Category: Gardening

Father’s Day and Marshall’s first month

Yesterday, Marshall celebrated his first full month in the outside world and Kim posted a photo to commemorate the occasion on Facebook.

Here’s the photo I took of him on June 18 after he had gone to sleep for the night (3~ hours).

More photos from Marshall’s second month can be found in the Marshall M2 album.

Which means I have finished the Meet Marshall album, which marks his first month. I might upload more photos from other people (Kim) to it at a later date, but for the most part, what is in there is what I have from his first month. Except for the videos which I have taken but haven’t posted yet.

Sitting in his chair
Kim took this photo. Find it and more in the Meet Marshall album.
Father's Day 2012
Sunday was Father’s Day.
Kitteh
Haven’t taken a lot of photos of the cat recently. But the few good ones that I have are now online.
Garden
And somehow the garden is still doing kind of OK.

Recent pickings

Having a garden is hard work. So is caring for a newborn. These days I barely have time to pick the harvest, but it’s even harder finding the time to prepare it and eat it.

Still, what’s the point of growing it if you can’t flaunt it on the Internets?

Eggplant ready to grill on May 22
Eggplant, ready to grill on May 22
Carrots! Picked on May 30.
Carrots! Picked on May 30.
A row of tomatoes, photo taken June 7
A row of tomatoes, photo taken June 7

First taste of Rich Sweetness 132

On June 7, I started picking melons which I planted in February and that germinated on March 1. The Rich Sweetness 132 melon, purchased as seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, is — well — interesting.

Its taste is best described by Max E, who wrote a review at the page linked to above:

Flavor is still mild, somewhere in between a musky cucumber and a honeydew. My mom said to her they tasted a bit like conventional (as in commercial) honeydew. The jelly part with the seeds in the middle ARE sort of sour and astringent, so scoop, save seed (one melon will provide enough seeds to last forever) and enjoy.

I think next Spring I’ll be trying my hand at cantaloupe, hoping for a sweeter fruit, now that I have proven I can grow melons. A previous attempt in 2009 to grow watermelons yielded only one specimen on Oct. 3, 2009.

Corina with the 2009 watermelon
Corina with the 2009 watermelon
Inside the watermelon
Inside the watermelon

Hibiscus season

Pink 'Seminole'
Four or five blooms at a time on Monday.
'Indian Princess'
Unidentified big box store variety, the only one still in a pot.
Late to the party: The yellow hibiscus purchased to remind Kim of Hawaii. She said she wants it to bloom before she delivers Marshall. I think it might bloom on May 10, his due date. Which is tomorrow, by the way.

Wildflowers and blisters

Woe is me. I hurt myself Sunday trying to plant three really cheap six packs of annuals in the front yard, underneath the monster tree I severely cut back. I now have a great big stupid blister on the palm of my right hand. I should have dumped a bag or two of compost there first and planted in that, the ground was too much clay and roots.

See more photos in the Gardening 2012 album.

New petunia, impatiens and salvia make up the flowerbed of pain.
New petunia, impatiens and salvia make up the flowerbed of pain.
Backyard phlox that perennialized from last year. I learned how to save its seed. Maybe no more four o'clocks next year, and more phlox.
Backyard phlox that perennialized from last year. I learned how to save its seed. Maybe no more four o'clocks next year, and more phlox.
Kim's peace rose.
The geranium on the porch bloomed for the first time this season this week.
Some cosmos. At least two varieties pictured.
By request, here's a shot of one of the wildflowers that have bloomed underneath Kim's roses. Not sure what this is, but we got the wildflower seed from Kim's parents - and still have a lot left over.