Ready, Set, Fruit!

Picture Update on Fruiting Plants...

Our first quarter sized patty-pan squash. There are several beautiful squash blossoms on this plant but the patty-pan's haven't developed as quickly. The plant is about a foot wide and 2 feet tall.

The infamous Tomato-berry plant. It took weeks to grown a centimeter then it shot up a foot and stayed that height for another week and produced maybe one tomato. Now its about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide with at least 30 tomato-berries. The name describes the shape and size of this type of tomato, strawberry like.

Our first cucumber. One of many. The biggest of all. It is about 4 inches long and an inch wide. It's been growing in a container for about a month and a week. 

Super Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes. They are starting to ripen in this picture. The plant is about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide with an unknown number of marble sized fruit.

Super 45 Hybrid cantaloupe plant in 10x12 container with a trellis. Picture are the first and 2nd melons growing. The closest is the size of a plum and the second is the size of a kiwi. There are at least 4 other flowers with tiny pea sized and yellow globes starting to form. 

Container cantaloupe plant with 2 sizable melons and several other tiny ones. I made a tepee with a more solid trellis to hold the first and provide more space for the plants growth. Several references said that if given vertical space cantaloupes only needed one square foot (otherwise they needed 4x4 sqft of ground space). So I'm hoping this will be enough trellis space to grow full size melons.

Raincheck

Check it out...

I went outside to check on everything after the hail and major storm. It wasn't a total rain break but I did get a few minutes outside without water coming down on me. So I picked a few strawberries that I knew would mold and I checked on everything else. Nothing had been poorly affected by the first storm, the hardest. I was happy about that. Then I went over to check on my cantaloupe container again. Since I saw the baby watermelons I've been meaning to check for baby cantaloupes. I didn't check for them in the raised bed because they were planted a few weeks after the the container melons. So I started at the bottom and worked my way up. I didn't see anything at all but noticed that the plant had finally attached itself to the trellis properly using its vines. As I was searching to take a picture of the connection between trellis and plant I saw it hanging there, perfectly, a baby cantaloupe. Much bigger than the baby watermelons and hanging just like it was meant to from its connection. I really didn't think I'd get even a baby melon out of that container because it was so small. I'd planted it there because it was an extra and I knew it would be pretty just leaves and flowers. I was excited to see that my green thumb prevailed again I ran inside to tell Mikes dad and get my cellphone to snap a shot. He put his shoes on and came outside to see as I took the pictures. I immediately sent the picture to my mom and Mike. Mike was so psyched for me, we'd just spoken about my lack of confidence in fruiting the night before. I don't know how I missed it. Considering its size its been there at least a few days. Good raincheck, no, GREAT! 

Baby container cantaloupe hanging from its vine connected to the trellis. About 2 inches in length.

Strawberries I picked so they wouldn't mold. These are the biggest I've gotten in awhile. The rain has affected size, most have been the size of the smallest pictured, for the last week or so. 

FlashFlood Warning

NWS...

I got a weird banner notification on my phone. It wants from an application I'd downloaded or anything it was a National emergency warning. One that comes in on its own when something is serious enough. The warning was for flash floods in my area until 6pm. What ridiculous is that right before the rain went crazy I was getting dressed to go out in the garden ad it was SUNNY. I am truly the rainmaker. I'll post pictures of any damage to the garden. Hopefully there won't be any but I doubt that'll be the case co spidering the state of things. I may even bring the berry containers indoors. I don't know what to do yet... Help! 

Rainmaker

I woke up and the sky was as dark as the early evening sky so I didn't go out to garden. I waited then when it didn't rain after a few hours I went out and got ready to put the rest of the fencing up. I was out for about 3 minutes when I felt a drop of moisture. I thought I was imagining it because I've built up this "rainmaker" paranoia in my head. I found out it wasn't paranoia. It was raining well drizzling. It was crazy, is crazy. Every time I go out it starts to rain or gets dark and seems like rain so I go back in. I should charge states in drought for my rainmaker services because apparently all I have to do is step out for the clouds to form and the wter to fall. Ugh! I am so over this rainy weather. Lucky nothing has suffered tremendously because of it but I will tell you the strawberries started off one size (a much bigger size) and aren't getting past the size of a large pea, now, before they ripen. So things are being affected just not tremendously. Why did it have to be the berries. I've been taking extra good care of them. It sucks. Virgina gets these weird ultra rainy summers every few years but I wish it wasn't the year I decided to start a garden. I would have liked to see what the yields would have been with proper sun and watering. Double UGH! 

