Inpatient Ina, raise your hand

Impatient Ina, yep, that's me. I must admit this about myself. But it is funny how the impatience will just show up, and in this case, drive me nuts. Then make me laugh.

A few months back I had a taste of watermelon and it was yummy. I do not think this was quite the time of year for it, but it was good. So good that I took 4 seeds home from the melon and plopped them in a cute little orange pot I found on the side of the road. Items randomly appear on the side of the road here, and if you don't swoop something of your liking up, you will not have the chance later, for it will be gone. I digress, where does the impatience factor in?

Well I sat and looked at the pot for some time, empty promises from beneath the soil. Then when a tarragon plant was stumbled upon, I brought it home. The most ideal spot for this tarragon was the cute orange pot, it was lonely.

Fast forward a few weeks and there I am watering the tarragon and it has friends. Puzzled by this, I tried to recall what the plants might be to no avail.




watermelon





tarragon and watermelon unite!


Fast forward one more week or so....and....OH its watermelon! I chuckled as my neighbor walks up, and after telling her the story, we have a good laugh together. So impatient! But there are now three newly transplanted watermelons in the upper garden, leaving one in with the tarragon for about a week to see how the ones up top take. Don't want to lose em all, just in case

I guess there are always surprises in my world. Another surprise that came to fruition this week was the flowering of the petunias. When you start everything from seed, it can take a while. There has been a planter of petunias sitting on the railing for some time now, and this week 4 popped! They make nice flowers.


such a pretty petunia

A couple of more flower pictures for your enjoyment. The first plant picture's name escapes me, I don't really think I even remembered it from when the lady told me what it was, but pretty none the less. And the other are the portulacas. It is amazing that so many different colors can be dispersed in one plant.



And just a few more happenings this week in the garden. A serrano pepper plant has gone and given me the most flavor this week. The little pepper has produced so much that many meals consist of the little pepper, and boy are they good!

And a bean has finally came up!!! About half of the beans, the newer plantings, were lost as well, but this guy made it through. Unsure what type of bean it is, I forgot it too, but I will soon take a bite and see. If anyone reading this knows what type of bean, pass that knowledge on brotha or sista.

And now to the salad tray. Full sun is a blessing in February, March, and April, but come May, it is HOT and not all plants like it. So the salad try was moved to a shaded area since almost everything was fried. New seeds were planted, and yummy chard and collards have popped up. These two greens are awesome!!! And the spinach went to seed while I was not looking, so I am letting them produce seeds for next time. There is hardly a fail in this corner.



oh so colorful chard



collards, mmm



flowering greens

The garden grows with delight, and in most cases I know what I have planted. In the rare case that I do not, I am surprised with delight, just like when I finally remembered that I had planted watermelon in that cute orange pot I found. I heart surprises.

Getting a bit wormy...

It has been less than a week since I returned home from Mexico. A week ago today I was sitting on the sands of Kino Bay in beautiful Sonora, Mexico.

Pic stolen from SLee

The vacation was much needed, and I enjoyed the time spent there. I enjoyed tripping up on my Spanish, yet by the end of the trip talking politics with a couple of hombres from Hermosillo. Gotta love riding that bike... Unfortunately for me while I was there I broke out with the funk, also been called poison ivy.

Caution: This might be disgusting for you, or you might be that person who wants a little taste (by taste I mean look, not actually tasting it you sicko) of the funk.

the funk

So now that I am healing from the first ever attack of poison ivy, there is not alot I can do. I might be a wuss, but who knew the pain would still be here from said attack, so I am taking it easy. I did minimal in the actual garden this morning, planted more corn and okra, and built a new cage for either broccoli or Brussels sprouts. Deep down I am hoping this plant is a Brussels. Mmmmm, I am addicted to Brussels sprouts.

One activity that can be done is messing a bit with the worm bin. This can be done sitting down, indoors, and while I enjoy my soon to be famous sangria and a good foreign flick from India. The compost has built up something fierce. I moved everything in the bin to one side, placed chicken wire in the middle, then new food, straw, and newspaper to the other half. Many and most worms headed to the other, freshly fed area, but some did not. I went through the remaining old stuff and compiled a stack of compost to be used in the garden.



A pot full of compost!!!

Since numerous plants  have been in for about 4 months now, this is a great time to supplement the soil with a bit of natural compost.

As I watched the movie and played in the compost, I couldn't help but think what this compost was made of. Putting it nicely, worm castings, but I work in and around the outdoors, this is plain and simple worm poo. And the food the worms are eating are the vegetable, grain, and fruit ends from the foods eaten on the property that do not make it into the stock pot or go to the chickens. Add a few strips of old newspaper, and a bit of straw left over from planting up top. Amazing!

Since the heat of the desert, and the lack of water before monsoon, a couple of lettuce rows and some herbs from the tray were burning in the rays, we moved the lettuce and herb tray into the shade and planted more to back fill what has been taken. This is the first stop for the newly harvested compost to aid in the new seeds and plantings that are starting to pop from the dirt. The soil needs the nutrients for a long season of lettuce yet.

Have I mentioned how cool it is to play in worm poo? A tad disgusting, but hey, that's nature for ya.

Side note: If the blogging uploader would work I would share a couple of pics from the Mexico trip, but it does not want to cooperate.
Next time....