Ohhh rain.

From all the rain

Sienna is MUDDY.

I feel bad because it keeps raining, she has to go out.

We normally go to the park and I can't stop her from running around. 

so we come home and she is all dirty and gets a bath almost every day.

Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain.

So, every day it rains.

and

Not just a little, a ton.

Last night alone it rained a 1/2 inch.

Sienna is sad.

On a more pleasant note

Tomato Blossoms

Black Krim, the winner on earliest tomato

Sungold

Soy Beans

Tomatoes

the worst of the weed wacker damage!

BEFORE

AFTER!!!!!!

my poor Mullein, I never got to see it blossom

After everything I went through to find out what it was and protect it from Sienna, its gone.

The idiot who chopped it down told me "it will grow back" 

I wanted to knee him in the crotch and tell him the same damn thing.

I am Devastated!

with work and stuff I have been super busy

I came home from work yesterday to THIS

My landlord sent LANDSCAPERS to the house to "clean up",

as he stated when I called him flipping out.

I know stuff happens when you are renting and what not but WTF.

The so called Landscapers, that I DID talk to,

didn't know the difference between wild flowers (a HUGE purple one)

& 

PERENNIALS 

WORST LANDSCAPERS EVER

Here is the WEED WACKER damage.

Zinnia, chopped off.

Sewing Table

New sewing table 

$8.00 from the thrift tore a few blocks away.

The plan is to sand it and repaint it.

Black is not my style

What's Growing?

June Garden

Black Krim Tomato, over a foot tall, flowering and setting fruit.

 Lily, Nasturtium, Eggplant, & flower mix.

Despite my flea beetle and aphid problem, the eggplants are going to make it.

Its just sad you can see all the damage (holes) from the flea beetles

My only day off.

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday

I working 8am- 430 at one job

&

6-10/11 at my other job.

So on Monday Sienna and I took a break

It's awesome though, I worked Gogol Bordello, Pj Harvey & Doves. 

Soybean

The seedlings emerged a on Sunday

&

I was shocked to see them today, over an inch tall.

I used Johnnys's Soybean Inoculant, it is already making a difference.

Lounging

In our house Sienna is always referred to as "lounging".....

Look across the yard and there she is.

Lazy Tuesday

Sienna is so lazy, I do the watering....

and she walks through it.

Black Krim, the first of my tomato varieties to flower.

Nasturtium from seed, flowering early.

and todays winner

Strawberries, first ripe berry!

Mullein

Mullein

Thanks to the Plant ID section on YouGROWGirl.com, this "weed/ wildflower" has now been ID'd.

Is is in the far right corner of my garden, most likely from the lovely lady who gardened here before me.

It is about 2ft tall and 2 ft wide.

here are the plant specs

-biennial 

-grow up to six feet high w/ a width of two to three feet

-nicknames including: Aaron's Rod, Candlewick Plant, Cow Lungwort, Velvet Dock, Flannel Plant, Shepherd's Staff, torches, Our Lady's Flannel, Jacob's Staff, Beggar's Blanket, Hare's Beard and Old Man's Flannel

-in ancient times it was dipped in tallow and used as a torch, which was carried during ceremonies particularly in funerals

-medicinal herb particularly for lung problems

-to make a Mullein infusion, or tea, place one to two teaspoons of dried flowers and/or leaves (two to three times as much if using the fresh herb) for each cup in a pot and cover with boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes and strain well to avoid ingestion of the hairs and pollen, which can cause an irritating itch in the mouth

-in Germany, the flowers are steeped in olive oil and then used for ear infections and hemorrhoids

Strawberries

Isn't she pretty

I started with 5 strawberry plants last year. 

Here is one of them.

She is sending out runners (see the pot tot he right, yea that's her).

The top photo is what looks to be what is going to be the first ripe strawberry. 

Block Painting

So it's a long story, but today Heather painted the paver where her friends pet was buried in yard today.  It looks great.