A Pregnant Girls Dream

Pickles and Watermelons...

I went out to check on things just briefly because it threatened to be a bad stormy day. I picked a few strawberries. Tried putting up some more fencing and noticed that in "container drive" things were finally starting to set fruit. The pickles and watermelons are finally coming in. The watermelons are much further behind but you can see those little striped rounds starting to form. It's pretty amazing. I didn't know if either would set any fruit at all. 

So excited! 

The little fuzzy striped ball is the first stage of fruit growth for the bush sugar baby. 

A baby that I found, fallen off. See the stripes? 

A bush cucumber, the first one. The one that looks the most like a cuc but I think it looks like a pickle more.

Second cucumber a little further behind and a little weirder looking. 

WATCH! Fruit Set

Fruit Setting...

When I first started my garden I didn't quite know what all the references meant when they said "fruit set" which caused me anxiety to no end. Things change when fruit starts to set in... I could of guessed that it was when the fruit started to grow but I didn't know what point in there growth was true setting. So now that I do know and can tell you that it means when the flowers start to turn I wanted to show you. 

All of our plants are at "fruit set" or have been "setting" for awhile now. 

The Accidental Pick

Sisters Birthday...

It was a beautiful and sunny day out but I didn't get to garden. It was my sisters birthday so we had plans. First it was lunch and nails then it was bar hopping so I spent my day out, resting to go out, or getting ready. I wish I'd spent it gardening because I haven't had a chance to do all the maintenance I've wanted to do since I got home.

So far I've picked a few more green beans and thinned out some carrots that weren't going to form because the roots were exposed. I did accidentally pick one carrot that was forming which was too bad but it gave me hope that I don't have carrot fly because it was forming well. Anyway, I plan on spending all day gardening tomorrow. I'm hoping the weather doesn't turn on me.

Carrots that weren't going to form, a radish, and the accidental pick. 

The container tomato plant in Patch. 

Picked another 25 beans and still have more to pick. 

Sweet like Syrup

Strawberries...

Mike got home from Atlantic City after making 11th place out of hundreds in the tournament. He took the 4:35am train to Union Station and got home at 9am. So he woke me up on his way in... I spent a good part of the early/late afternoon resting then went out to "Sea Magic" all of the plants. I attempted spraying the tomatoes but they are so huge it's impossible so I watered them, sprayed everything else, and lightly watered the strawberry containers with the magic. Then I picked a few berries. Mike helped and got to try his first ones. Two were sweet but not as sweet as the last. The last one was as sweet as strawberry syrup. It was amazing. Of course it looked slightly mashed but that's how the farmers market strawberries look too. So it was the best one as of yet. Amazingly sweet an the best I've EVER tasted. 

Everything else needs to be weeded, badly. Slugs are arriving and the garden just needs to be tended to in general. I have my work cut out for me on what is supposed to be the hottest weekend yet. If I don't maintain things will start to go to seed and die. So I've got get on it, just not today. Too tired.

The darkest one was the syrup one. 

Tomatoes everywhere.

Green bean plants and slugged lettuce. 

Doubling Trouble!!!

Growth Galore...

After being in Atlantic City for 5 days I came back to a giant garden. Everything had basically doubled in size. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea.

When I left the green arrow beans were maybe an inch long. Today 40-50 were ready for picking. I picked 21. 

The branches on all 4 of these tomato plants have grown at least 6 inches in every direction. We have about 40 tomatoes in all different shapes and sizes, at all different stages. 

All three of the crookneck plants have grown about 4 inches higher and 3-4 wider. The patty pan (front left) has grown about 2 inches each way. 

The only plant without at least 2 baby squashes to offer is the patty-pan, it has none so far. 

