I have always been intimidated to grow lettuce, but for some reason it is doing quite well. The other side of the bed will be zinnias and black eyed susans. I have enjoyed watching the lettuce grow. When I plant something, I always wonder if it will take root and grow. One of the strawberry plants I planted in another bed was uprooted when one of the kids accidentally picked a strawberry from it with a little too much force. It has been interesting watch the strawberry plants struggle to take root. What's on top is deceptive. Sometimes the roots are not as deep or strong as they might seem. But, they're surviving.
This is my azalea that is not doing so well. It is not the heat of the sun that matters most but the length of the sun. I fear that this poor azalea needs more shade and less sun than it is getting. I have been faithfully watering it daily. I knew I was taking a chance in this spot. This hosta typically dies later on in the summer. I think I need to look for some different plants for this area, don't you?
These are my tomatoes. I'm curious to see how they do. I planted marigolds around them and garlic. Basil is nearby, too. All of these are supposed to be helpful to one another. We'll see...
This is the old laundry sink from our basement. Really, it is. It's made of cement. It is the heaviest thing I've ever tried to move. When we took it out of the basement, I didn't think we could persuade any trash man to haul it away. So, my husband drilled a few holes in the bottom of it and I've turned it into a planter. It turns out that it misses the shadows from the roof and the deck for quite a long time during the day. So, it is one of the spots in the garden with the best sunlight. My husband did explain to me that I need to water it more thoroughly and often because the container heats up and the moisture evaporates more quickly. I know there also can be issues with drainage. Last year I planted a cucumber plant in here and it produced a few, but it didn't thrive. I'm hoping my parsley and tomato will be a better fit for this container. I have been told by many friends that gardening is a lot of trial and error.
Which reminds me of an interesting thing I read in a fiction book this morning for young girls. In the context of the story, the girls were planting two peas, two squash, and then three corn seeds. The squash run along the ground and prevent too many weeds from growing. The peas bush out and support the corn. The Corn seeds sprout to give the other plants shade when they need it. It was simply part of the story, but I think it is a very interesting idea. Gardening is really rather complex. I grew up with a large garden. So, when I look at my garden it makes me feel like it's so small. But, I know that it was a lot of work to put in! I am reminded that how we see things often depends on what we are comparing those things to. I have bad memories of the garden I grew up with. I don't want to feel that way about my garden now--I want it to be a joy, not a heavy burden. For me, this garden is just the right size. I have enjoyed going out to water and lightly weed each day now that the bulk of the work has been done.
One last note, I discovered that a remnant of my peppermint survived last summer in a hanging pot I had put it in. We'll see what becomes of it in the months ahead! I am told Peppermint is like a weed. Once it's in the ground, it's very difficult to get it out. So, it's wise to plant it in a pot rather than in the ground. I discovered that Lemon Balm is the same. though I didn't take a picture, my lemon balm looks like a bush. It's 2 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. And I have no idea what to do with it! I wish I did.
Please forgive my random gardening notes. I'm afraid they are quite disjointed tonight! Soon I will post about our composting efforts...
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