Busy, Busy Busy

It has been a very long time since I posted to this blog.  My garden is doing well so far.  We have these heat spells that keep hitting us and that makes it difficult to keep the winter garden in a happy mode.  Aphids moved in on the broccoli a few weeks back, but I was able to harvest 4 nice heads out of the 6 I planted. Lacinato kale is still flourishing but again, the aphids are trying to live on the underside of the leaves. I am using insecticidal soap to keep them under control.  We will see how long I can keep them producing.  I planted 6 tomato seedlings a couple of weeks ago.  One of each: Black Cherry, Yellow Pear, Cherokee Purple, Jetsetter, Legend, and Early Wonder.  Most of these are hybrids.  I have had so much trouble with diseases on my heirlooms that I am trying a few of the disease resistant hybrids this year.  At least I know the black cherry and yellow pear will produce.  We rarely have problems with these guys.  We are still using the plot at our community garden and that of course is a banquet for bugs and diseases; moving from one plot to another.  We all garden organically and try to keep up with the infestations but it is a challenge.

I don't have any photos of the garden right now but I wanted to post and get back to blogging again.  In the meantime here is what I have to share.  

A pillow I made for my sister for valentines day

Garden girl, a pillow I made for me!

Just a  sampling of the embroidery tea towels I have made.  I love to embroider and am really getting back into doing this each evening.

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning." - J. B. Priestley

Summer Garden 2015 Update

Lots of goodies in the garden. We are still picking Cocozelle Zucchini, Yellow Summer Squash, Lacinato and Ruffled Kale, some tomatoes although they are not as prolific again this year.  I lost a lot to early blight or ?? San Marzano's have been very small this year.  Peppers are doing much better this year than last.  Also, the Japanese eggplants are going wild.  I pick around 20-40 a week off of the six plants. Amazing!!  I also have the Ronde de Nice Zucchini coming in now as I planted those only a month ago.  Some cucumbers are forming on the plants which I planted from seed around the same time as the Ronde de Nice.  String beans are starting to climb.  I have three Butterneck Squash plants that are forming small squash now.  They still have a ways to go since putting in so late.  I think as last year though that we will have a late summer and a mild winter.  Rains are in the forecast for this week again. What a treat for us Southern CA gardeners to have these summer rains.  Winter is expected to have El Nino and bring us lots of rain.  Keep those fingers crossed that it happens for us. 

Tomatoes

 

 

Cocozelle Zucchini and Yellow Zucchini

Ruffled Kale

Straight 8 Cucumber

Armenian Cucumbers

Ruffled Kale

Kentucky Wonder String Beans

Bell Peppers and some round Lemon Cucumbers on Right

Butternut Squash just coming in now

Yellow Bell Pepper

Purple Bell Pepper

Jalapeno Pepper

Lacinato Kale ( Dino Kale or Italian Kale)

Basil in background

Japanese Eggplants

More Zucchini

Todays Harvest

Japanese Eggplant and Tomatoes

The recent rains have nourished my little garden plot, so much so that I picked more eggplant than I have in recent years.  Lots of goodies coming in now.  We are grateful!

The last of the lettuce for now

Curly Kale and a couple of Bell Peppers

Cocozelle Zucchini and Early Prolific Straight-neck Yellow, plus a few Hot Peppers

Roma Tomato called Health Kick and a few San Diego Tomatoes

Mix of San Marzano, Health Kick and a few Yellow Gold Cherry Tomatoes

Jalapeno Peppers

Monday I will be making Jalapeno Peach Jam, a Zucchini Lasagna and Roasting Eggplants!

Busy, Busy,Busy

  Here sleeps the sun long, idle summer hours;
Here butterflies and bees fare far to rove
    Amid the crumpled leaves of poppy flowers;
Here four o’clocks, to the passionate night above
    Fling whiffs of perfume, like pale incense showers.
    A little garden, loved with a great love! 

-Excerpt from The Little Garden by Amy Lowell (1912)

Update on Summer Garden 2015

Harvest today of onions, eggplants, zucchini, crookneck, patty pan, bell peppers and tomatoes

 It seems that I am always finding something to do besides keeping my blog up-to-date on this years summer garden.  This is our senior garden plot that we have now.  I only grow a few tomatoes here at the house and then of course I have my herb garden.  With the cutbacks we are required to do now with the serious drought situation here in California, one wonders if we will be able to garden at all.  We are only allowed to water twice a week for 5 minutes each.  I will be letting a lot of my plants die, sadly.  

Just pictures today.  No explanation needed for my vegetable garden friends will know what I have.  Not many tomatoes this year, again.  Let's just hope that they produce in this heat!