The carrot greens have gotten so thick you can't see any soil. They'll probably be ready for harvest in 10 days.

First radish from my second sowing. This one is twice the size of any of the first sowing but most of them probably won't produce because the roots became long and exposed. I'm not sure why. 

Container cantaloupe in Patch. Almost to the 3rd rung on the trellis. It was barely at the 2nd when I left and only covered the very center now its covering almost the entire trellis in width. 

Tomato-berry plant. This is the plant that wouldn't grow past 4 inches for weeks then shot up 12 and stopped. It's shot up another 3 inches, at least, and out another 4-5. Amazing! 

**More to come in another entry, it won't load properly with too many pics**

Back!

Garden Doubled...

I got back from my trip to Atlantic City today and immediately went outside to check on everything. It's unbelievable what a week can do. Everything is at the very least double the size. A few strawberries rotted but I picked and ate one that was delicious and sweet. Then I pick another handful that looked just like the perfectly ripe one. I'll add a picture entry a little later showing how huge and amazing things are... 

Atlantic City or Not?

No Gardening...

My boyfriend and his father were supposed to travel to Atlantic City this evening after work for a Father's Day trip but a couple days before his dad mentioned that he might be too sick to enjoy the trip and that if I'd like to go he'd pay for the nights just like he was going to but that I could take his place. When Mike asked I wasn't sure I wanted to go even though he mentioned staying at the Water Club, the 5 pools, the spa, and outlet shopping. I wasn't sure because I didn't want to leave my Garden behind. Tomorrow is supposed to be the only sunny and beautiful day for the next 3 days so I wanted a chance to really check on things and do some gardening but finally conceded after a lot of persuasion. As we were getting into the at this afternoon I said "if my strawberries die I'm going to kill you." Mike replied "if you'd said that from the beginning I wouldn't have tried so hard to talk you into coming  with me." It was actually funny even though I was being slightly serious. He knows how important the garden is to me and especially the strawberries. Once we got on the road he called his Dad and asked that he tend to things. His Dad said of course and asked that I send directions via email. So hopefully I'll get home and everything will still be alive and well. I may loose the ripening strawberries though. They would probably be ready to pick tomorrow if I was there so I don't know how they'll be when I get back. Maybe they'll be sweeter and better but chances are they won't be edible any longer. I'll have to wait for the next batch which is pretty disappointing considering how much tender love and care I've put into the entire garden but especially those containers. Here's hoping...

I am going to enjoy my trip and my upgraded room. I wonder how other people deal with vacationing when they have gardens that are at there harvesting points or soon to be? Anyone? 

Happy Father's Day, Dads! 

View of the Marina and the Fireworks show at the Revel from our room. 

More fireworks from the show at the Revel. 

AHHHHHHH! More Rain

Tropical Storm expected...

So for the last two days its been dark cloudy sunny and raining. The weather changes every 15 minutes so getting out to check on the garden is a game of chance. I got out today for 5 minutes before the sky turned so dark it looked it it would fall but I did pull a handful of strawberries and check on everything. The radishes have repaired themselves. A few weeks ago I noticed that all the roots of the second round were twisted and exposed. I covered them with soil and waited to see what would happen. Well they've started to bulb. One has been eaten to almost nothing by a very well camouflaged worm. I almost touched it. Gross. But other than that they are doing well. 

Once I was done checking on everything I took my berries inside and rinsed them off except for the too that were completely molded by, what seems like, the rain. I cut them open to check if some insect was inside, I was praying there wasn't, and thank God there wasn't. So it must have been the excess moisture. Just like when you wash all the berries at once and put them back in the fridge, they mold twice as fast as if you wash what your going to eat only. Anyway, once rinsed and ready to try I did just that most were tender and juicy but only one was truly sweet and delicious. The smallest one. I guess I'm plucking them off too soon and I thought I might but I rather eat semi-tart berries than throw out moldy ones. 

What I plucked off the 3 separate containers. 

Inside of the berries mostly looked like this. 

One of the molded berries. 

Eating Ripe

Strawberries...

