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.