&

To not feel left out Josh painted one too.

"You Are Beautiful"

*

"BloodLust"

Update

May 26th, 2009

Tomatoes & Strawberries

Far Left Corner

Transplanted Tomatoes & Zucchini (The 1 Tomato isn't going to make it)

Today I finished transplanting my seedlings and sowed some Soy Bean seeds.

I still have a few more seedlings that need are going to be in large pots, but my seedlings in cups needed to be planted, the rats have knocked over the cups every night, they are better off in the ground.

Josh & Heather came out for a gander today.

Ugh Water Trouble

So I thought I was getting a hose to water the garden

BUT

no, see that top part there is supposed to be a wheel faucet handle

is there a replacement?

who do I contact?

will this cost a lot?

I am so aggravated, I'm a renter and contacted my landlord 

still no answer.

Update & Garden Work

The May Garden

Todays Work

- set up a few more 8ft poles, for tomatoes, along the fence

-      weeded all the plots for Soy Beans, Zucchinis, and Squash

-       transplanted some tomatoes, peppers, one zucchini, basil, and marigolds

I tipped over the blocks in my wall

Making two planters

Holding: Basil & Zinnias

The halfway mark on digging in my poles

The 3 on the end are in already

Each one is about 18 inches in the ground, I hope that's enough.

Top left in the shade: seedlings in trays

Center planter and white bucket: strawberries

Along fence: tomatoes next to poles

In plot: 1 artichoke and 2 okra plants

Sienna was a little over heated today .

May Garden

Things to do

Things to BUY:

- 6 more 8ft. 1x2 in. poles, for tomatoes  (1.25 each x 6= $7.50)

- 4 ft. mesh fencing, that needs to be dug a ft. deep, for rat control. (ehh around $10)

- they only eat my PEPPERS

- Hose, Nozzle, & wheel knob faucet handle (ours is somehow missing!) 

(H= 15, N=10, WKFH=.50=====$25.50)

- One Lrg. bag of Garden soil ($10), 

- Two bags Potting soil, Im going to yard sales looking for pots for the flowers. ($12)

My BUDGET: $65.00 

Hopefully I can keep to my budget, I'll post my receipt afterwards.

Things to DO:

- Plant- Zucchinis, Peppers, Eggplant, Melons, & the rest of the Tomatoes.

--- and the flowers, I have a ton, but no where to plant them yet

- Get the bed for the Soy Beans ready and find where I put the Inoculant.

Finals Week

Newly Planted TOMATOES. 

TOMATO SUPPORT:  I Decided to go with 8ft. 1x2's, I think it will work. 

I dug a hole about 18 inches deep, put the pole in and then anchored it with garden pebbles at the base.

They look great I just hope they last the summer.

By the way: My spacing isn't correct, they should be a lot more spaced out, It got a little cramped half way down the line.

My Strawberries that are doing great, I already have 5 little green guys growing.

Sienna Lounging.

Behind her is the first row of Tomatoes, a row of nine. (Only 5 planted so far)

The tall poles are the five I planted, the teepee on either side is for the Roma Tomatoes 

Roma is the only variety I'm growing this year that is Determinate

 The other 4, Mortgage Lifter, Sungold, Rainbow Cherry, and Black Krim are all Indeterminate.

The difference????

Determinate- bush types which are usually early bearing and do not need staking, this happens because they are genetically controlled & their terminal buds set fruit and stop the plant from growing 

Indeterminate- are the later-maturing varieties that are taller and need staking.  

I do little 5 ft. bamboo pole teepees for my Determinates help them along.

Sometimes the fruit gets to heavy for the vine. (I baby them)

I have been so sick for the past week, worst timing.

So in the past, to sum it up real quick

- I lost my job, now I have two!

- Been going to the park

-Trying to convince Chris to move back

-Finishing up the semester

-GARDENING

Sienna