I picked and ate my first ripe and tasty strawberry today. I got to check on everything before it started raining, again. It's unbelievable how much rain we're getting but you know all of that. Back to the berries... I check on the buckets and the Topsy Turvy. All the berries that were present yesterday were still accounted for today so my precautions work. The TT is covered in ripening strawberries but there aren't any ready to pick just yet. If we get a day of sun I'll probably be able to pick a full pint just from the Topsy in a couple of days. The 8G bucket sadly has strawberries growing but none big enough to ripen or pick. The 5G bucket had the one strawberry I picked and ate and has a few more that should be ready around the same time as the Turvy. There are also tons of blossoms turning into berries. It's going to be a strawberry summer if the sun can stay out for more than a few hours at a time. 

Everything else is doing okay for now but like I've said before and we'll say again if the rain continues there wellness will not be lasting very long. 

Picture Entry

Rain again...

I'm pretty sure most of our crops are going to get rained out but for right now they're doing okay. It keeps raining on and off in major downpours of water. As far as I know this is the way this summer is going to be on the East Coast. Baltimore has flooded streets. Virginia isn't flooding but I contribute that to good drainage not to the fact that we've gotten less rain. I'm considering pulling the containers inside the sunroom during storms from now on unless we suddenly start to drought. Ugh! Of course the first year we plant two gardens we get a wet as heck summer. Sucks! 

Yellow Crookneck squash

Biggest Tomatoes in the bunch, Lemon Boys.

Peanut plant flowered.

First trellises plant climbing the trellis, cantaloupe. 

Bunny Be Gone

Strawberries Eaten...

After it rained all day on Friday I went out into Patch early Saturday morning to pick the strawberries that had been red and ripening for the last two to three days. When I got out there all but one were gone. I was shocked. I kept looking around to see if I'd missed them somehow. Since all the containers with seascapes in them are round and I can't see the back and front at the same time I thought somehow I was missing them. Then I saw it, a juice red berry on the ground. It had a small big toothed bite taken out of it but otherwise it was intact. I picked it up and put it in my basket. (Don't worry I didn't eat it.) I finally accepted that something, now I knew bunnies, had eaten al the ripened berries. I quickly put the basket down got the wheelbarrow and put the 5G and 8G bucket in it and rolled them over to the glass table in the driveway. When I was do e situating the buckets I went back to Patch with plastic black netting in hand. I wrapped the netting around the Topsy Turvy and Shepherd hook hoping it would be enough to keep animals at bay. When I was done I grabbed the basket with the bitten berry and went inside to slice it open. I just wanted to view the quality of what I'd grown. The second I slice into it it started dripping, and I mean dripping,  juice. It was the most perfect and juicy strawberry I'd ever seen. I went for a part towel not realizing I had juice on my glove and left juice stains on it. That's how juicy it was, juice was everywhere. That made it all the more disappointing that I couldn't taste it. 

This morning I went back out to see if anymore berries had been eaten and they were all there. I was so glad to see that the netting had worked and moving. The containers to the table had too. I don't have any ripe berries yet but I will soon and hopefully my defenses will work through my first harvest and beyond. I couldn't bare not getting to taste even one ripe and juicy berry after all of the attention and love I've put into growing them. I've paid more attention to those 3 containers than Patch and Potagar put together so I better get some berries.

Eaten by bunnies along with the rest.

Too Much Water?

Waterlogged... 

The tropical storm finally hit us. It's been raining cats and dogs since last night with brief pauses. I was able to go out an check on things but really nothing else. 

All I saw was droopy plants from eyes view to eyes view. It's horrible. I said something about it to Mr S but he thinks once the sun comes out that the plants will perk back up. I on the other hand am worried because of all of the years past crop reports. I remember one year, 2006 maybe, the strawberry crop was ruined due to excessive rain. I also remember one year when Wendy's, yes the fast food place, had signs on there drive-thru windows saying "we'll only add tomatoes if asked" another example of crop shortage due to rain, excessive amounts. I'm worried our gardens are going to be rained out. There was puddling next to the beds and like I said before each and every plant was on droop mode. We've had a lot of rain. That is evident from how many entries I've written in the last few months talking about how I couldn't garden due to the rain. 

