Aphids and Planting with Linden

I started at seven A.M, hand-watering. When it’s quiet out, and you take a good look at how things are in the garden, you get drawn in. First, I tidied up my tomato and watermelon vines (it seems there’s more of that to do every day now with the summer winding down), then I lopped off the milkweed pods before those fuzzy things are everywhere attempting to reseed. When I moved from the planted Cinderella Weed to the Tropical Milkweed in pots, still waiting to be planted (today!), I noticed the pods on one plant were covered in aphids. Aphids come in different colors, by the way.

If I understood the life cycle of the aphid better, I’d know what is going on in this photo. The yellow (presumably larvae) weren’t really moving much, and there are these little white bugs emerging. If those were parasitic wasps coming out of them, it would be awesome, but I don’t know if I got that lucky. Probably it’s just the mature aphid. I lopped off these pods and put them in the garbage. I know I never saw a Monarch butterfly come in my yard, so they haven’t found my milkweed, yet.

Then, there’s this. I stuck a Hass Avocado pit in a seed cup months ago and left it in the kitchen and watered it when I thought of it, which wasn’t often, and it never did anything, then, about a month ago, I moved it to the windowsill on the front porch, where it gets some morning light, and regular watering. Look what is emerging! I asked C.L. who knows a thing or two about avocados, and he said if I plant it in the hot sun right now, it could burn it. So, this is one of those garden decisions that needs to be made, where and when to plant it. I would REALLY like my own avocado tree, but I have so little space!

Checking in with my emerging carrot sprouts in one barrel, which were looking good, I decided it was time to get the other barrel replanted in carrot seed after the radish-carrot experiment failed.

I used the planting lettuce method in Late Bloomer – Episode 7 that I used in the barrel of carrots above.

Linden decided to join me, and roll on the warm bricks. Yes, she has blue eyes.

What a show-off. She knew I was shooting her picture! Doesn’t she look just like Louis’ cat in episode 5 of “Suits”??

Okay, one more turn, and back to the business of gardening.

While we were on a roll :), I also planted Arugula in this pot. Same method. I keep them out of the sun till they sprout, so I can keep them wet. The sun will dry out the towel in an hour or two. Carrot seed must stay wet to germinate, which can take weeks! Arugula will sprout within a week.

Thanks for stopping by! Leave me a comment, advice welcome! – Kaye

Got to LIve in Your Garden!

I was gone for about 36 hours to San Mateo County, CA, but since I got back late last night, that translates to two garden days. It’s amazing what can happen in such a short time in the garden. A couple of my starters popped. There had been no sign Sunday morning before I left.

This purple bean is a very strange looking sprout. Looks like a white worm, but when I touched it, it didn’t move.

This is either a Japanese melon or cucumber. I somehow labeled the stick with both names.

This succulent’s blooms are opening.

My potatoes are getting huge. There are white potatoes and sweet potatoes growing in this pot. The long pointy leaves are the sweet potato.

You can’t even see my little orange tree in the middle of this photo, dwarfed by zucchini, tomatoes and a tall lettuce spire. The empty bed bottom right is my third failed attempt at carrots.

What happened to this new bean plant? Not enough water? Too much?

The new sweet peas are looking healthy and growing fast.

As is the new zucchini planted on Memorial Day.

My second round of sunflowers exploded since Sunday. This is the plant I was staking in the current “Sunny Sunflowers” episode of “Late Bloomer.”

The amaranth is finally taking off after a rough start. It’s only got about six feet to go.

Some of the radishes are looking like all the energy is going into the leaves and the vegetable looks like this.

I guess this cucumber is going to fill out at the end? Or since the end is yellow, maybe I should cut it now.

This new cucumber plant is looking pretty good.

And this may be the last yellow zucchini. I’m thinking about yanking out the plant to give the cherry tomato a chance. I thought it had powdery mildew all this time, but, it may have been white spotty mold. Since I’ve chopped off so many leaves, it’s hardly producing, so I think it will have to go.

I learned so much on my trip to Woodside, CA. I met a number of master gardeners and I am eager to act on and share their advice. Thanks for reading! – Kaye

Simply Seeds!

Once you join the gardening life, it’s a whole new world that opens up to you. Neighbors walking by might never have stopped to say hello, but, an edible garden in your front yard is like a magnet. Yesterday, Nancy, just such a neighbor, who lives about five blocks from me, gave me two of her seedlings of Japanese melons (we don’t know which is which).

She also offered her seed packets for me to plant a few seeds, which, she says, are not easy to find. (See the address on the packet!)

Such a generous gesture, but the kind of thing that happens all the time in the gardening world. I had been reading another gardening blog (sorry, I’m following so many, I forgot which one!) recently about Borage, and it sounded so cool, I just went a little crazy and ordered seeds online and my shipment came today.

I saw this idea on another site, reusing TP rolls (mine are already recycled cardboard from Seventh Generation) for seed starters.

But, since it’s already June 8, and all the herb packets say seeds can be direct sown at this point, I think I will throw them in the ground. Or, am I better off to start in these?

The big problem though, is, my urban garden is FULL. I saw this great post on another blog (you know who you are!) about reusing old file cabinet drawers with holes drilled in them to plant in and I may try something like that along the driveway, cause there’s entirely TOO much concrete there. Oh, I want to rip out my driveway so badly and and put in a narrow drive of permeable pavers, and reclaim some topsoil, but that costs a bundle. I’ll have to be patient. Thanks for reading! – Kaye