Thursday, May 20, 2010

Garden Progress Report!

Some things are progressing quite nicely others not so much. Here is a quick overview on the goings-on at the plot.

My neighboring plot has a large rose bush that grows alongside the fence we share. The roses are starting to bloom. Here is a rather resilient rose that grew through the fence and bloomed on my side. I believe that the rose is 'The Fairy Rubra Rose' based on some rudimentary internet sleuthing.

Pictured below is a bud off of the same Fairy Rubra Rose bush:



Alongside our gate we also have a 6 foot tall wild rose bush that provides some protection from intruders and some cover for our tool area. I spotted a few of the beautiful small white roses blooming. From the looks of it we will be inundated with tiny white roses very soon:

On the vegetable growing front things are doing pretty well. I was concerned with the incredibly hard rain we received on Tuesday after I had transplanted my broccoli, cilantro and tomato seedlings to the garden on Monday afternoon. Some of the plants looked like they took a bit of a beating in the rain, but I think the seedlings are young enough that they have plenty of time to bounce back. Below are pictures of relatively healthy looking tomato and broccoli seedlings:

Here is a quick rundown on what is & isn't growing in our plot. Our leek transplants & broccoli seedlings are doing very well. The carrots are starting to show some signs of life, I was concerned the top layer of soil had crusted over to much for them to break through. The potato trench looks great but hasn't seen any signs of life yet. Onion seedlings are coming very slowly, as are the cabbage and romaine lettuces. I have a feeling the romaine and cabbage were planted too late to grow to a healthy size before the heat of summer arrives, but we shall see.


Continuing with greens the spinach seems to be doing well and the mesclun mix is flourishing, as are the beets. Our dill and sage that was planted last week has started to come in, but the chives and garlic chives are taking their time. The cilantro seedlings looked quite happy as well.


Half of my tomato seedlings were a little droopy from the rain but the other half seemed to be flourishing. I managed to salvage 4 tomato cages from a fellow gardener which was nice because when I arrived at my plot yesterday I discovered my brand new bamboo stakes which I was going to use for tomatoes and a pole bean trellis had been stolen. This brings to light the disadvantages of gardening in a community setting. The gardens are located in a heavily trafficked area. I guess I have to be more careful when storing some of my tools and supplies.


Without the ability to set up my bean trellis I was only able to plant 2 small sections of beans. I choose the wonderful looking Ottawa Cranberry Beans that Daphne of Daphne's Dandelions sent me last fall. Kentucky Wonder will have to wait until Sunday. If all goes according to plan Sunday should also see some cucumber and zucchini seeds put in the ground as well.


The extended forecast looks pretty good, warming up for a few more days before showers roll in middle of next so the overall outlook is pretty great!

2 comments:

Thomas said...

Good to hear that your plot is progressing along smoothly. I was a bit concerned about my veggies following the rains as well.

While having a half acre has its perks, I do miss living in the city from time to time. Are you friendly with any of your fellow victory gardeners?

Fred said...

Thomas,
Nearly all of the fellow gardeners I have had the pleasure of meeting have been incredibly friendly, knowledgable, and generous with extra plants and encouraging words.
Obviously some people are not there for the community aspects, but most fellow gardeners will gladly stop and chat with a fellow gardener or complete stranger.
I've been giving countless tips on identifying weeds and which plants might flourish vs. which may fail given my plot location.
The community aspect of the garden is one that i've really enjoyed.
If ever you have an interest in visiting the plot or strolling the gardens please contact me - I'd love to do a meet & tour!