RESCUE BASIL

Here is the basil plant I rescued from my local grocery store today. Actually I was out looking for basil.. as I had a sudden intrest in making homemade / homegrown caprese salad. S0 5 stores later I find this pooooor basil barely hanging on. I didn't take pictures of how I got it.. but it was squished in a can sized pot ... dry as could be and with 75% of the plant dead sticks. Only a few plants could be saved. But I'm sure she will recover. So this is my what? 6th rescue plant? hahaha






Here is some updates of the petunias ( not morning glory.. )
June 12:





June 28th:

See what a little love can do!

Updates and new plants!

June 26. Everything seems to be so happy.

Here is what the potatoes look like in their little tub..
Early girl got some support.

3rd box.

2nd box. The sweet 100 got supported too.

Middle strawberries and squished pansies.

it's turning red!

Rescue pansies got a new box. a window box!

1st box.

THE NEW ARRIVALS! - these are all rescues from my local grocery store.. The are selling little flowers for next to nothing, sadly they are all not looked after well... Plus these are all new to me..

This is a spring aster.. in really bad shape. But I want a bit of a... challenge.

This one is the healthiest of the bunch.. a "burgandy Ice Geranium"

annnnd this is a calibrachoa.. I can't even try to say that.

Here they are in their new pots :)

oh my gosh!

We just had quite the storm with some hail and all the plants did very well! Here are some updates of the garden:



May 19th - Pansies bucket
June 22nd - Pansies bucket!

May 19th Rescue pansies

June 22nd Rescue pansies!

So my roma tomato is .. dying? It isn't growing.. and is hanging on by a thread for the last few weeks.. So I bought a tomato plant incase he doesn't make it. This is a Burpee Early girl plant. Got her for 99cents. She's needs a little love but just got DUMPED on and hailed on 5 minutes after I planted her! And the Roma tomato you ask? well he's behind her. If he does hang on I will get him his own pot.. but if not it's not because I didn't try everything. I couldn't throw him away while he was still alive..We shall see.

Strawberry plant.

Box #3 - Top row from left - Spinach, peas, tomato

Middle row from left - Yaya Carrots, Napoli Carrots, Peas

Bottom row from left - Mesclun mix, Spinach, Iceberg lettuce

Closeup of the peas!

Box #2 - Top from left to right - Burpee Sweet 100 Tomato, Cucumbers, Peas

Middle from left - Yaya carrots

Bottom from left - Chives, Radishes, onions

Middle space pots Top From left to right - Mint, Spearmint

Middle from left to right - Rosemary, Parsley, Pansies

Bottom pot - Strawberries ( big purple pot ) And rescue pansies off pad.

Box #1 - Top from left to right - Jetsetter tomato, Cucumber, Jetsetter tomato

Middle from left to right - Napoli Carrots

Bottom from left to right -Curled simpson lettuce, Prizehead lettuce, Grand rapids lettuce.

:) Everything is doing so well!

Books. Etc.

So I've been searching for Gardening books. But not the "use this to make this grow" and "don't do this or they will die" I have a few of thoose books and they all seem to repeat themselves.. or WORSE! contradict eachother.. So I was looking for something funny.. and educational in some weird way & I stumbled across this book.

I haven't Started it yet, But from what I understand it's a bit more of a personal story. Which is exactly what I was looking for! And there is a second book I hear.

I also want to get my hands on this book :

All about one mans quest to have a garden.. I guess when it's all said and done.. the cost to make and keep the garden makes each tomato 64$.

I also discovered in my Amazon search that Chicken Soup for the soul has a gardeners soul one too..

I also bought this last year.. And in some weird little way it taught me a bit!

If anyone else out there knows of books about peoples gardening journals... Lemme know!

rain.

So for the last 2 weeks (since I planted the seedlings/ started the seeds outside ) it has rained. Seriously were only a few moments of sunshine in this time period, And yet, my little guys are doing rather well! Got a little bit of green in every single square. Here are some pictures!


Box#1



Middle pots (look at how the pansies in the wood barrel are filling up!)


The rescue pansies!






Box#2

Box #3 - And struggling roma tomato on the left :(

So far.. I have learned a few things from this year to last year.

1. Do not use Smaller peat /coconut coir pellets. EVEN though the box said they could live in them 5 weeks.. Their roots were all intertwined underneath and very angry. It totally stunted the growth of my seedlings indoors. They were almost twice as big last year.. and were started later. I will return to the larger tomato pellets next year.. and they will most likely be peat.
2. Using Fertilizer once your seedlings are established makes a difference. Really. I couldn't find a organic water soluble fertilizer so I skipped it. And it's noticeable - Seedlings could have used it. Since they got 2 doses they are much happier and healthier looking. Will not do that again.
3. I skimped on the pellets.. Didn't wanna buy the bigger tray. So I was convinced all seeds would germinate.. and be super strong perfect plants -Wrong again. A cucumber plant and a tomato plant are a few weeks behind... And may never produce crop before winter comes. :(
4. Don't over baby. I over watered because they 'looked dry' and killed a few planted by overwatering. Thought some flowers were too tiny to be outside exposed - So i stuck them under a container outside - By the time I got home from work, they had been steamed to a crisp. Don't OVER fertilize or you will chemically BURN the babies.. etc.

Peace out Tiny tim, Hello Burpee!

So Tiny Tim plant officially died. I tried leaving him alone ( no more water, no more vitamins ) and he still.. passed on. So Instead of leaving a blank square ( oh and being 1 less tomato plant ) I did something new! I bought a pregrown tomato plant. Yes, I did. He is a burpee brand cherry tomato 100 .. and is about a foot high already! I call him burpee.





Update: Box #1

Box #2

Box #3 ( roma tomato to the left )

Death!?

So some things are doing really well.. or at least the same.. And some things are not so happy.
After doing some things I realized my problem may be

1. I am overwatering.. But I feel so bad for thoose dry little guys!
2. I am overfertilizing too.. Again, Wanna give the babies SO many vitamins.

So I now I am more educated. And hopefully everything will forgive me from my mistakes.

AND now for pictures!

Sweet williams got too hot! ahhh. Had to cut off their leaves as they were too far gone. I hope they grow back? ( this is before I cut them )

most of my squares/ garden looks like this. Some teeny tiny green leave has appeared!

Roma tomato is coming back! I saved him I think!

RADISHES! I wish gardening was this easy....

new growths, new additions, and some on life support.

So we've had a week of rain.. pretty much since I planted / transplanted everything.. today was their first exposure to REAL sunlight for more then 5 minutes.
So here are some updates! ( ps. Sorry some of them are blurry.. :( )


Parsley is looking like real parsley!

Roma tomato lost a leaf? Looking real sad. Might lose him :( on life support.

Blurry picture of some form of mesclun mix ( or it might be a weed.. )

NEW ADDITIONS! walmart had these for a steal of 7$. I googled them and I think they are morning glory? But! I am not sure.

A STRAWBERRY!

The forget me nots are sprouting.. they are the lighter colored things in the pot.

A PEA! ( The little worm like shape in the middle )

And these are radishes. Like a dozen of them..