for a while, also planted radishes and then the rain came so I cover with some clear plastic but I think both will be a "bust", havent even started my bush beans as of yet, anybody planted beans in the rain?, I'm seriously considering this option....here in washington I dont think the sun is ever going to come out. Getting a bit discouraged to say the least. I should have started all this a month ago....

The priority here is the removal of all the over growth due to lots of late rain. Al

I looked over my strawberries, and I think they need more sun. Checked on the dirt garden. Pumpkins are coming up all over, since the squirrels replanted for me.

Picked a Joseph's Coat rose to enjoy the fragrance. Fed the petals to my pug. She loves them.

Test sifted some pine mulch.

And I have planted beans in the rain, but the package dissolved in my pocket, which had a hole. Beans rolled down my leg.

The moral of the story is to check your pockets or use a plastic bag.

Nothing yet! Getting out of work in a half hour, then I have an hour and a half commute home and then I can find peace in my gardening! :)

Yesterday, I killed a bunch of slugs, and tried to catch the stupid animal that has been eating all my coleous, rose stems, and marigolds for a late midnight snack! Arg

I also put in solar lights, remarkably beautiful and cleaned out my water falls..

I cut the grass yesterday, and then sat down and soaked up a bit of sun rays while listening to the trickling water and the sounds of bumble bees buzzing by me..

I also saw a humming bird, a few BLACK with blue eye dragon flies, a frog, a skunk, 3 different cats,a few butterflies, one pigeon, and a few babie birds trying to take flight, and picked a few yellow rasberries......

Mike

Pulled weeds from my new bed. Sifted ingredients for 5:1:1 and gritty mix. Planted 2 Harbor dwarf Nandina, 2 hostas, and a caramel huchera in a small bed in the front (last night, as the sun was setting). Smiled at the first flower of the season on my rose of sharon.

After all that I sat in my chair, cracked open a beer, and yelled "HEY, GET OUT OF THERE!" at my three year old Chocolate Lab "The Mousse". She is adorable, but dumber than a sack of hammers!

Bought a nice, healthy 5-gallon citron with 3 fruits!!!, potted it up right away, placed it under my patio. Also fertilized my dragon fruit plants. So fun in summer time, I HATE the cold months.

I plan to feed my squash some coffee grounds.

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I planted my tomatoes upside down in containers..ok not today..the latest 4 were planted yesterday 4 others a couple of weeks ago, and the rest a month ago.

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I started snow peas inside then planted them in a large house planter.

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my roses are planted in self watering containers I made out of big buckets, they use a wicking action, it helps them not dry out in the heat of the day.

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oh and I also planted some wisteria seedling for mom, although I might keep one when they get ready to transplant....these might not go in a container.

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Snap peas are DELICIOUS! especially just picked and eaten fresh..Nice

Started watering some things right at the roots...it's been so hot and I think my watering has been running off, despite the amount of time out there!

I fell on my a...,and squashed a few of my impatients!!!!

Just finished picking up my plants on the ground knocked over by a microburst!!

Plucked nuts out of some of my pots planted by squirrels..

Sprayed my trees invaded by June bugs.

Plucked out my bald coleous eaten by some kind of critter and replaced it with marigolds all the while attcked by mosquitos...It was not a good day in the garden yesterday.

But after all that, I did have a nice drink on the swing watching the storm clouds form a beautiful rainbow..:-)

Mike

Nothing unusual but I hauled tons of water today.

Hi Mike,
Sounds like you had a rough day. LOL!

I did enough today to need a serious manicure now! LOL!

Weeds, always fun.
Planted a Gazania I got on clearance from Lowes.
a few gourd seedlings. And a flowering vine.
Watered.
Worked on sifting material for Als 5-1-1
And now am calling it a day.
Time to kick back with a good tea. :)
It's cloudy out, our summer rain/monsoon season is due to start anyday now, so hoping for rain.

JoJo

I ate about a quart of raspberries. And pulled a couple of weeds.

Harvested all this from my little yard in Central Kentucky today:

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I also tore out the pea plants and tossed in the compost pile (they are done), removed the cucumber plants that suffered from that damn wilt from the cucumber beetle, planted the next planting of bush beans (every 2 weeks), prepped an extra plot with my tiller in the empty lot across from my house where my neighbor and me are growing contraband corn cause our yards are too small (plant corn every 2 weeks too) and mowed my lawn (a 25-minute activity, front and and back). :)

OMG!!!!!!

That looks so delicious!!! Very good and what a blessing ha. No supermarket can beat the flavor and looks of those veggies!

I wish I had planted cucumbers...

I watered all my plants this morning and got tired looking at all the rimming I have to do...lol

Mike