We’re about to have some four-inch hansel eggplant for dinner, soon. (I’ve been told to pick them at about this size, for the best flavor).

There are at least two fruits on a very healthy plant that keeps growing and blooming. I’ve relocated two pots that were in its proximity to encourage its continued growth.

First blooms of the eggplant, May 16.

Before the fruit comes, May 20.

The fruit and a frog, May 27

More flowers mean more fruit, May 27

In case anyone’s keeping track, this is the fourth post I’ve written today, but it’s to make up for not blogging since last Thursday.

It’s been my goal to post something every weekday, but because of recent developments – all of which have been good – I’ve been a little preoccupied. But I have been sure to post-date these four posts so that it Appears I’ve been blogging faithfully. But not last Friday – let’s just call that one a blog furlough day.

Onward and upward, people, there’s been a lot of new blooms in the garden this week.

First, let’s take a look at the Psyche Mix cosmos which started to explode in color.

A white cosmos psyche mix, about to bloom, shot on May 23.

The same bud, shot on May 25.

And, ka-bloom. A white cosmos on a very large and staked plant, shot today.

This magenta cosmos from the psyche mix seed packet was actually the first to bloom, earlier this week.

Here's a shot of the magenta psyche cosmos from today.

Also to bloom this week were some baby breath, I think, from the mixed cut wildflower seed packet.

Also, the vinca that re-volunteered itself in Kim's bed from last year finally bloomed. The first two that came up, however, I moved to a container then put back in the bed extension. Those aren't growing as quickly as the ones that were left alone.

Other blooms soon to open will be a the purple coneflower which stuck around from last year, as well as some night and day snapdragons and more random wildflowers.

Kim’s Uncle Bennie is a real gardener. With a greenhouse and rows of tomatoes, his favorite crop. All in his backyard.

I’ve learned a lot from him at family gatherings when the conversation strays into horticulture territory.

This week, he surprised us with four superfluous plants from his collection, two tomatoes and two peppers.

The new additions: The tall tomato, the short tomato, the short pepper and the tall pepper.

The tall tomato

Where I placed the tall tomato

The small tomato

Where I placed the short tomato.

The tall pepper

Where I placed the tall pepper

The short pepper

Where I placed the short pepper

Thanks again, Uncle Bennie and Aunt Kathy for the plants – I’m sure I’ll have a lot of fun trying my hand at them and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from them, too!

So, it has only been a week or so since I wrote about my first tomato fruit on my container potted Beef Maestro plant.

But now, I have two fruits!

And a few more flowers …

The Beef Maestro plant, in its new triangular tomato fold-up cage, $5 at Home Depot.

The new tomato!

The first fruit just keeps getting bigger.

Photos from the tenth week in the garden are up, spanning May 16-22, and have been tagged "Week Ten" in my Gardening 2010, Part Two album in my Picasa Web Albums.

I like this shot of a bee and the happy ring cosmos.

Three of the four hibiscus flowered simultaneously this week.

A shot of the original bed, week ten.

I’ve seen at least four frogs in the backyard.

One likes my shoe. I dunno if it is the same one that took up residence in my shoe all last season.

There's a frog in my shoe!

He's never amused when I have to shake him out of my shoe so I can go and water things.

So, that’s frog number one. There’s a big one that lives underneath Kim’s morning glories. I discovered it when I was trying to get its trelis to stay in place.

Frog number three is one I see wandering around in various places, yesterday when I saw four frogs consecutively, thus proving I’m not making this up, this frog was right under my foot and I almost stepped on him.

And, there was this frog, hanging out in my coleus seedling tray.

Best frog photo ever?

And then, he stepped on the plants.

Get off the coleus!

The crookneck squash I added to the bed on May 8 is dying.

The crookneck squash was bought to satisfy my craving for summer squash. Photo taken May 15.

The crookneck squash was actually two plants. Yesterday, the one on the right was down. Dead. That was it. So I cut it at the bottom of the stem. Then, today, this. Sigh.

I think the moral of this this story is don’t buy seedlings with two plants in a tiny 2″ pot. Thin early. I hope that’s the lesson here. Does any one have any other ideas?

There’s been a lot of new flowers blooming in the garden recently.

The most impressive was a Onagraceae Clarkia Unguiculata, that I originally mistook as “my largest” coleus in this post.

This one must have gotten mixed up with the coleus. It's actually from a cut wildflower seed packet I got from Wal-Mart for 20 cents. The packet called it a Clarkia, but a little internet research revealed its long name.

Another shot of the Clarkia

Kim's morning glory has finally started to bloom.

The first bloom of the Seminole hibiscus, one of two that I bought at the show I went to.

Here's the second bloom.

You do remember when I went to that show, right?

A purple zinnia blooms. What's unusual about this is that I didn't plant any this year. I did plant a packet of zinnias in late late summer last year, but none ever came up. Hmmm.

Another shot of the purple zinnia.

And the Persian Carpet mix zinnia are looking really good, too.

Photos from the ninth week in the garden are up, spanning May 9-15, and have been tagged "Week Nine" in my Gardening 2010, Part Two album in my Picasa Web Albums.

The Happy Ring cosmos are doing really well. The Psyche Mix Cosmos haven't bloomed yet, but some of them have grown quite large.

A butterfly. On a marigold. Nice.

The pentas are doing fine.

Week Nine