Ugh! I hope we have a dry and sunny spell soon. Veggies and fruits rather be dry than over watered my strawberry plant from last year was proof of that. My Mom's Mother's Day hibiscus is more proof, she put it in a glass planter with no drainage holes (with the plastic bucket) and it was dying. Once we removed the glass container and let it get some sun and drain it grew leaves and the most beautiful enormous flowers. It grew then all summer and even a few this past winter, inside. Water equals good in proper doses but trust me your plants will come back from under water where they may not from a waterlogging.

Ripen Up

Red, Red, & Red...

It was dark and cloudy out today because of the tropical storm that was coming our way. It seems that it took a detour a little later but either way the sky was dark and not great for gardening. Even so I went out to check on everything to make sure that if the storm did hit hard that all of the stakes and trellises were deeply held and that the containers were on steady ground. When I finally got around to checking on Patch I instantly noticed the brightest most perfect strawberry I had ever seen. It was the perfect strawberry red with a wax shine. It looked like the apples the big companies wax before shipping but of course it wasn't waxed it was just perfect. After taking a look I looked over all of the other strawberry containers. No e of the strawberries,except for the one in the 5G container, were ready for picking but they were a nice shade of pink turning red, a few not all. I ran to grab my phone, clippers, and harvest basket and harvested my first berry. I went to lunch with my Mom shortly after and brought the berry with me to show her but she thought I was giving it to her. I didn't have the heart to tell her I wasn't so she tried the first PM strawberry. She said it was sweet but probably needed another sunny day of ripening or two not so sunny days, like today. I had planned to wash it, cut it in half, and share the first taste with Mike but I'll do that with the second berry.

Harvested berry.

Pinkish red berries ripening in 5G.

Ripening berry on the Topsy.

Green Arrows...

On my way back in from lunch I went over to look at the green beans because they were a little droopy. I noticed that our first beans are finally coming in. It's amazing. There so cute and small but look just like what the mature beans will look like minus the fuzz. Exciting! I need to tie them off with string because they won't hold, at all, once the beans get any bigger.

Each flower becomes a bean.

Bigger beans on another plant.

Tomato in Patch...

I noticed my first growing in the container in PM today. It's very small but I'm glad to see that the container seems to be sufficient. 

Come Again

Garden Slows...

The cooler weather has stunted the sudden boom of our burgeoning gardens. I did notice many new tomatoes that were a result of the heated boost and ripening strawberries but since things have slowed. A little less daily change is occurring as things acclimate to the average spring breeze and heat, low-80's. I expect that things will ripen a little later than expected unless the heat rises before July drastically. Around here July and August are hot and humid but most of the plants will have spent there time in the soil by then and be coming to there second cycle or completed there cycle. Some will produce riper and sweeter fruits and veggies and some will just start production like the melons but on the overall PM is a spring garden. So hopefully I'll get the heat I need soon enough to plant all the cycles i'd planned. 

Leafy Greens...

Although the lettuce didn't wilt or die during the highly heated days of last week I did notice that they started to tighten and form heads. The iceberg type plants weren't doing this before our high-90's days. I've since pulled a few leaves back from the head and harvested them but I don't know that they'll grow those beautiful large loose leaves we were getting in the beginning. I may not have executed the "cut & come again" method as properly as I'd thought. 

The other cool weather crop that I saw change in was the spinach, the Bloomsdale long-standing spinach, it seemed to really be blooming at first and then all of a sudden a few of the bigger better looking plants went to seed. it was incredible how quickly it all happened in maybe 24 hours the plants that bolted went from lush and ready to perform a "cut & come again" to seed. Once a plant has gone to seed you either must pick the entire plant or let it flower and seed to , well, collect the seeds. So I harvested those plants and a few of the leaves from plants that hasn't bolted for a nicely sized salad. The same happened to the spring mix but not in such a drastic way. A few of the leaves went to seed, maybe 4 out of 70, and other grew an enormous amount. Either way it was obvious that they needed a good harvest to start the "come again" process. So I clipped them at the base near the root and have been keeping an eye on there regrowing. It's only been a little more than a day so nothin to report yet. 

