What Else I Have Been Doing

Gardening.  Or rather getting a couple of little 4X4 beds filled with probably way too much stuff.  And then some containers.  I still have to get my tomatoes, cucumbers and pepper plants in the next couple of weeks from my friend, NC Tomato Man.

But the weather has not been too nice the past few weeks.  It has been mostly cool.  However, we did have some rain Friday and Saturday night and the temperatures are suppose to be 70 plus for this next week, so I have great hopes for things just springing right along now.



Here’s my beds with my assistant, Amani.  I have planted lemon balm, lavender and some mints in the ground outside the beds.  I can’t wait to be bending over, working the the bed and smell the lovely fragrances.  I put my more tender herbs, pineapple sage, honeydew melon sage and chocolate mint in containers.  The other mints, spearmint and a Kentucky mint, I hope spreads like crazy.  My beds are lined so I shouldn’t have problems with the mint getting into the beds.

My lettuce, arugala and spinach are getting to the point I can start harvesting some leaves.  And yes, I know the radishes are way, way to close together, but I’ll thin those out.






I planted an herb in each corner of the beds.  Thyme and rosemary are in these two corners.  The ‘grass’ looking stuff is carrots – Short n’ Sweet to be exact.  The radishes in this bed are French Breakfast.  I have some leeks I transplanted (and will thin when I see which ones are taking) and some onion sets.  There is also some sunflower and dill coming up in the middle of the bed.



This bed has sage, onion chives, golden lemon thyme and fennel planted.  In the center is a ‘Fajita Bell Pepper’.  It’s suppose to be a bell pepper with a touch of spice.  So we shall see.  A marigold for color and insect protection.  I have some bush beans planted on two sides – a Royalty Purple Pod and a bush French filet bean – Rolande.  Hopefully, I will get enough for a serving or two of beans.   That little sprout of leaves is a plant I ‘picked up’ and don’t know what it is.  I stuck it in there because I was tired and it was getting ready to rain.  Will have to transplant elsewhere in a few days.



This is my ‘Juliette’ grape tomato.  I have grown it in the past and it is prolific and reliable.  Of course, what’s tomatoes without some basil?

 

And this is my ‘Black Prince’ – a Russian heirloom.  Already, despite the cold, has a few flowers on it.  Must be able to stand the cooler temps being Russian.

 

My gerber daisies with some ‘Candy Cane’ zinnias seeded between them.
That’s basically it for right now.  I have several containers awaiting my tomato plants and peppers.  Also getting some cucumbers this year too.  Have an area I want to get some trash plants out of and stick some of my sunflowers and veggies.  Luckily, my yard has no grass – just rocky and sandy.  So I can dig and plant to my heart’s content. 

Now come on sunshine and warmth!