Try, Try, Again

I have had some "learning experiences" with my garden this year. My Dad didin't call them failures, just learning experiences.

1) Eggshell containers- You need to make sure you Carefully wash out the contents before storing. I didn't get a couple of radished to sprout but being so little they dried out rapidly

2) Strawberry plant- I think you need two different types of plants for them to flourish.  I have one left over from last year. It has done really well, but the strawberries weren't as plump as I thought they would be.

3) Make sure to cover plants even if it is close to freezing weather. Weather people are often wrong.

So... here is my latest.  You know how they have those watering globe things for plants.  I have some old bottles so I am going to try that and see how it works are far as watering goes.

Don't worry it is lemonade

Strawberry bottle for strawberries :-)

Salad anyone?

I am so excited about the harvesting. It isn't alot but it helps make all the hard work easier.

Reminds me of Beatrix Potter

The veggies in the basket are Kohlrabi, Easter Egg radish, lettuce(Romaine), broccoli and carrot  It made for a nice salad. I love all the veggies but it is getting tiring all the washing and cleaning off of food. Can't complain though.*

tomato plant

LT invited me to a Memorial Day cookout.  I asked if there was anything I could bring and she said "You could bring a tomato".  This is what was brought :-) Hey its will have tomatoes in a while.  A real tomato ready to eat made it way to her house as well.





*Be careful pulling out carrots. I wasn't and it broke in half when I pulled it. :-(

It is beginning

I am so excited that I am finally seeing some things that look like vegetables :-)
Besided the leafy variety which is kind of hard to judge when it is ready.
The first was some Easter Egg radishes.  I don't like radishes that much but they are pretty easy to grow and grow quickly.

They look like turnips but I promise they are radishes

My favorite pictures is this one of the broccoli. I am really proud of it (the picture,not the broccoli) I can't take credit for making the broccoli.  I will say it seems to have taken FOREVER for it to finally like like broccoli instead of just big leaves.

Pretty enough to eat. (almost)

I had totally forgotten about the asparagus.  It came up about 1 week and 1/2 ago.   I was so surprised. Now it has turned into that ferny thing.  I don't think I am suppose to do anything with it but i will read up and double check.

Sometimes it is best to leave things alone.

The watermelon is already past this stage and in the ground.  However, I love it when the plant has sprouted but you can still see the seed attached to the plant.

The black part is the seed it came from

My strawberry plant is getting in some nice looking berries.  I am learning that things happen on their own schedule. Everyone else was making strawberry jam and such so I was a little jealous.  Now, mine are coming in and all is better.

My favorite plant in the garden :-)

Lastly, are the sugar peas. I finally have a pea pod.  I am so excited.  I learned that the flower is what turns into the pod.  It is rather quickly from flower to pod.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and summer.

another first

Last year I was reading an article in a magazine about using eggshells as seed starters. They are biodegradable and are a source of calcium.  I finally decided to try it.  I have been saving shells for a while in the refrigerator.  I think you are suppose to wash them to get any remaining yolk or white out.
I put soil in the eggshells and added the seeds and watered.

that is a stick not a worm :-)

As you can see, the egg carton is made of clear, plastic. I am hoping this is an added bonus and will act as a terrarium and help the seeds sprout.

Hope this will help the seeds and soil stay moist

The only other drawbacks were that:
1) there is no drainage hole so I don't know if I overwatered

not the neatest I have planted

2) if a seed needed lots of depth (1 inch or more) it was difficult to find that much room