Vegetables, Amaryllis

This is what an Amaryllis seed pod looks like when successfully pollinated. It swells up and will eventually open when its ready.



Added the lattice board to keep the vines on top and make the mowing/weedwacking easier.

Schlumbergera seedlings

I wasn't going to post this because they never seem to live. The seed pod/plant that came off, I planted theseeds and every once in a little while, one or two would germinate then die off. So far, this one has hung on and even formed a "V" shape!

I would love for at least one to grow even if the other seeds are dying off.

Vegetables

The latest update on the vegetables. Every single vegetable plant experienced rust after a rainstorm. Even the grape tomato sprouts in the flower boxes had rust. It was peculiar. Most of the rusted leaves were removed as soon as possible.




Below is a picture of the Tiny Tim Tomatoes that are growing. Pretty soon I may pinch out the extras so that each one will just have one plant instead of three crowding each other.

Below is the Better Boy Tomato Plant. The extra tomatoes are growing in so the plant is now tugged down to the ground. All the better to get the water to go down and swell them tomatoes!

Picture below of the two tomato plants on the porch steps.


Close-up below of the tomatoes.

Picture below is of an unidentified plant. At least I know it's not a yearly return of the birdhouse gourd. It's made yellow flowers so no idea what it could be. I put up a brick circle to prevent them from being mowed down or weedwhacked.

Black Magic and Red Stem Elephant Ears

You know, sometimes plants can surprise you! I have had nothing but bad luck with Black Magic and Red Stem. From my personal experience, they absolutely hate any sign of the cold. I've had to replace Black Magic several times and almost lost Red Stem except for one tiny bulb that fought back.

This January, we had three days of below freezing temperatures and the snow stuck around that long as well. I was stunned that the regular green didn't return (but they did eventually! :D ) but I wrote off the Black Magic and Red Stem. No way would they ever return. They were long gone.

I was wrong.

This amazes me to no end. Wow! I didn't do anything to protect them. The jade plant is over them right now but I guess I'll wait to see how big they'll get. hehe.

Vegetable Garden

It's getting there! Slowly. Pretty soon there'll be a lattice board that'll be propped up over it so that the vines can be trained to stay on top and allow easy grass-cutting on the ground below. This is pretty much the same spot where I grew vegetables back in 2005. Except this time!, I'll be using a soaker hose to try to water them. I'm just concerned on how to get the soaker hose all up on that mess! Hmm... Easier said than done.

From left to right: Yellow Squash, Cucumber, Zucchini, and Spaghetti Squash.

I expect the Yellow Squash and Cucumber to grow like nuts and give me many vegetables. I've tried Zucchini before. It'll be a healthy plant but every attempt to grow a vegetable seems to get eaten by bugs. Spaghetti Squash - I fear will be too similar like trying to grow Pumpkins. I expect both the vegetables and the plant to be destroyed.

Right now it is very very muggy and thunderstorms are in the area. The bugs are at their worst so I think I'll tinker with the soaker hose stuff later.

Vegetable Garden

My vegetable garden is very slowly on its way. This is the latest update on the upside down Better Boy Tomato plant. It doesn't seem to have grown much in size but it's still there.



These two below are 'Husky Cherry Red' tomato plants.

These two below are Yellow Squash and Cucumber plants.

Pretty soon, I'll have them all rigged with the soaker hose running through them. That way when the plants are huge and the summer heat is in full force, I can use the soaker hose to keep them all comfortable and producing vegetables to eat.

Cactus Seeds!

I suddenly have this overwhelming urge to buy a packet of various cactus seeds but I know that they won't grow under my (neglectful!) care or that I won't have the patience for them to grow up. ;)

Invasive Wisteria / Dragon Arum

Wisteria is very invasive. Not only are they vines that climb and choke trees, they have a complex underground root system that is a nightmare to end. At some point in this house's lifetime, someone planted wisteria and over the decades, Wisteria has taken over the woods and even across the street to other houses. I just know the starting point was somewhere on my property since the worst is here!

The only plus side - the smell of Wisteria. It's *incredibly* strong and attracts thousands of bees. Normally they don't bother you if you get too close... sometimes. hehe.

An attempt as a close-up of a bee in the midst of Wisteria blooms.

I am never happy with my pictures that I take of the dragon arum (dracunculus vulgaris). I keep taking more and more pictures but I finally settled on this one. I think because it's so "busy". The dragon arum is drowning in with all the other plants coming back - such as the Iris. This is the first time in years that it's growing like this. I guess I finally put it in a spot that it immensely enjoys! *rubs hands* Please show me some blooms this year, guys!

Upside Down Tomato Update!

Looks like my Better Boy tomato plant is refusing to take the whole 'upside down' thing. I already knew something like this was going to happen. Should one stake this tomato plant? If the plant keeps growing up like this as it gets bigger, I'm worried the weight of tomatoes will break the bend instead of helping the plant straighten out. Hmm!

Hanging Tomato - Eastern Prickly Pear

I dug up the two eastern prickly pear that I found in the bed. I did kind of regret tossing out the others but once the fire ants sunk them - it just felt like one big mess so I just tossed them. At least now I'm starting over. I just actually wonder if these two came from a fallen pad or if they grew from seed. Hmm...






After discussing it with several people who had experience with hanging tomato planters over several years - I was told that bags tend to fray after a month or two and it gets messy. The idea is to stick to something hard and plastic. This convinced me to re-open my Upsy Downsy tomato garden planter and give this baby a whirl!

Um... Why is the ground above me?

So we'll see if this thing takes off. My prediction - It'll be a very very very happy plant but it won't bother producing tomatoes in the slightest.

I plan to get a little flowerbox type planter and grow some Tiny Tim tomato plants. I still have some seeds left over from the last one.