OK,
Lotsa pictures today.
For starts, I transplanted almost everything outside (less a basil and parsley plant). It's getting hard to keep track of! how nice!
I am watering all of this stuff once a week with a water/Miracle Gro mixture. Seems to be helping out. Because Old Man Basil is doing bad, I am trying to keep a more watchful eye on him.
BELOW: "Bucket" Bell Pepper plant... some blossoms, tiny tiny pepper growth. Hopefully they will develop in the next few weeks.
BELOW: Parsley - Hell yes! I still have one indoors and it's not hardly doing anything. This one seems to really be taking off. I thought because it spends so much time in the sun it would be too much, but it's plenty healthy.
BELOW: "Old Man Basil" - yeah, he is not doing well at all. We put him outside in hopes he would grow bigger and stronger. BUT, he was an indoor plant and lasted a year longer than he should have in the first place. So sorry, Old Man Basil! You probably will not survive August!
BELOW: Look closely and you will see a green pepper plant hidden in the pumpkins. A little something I learned about pumpkin plants: They are total assholes, man. They take up space, they're prickley, they overshadow all of my pepper and basil plants, and they have these little feelers. The little feelers are strangling all of my other plants! So basically my job over the last several weekends is to cut off any limbs that pose a threat to all of my other plants, herbs, spices, whatever. I'm glad they're growing so well, but they need back the fuck off of my peppers.
BELOW: My little Alaskan Snow Peas! They are growing pods! I thought these guys were gonners, but there's a maple next to them providing enough shade - I counted about 6 pods - which aren't lots and lots, but pretty good for a plant that was next to impossible to grow for me.
... wide shot of pea plant...
BELOW: I have three of these little infant pumpkins - I'm excited they're growing. The whole lot is covered by what was a mere TWO seedlings. There are probably 2 dozen blossoms at present - the male blossoms are great if you stuff them and prepare them like ravioli. These things attract bees like mad-crazy. Also there is this huge stinging insect... not sure what it is, but imagine if a hornet and a pontoon boat had a baby - it would look like this nasty blossom-hopper.
The plant/vine is taking up the entire patch of dirt, which is both good and bad. Because it's prickley, it protects all of the other plants in the garden from harm to a certain extent. But it also borders being out of control, and I spend most of my time in the garden pruining it or dragging it off of the neighbor's driveway. Maybe next year I'll grow squash instead? Same idea, just smaller. Thoughts?
3 PICTURES BELOW: I also spotted these little guys under some dead pumkin leaves. I don't know if the dead parts of the plants triggered the growth, or if the fungus killed part of the pumpkin vines? I'll have to keep an eye out.
...can anybody figure out exactly what kind of mushrooms these are? Are they toxic? Edible? Will they re-grow? Are they good for the garden? Bad? Indifferent?
IN SUM, I'm happy, there's been a lot more growth this summer than last. Just a few more weeks and the peppers will blossom. Then JSP does his happy dance.
