State of the Garden Address.

It's mid April so it's time yet again for the state of the garden address. :-D This time I'm centering around what was my  seedlings and transplants last month. Showing the progress that just a few weeks makes when things go from transplants to well, just plain old plants. Productive ones at that.
No, not all of the plants in my garden will make an appearance but the ones doing their best to shine will.

I still haven't completed the third planter around the peach trees. I'm wondering if it will be finished before the summer sun makes it impossible to work outside. Sure hope so. I am yet to determine what will do well there. Something that can handle the squirrels or that would be easy enough to protect from them. The lettuce from Fall to Spring will be covered with a wire mesh to help protect it. Much like the tulle tunnels I see everyone making this Spring to protect from caterpillars and flies. It will certainly be a learning process. No doubt about that. I figured okra produces enough and it's spiny, but it really needs the sun and inviting all the nematodes just before planting the lettuces may not be such a hot idea. Ah, decisions.

I am also still working on the second (fence) planter. After the recent floods I had to do a little redesigning. I did come up with a reasonably good way to divert the water under the fence, but now I have to decide if one large planter would create too much of a barrier and overpower my mini culvert or if I will indeed have to break it into 2 separate boxes. The waterline on the inside of the fence was 6-8 inches high so I must do something no doubt. I was only planning on the box being 4-5' tall after all.
Rambling aside the good stuff. Pictures!
The sweet peas are still hanging in there... literally. Barely, but they are. About 2/3 of the plants have either failed to flower or have flopped entirely do to the heat. The other third are still doing OK, and even at OK I'm not willing to cull just yet. Fresh garden peas are a treat most Floridians don't get to enjoy. Besides I don't have any thing ready to take their place just yet.  But not for long. Their time is very limited now.

 







Onions are doing fine, a tiny bulb is forming. Not that I expect large bulbs, but something is better than nothing. and their partner in crime, the Tomatillos is blooming insanely.

Can't wait to make Salsa Verde. The hot peppers and jalapenos (early jalapenos thanks to Granny!) are also blooming, though it is their very first blossoms and the plants are much smaller. I did seriously underestimate the amount of blossoms on this plant. Unfortunately the second tomatillo is budding, but as of yet refuses to bloom. Planted only 10 days later it is on 50th the size of this plant. It looks like it should still be in a cell not even planted out yet much less only 10 days behind something with nearly 60 blooms.

Zucchini #1 is covered up in growth with a few blossoms, but zucchini #2 has 6 female blossoms on it. One was taken a few days early last night, for some grillin. Yummo..... (BLECH, I don't like zucchini, but Rich and Kate enjoyed it)

 This tomato managed to get all lean and lanky on me and I kept trying to get it to fill out. I tried and tried and then I realized....It has got to be a 'sweetie'. The cherry tomato with  'tude. It may take me a while but at least I came to my senses. It is after all the only tomato in the garden reaching up and getting super lanky. Certainly can't blame it on the lack of sunlight! HA!
 

 

Tomatoes abound. I could NOT be happier. I have cherry tomatoes, beefsteaks, sandwich, big boys, Nonnas, Gabrielle Anne, Sweetie (apparently though I didn't realize) Genovese,  San Marzano and Big Rainbow that all have little tomatoes beginning. I also have an everglades currant tomato that is about 3 inches high that is already flowering. Go figure. Not sure what in the world is up with that!? Present count is 29 tomatoes ON the plants and hundreds of flowers - I cannot wait to lose count, and even more, I am craving that first bite of deliciousness. The bite that reminds me that so many people are completely missing out on what they think are good eating tomatoes. LOL.

Herbs are doing well. Some better than others.

Broccoli crowns are nearly ready. This pictures is already 10 days old and the crown will be eaten tonight I'm quite sure. There are 3 more like it as well. Not long now and the heat will take any more of the cold crops. Like these lettuce as well.

Pomegranate is preparing to flower. WAHOO! Finally my little bush may actually produce for me this year. I haven't shown the kids yet, but believe you me they will be SO excited! Blueberries are still finishing as well. A few more weeks and they will be done for the year. The kids are doing much better with not picking off the unripened fruit this year. They are older now and understand. That or my crying last year after finding them with the bushes plucked got through. ;-) Either way.

But the real stars right now? No Doubt,

 are the beans.
 

 The first of the beans came last night. Just as nibble for the kids. But this weekend the harvest will begin! Just check out all those flowers, Can't you just see the beans in the next 2 weeks? Yowza. I sure hope the kids are hungry and I can wrangle up some help in the kitchen 'cause it's gettin' close to canin' time!

'Till next time!

Barbie~