Otherwise, things are good. Even my dead and ailing slips seem to be taking root and growing more healthy with each passing day. I don't know, yet, that all 4 will make it but from the looks of the leaves they seem to be trying. 

Color Everywhere

There are different colors of fruiting plants popping up all over the garden. 

Our beautiful and light green tomato-berry.

Dark green and striped super fantastic tomatoes.

First baby yellow stuff-able patty-pan squash blossom.

First sign of pink/red on the ripening strawberries. This one is from the Topsy.

Rain & Storms

It's been raining for the last two days that's why I haven't updated on the progress of the garden but tomorrow is supposed to be in the low-80's and sunny. I'll be doing quite a bit outside for the first part of the day and then going out tomorrow night to celebrate my 8 year anniversary with the love of my life. I'll make sure to take a video and really let you know how the past week of high heat and rain has affected the garden. So far well...

Touring

Giving the Tour of Potagar...

I gave my mom and older sister Angela a tour of the garden when they were dropping me off, after getting our nails done and some Starbucks, at home. I walked them through from the driveway eggplant all the way to the Topsy Turvy full of soon-to-be strawberries. I showed them the things I planted in containers yesterday like the eggplant and pepper. I told them about how the heat had caused the watermelon leaves to quadruple in size over the last, now, 5 days. I showed them where the tomato-berry plant used to stand and how it stands a foot taller. I routed the purple and beautiful green arrow green beans towards them so that there view of the color and blossom was not obstructed. I showed them each and every new tomato; told them how the first one had doubled in size and said, "isn't it funny how the growing tomatoes look like they just came out of the fridge. They look crisp and cool." That was said to very little if no response from  either party. Then I moved on to the Lemon Balm and reminded my Mom of how small the plant was just 2 weeks ago when I broke off a leaf for her to smell and get familiar with. When we got to the onions my sister did say "Look Mom green onions. I don't know that the green shoots are green onions but the onions planted are Texas sweet and yellow. I did appreciate the enthusiasm though. I hadn't gotten much so far. After the little lift we moved on to the squash. I pointed out the baby crooknecks and told them about how stuffed squash blossoms are a popular dish. I then showed them how they would grow up the tepee'd trellises to make a hanging vertical situation. Mentioned how it would be nice to see the patty-pan's compared to the crooknecks. Then we moved on to Patch.

Touring Patch...

When we moved into Patch Market I felt like the interest peaked just slightly as I showed off my iceberg lettuce heads and pointed out that they hadn't started compacting until this week. I pointed out my limp and possibly dying slips, that I'd grown from a potato. I showed them the carrot greens and told them about how I planted more radishes just for them. Both my sister and Mom ate the last batch. I moved on to the strawberries proud as can be. I pointed out every large strawberry in the 5G container and mentioned that I was hoping for ripened berries by next week. Finally, I moved over to the Topsy Turvy and spoke about how they weren't as good as the 5G but that I had a lot of berries and they were getting better everyday. I also mentioned that I was surprised considering the Turvy is made to grow strawberries specifically. When were about to turn and walk back the way we came I remembered my tomato plant and pointed it out quickly. I didn't think they cared to see more so I said two words and lead the way back to the car to bid them adieu. 

It's funny... 

They weren't uninterested they just weren't as interested as I thought they would be or at least as fake interested as they should have been. I would have liked a couple "oohs" and "ahhhs" but that's not them. My mom isn't one to gush and my sister, although much more enthused then my mom, isn't into gardening. I actually wasn't upset by her reaction as much as my Mom's but to be honest she'd been a little quiet the entire trip. So it may have had to do little with her excitement or interest. I was disappointed that she wasn't more phony but that's okay. I'll keep asking them to tour and bring them veggies. I am happy that my sister wants my veggies for her new endeavor into juicing. That made me very happy, but like I said her reaction was pretty good and maybe even better than I thought thinking about it now. It was my mom because she asks about my garden everyday, which I like, but I thought she asked because she was interested not just to ask. Maybe she was just in a weird mood. 

I watered the plants in Patch, this evening, after they left. Mr. S. watered the PS plants this morning.