State of the Garden: August 2013

In our little corner of that little blue dot in the cosmos featured in my prior post...a garden grows.

I've got several varieties of the (current) hottest peppers on the planet, a pumpkin vine growing from a wild seedling born of last year's composted jack-o-lantern, some dill, basil, sage, curry, parsley...and two cherry tomato plants that appear to be the favorites of the various critters that frequent our lawn and surrounding woods.

Note to self: Next year, build a fence. Or get a dog. Part wolf, perhaps.

Anyway, with all the rain we've had, plus some good stretches of warmer weather, everything except the tomato plants are doing very well. Due to my inability to move around too much this Spring until later in April...I did not get an early start on this year's crops; from starting the seedlings indoors to getting the plants outside and in the ground. However, as this is year #1 for what will be an expanding corner of our property dedicated to vegetables, herbs and flowers for us and, alas, some plant-munching critters for years to come...I'm pleased with this year's efforts so far.

Below are a few pics taken this morning.

First: This pumpkin vine is planted at the edge of my grass/green waste compost pile, which will be rototilled under at the end of the fall. As an emerging seedling, it was almost yanked as a "weed" by someone with limited but vastly improved plant identification experience.

My 400 level on-the-spot Plant ID course:

 

If you don't know what it is, leave it be until I get home.

 

 

Above/below: My brother the bumblebee does his thing.

 

Below: Some of the peppers that I will turn into insanely hot wing sauce. The first pic is of the infamous Bhut Jolokia "Ghost" peppers.

 

Below: The full view of this first year's garden. Compost pile is to the right, with four rows of peppers, herbs and two tomato plants in the far left corner. The various cans contain finely screened soil that will be used when I rototill/screen the rest of my current plot later this year.

 

For sale: Rocks. Cheap. All offers considered accepted.

 

 

I'll give a final update when we get to harvest time.

 

Have a good weekend.