Picnic Tables and Garden Progress
I told my daughter I’d take a pic of Hubby’s (almost) finished picnic table, so here it is, Jen:
Mouseover to see bigger pic; click the thumb to see the really big pic.
Just needs to be stained and it’ll be done. Already had a couple offers to buy it, too!
As for the garden, just been keeping up with the routine chores. It’s been hot, so watering is critical, and been cleaning aphids off my peppers every other day. Been cleaning them off everything, actually, but they seem to really like the peppers.
Got a few more cukes coming along, one will probably be ready tomorrow, the other the next day, and more shortly thereafter. I did harvest an actual ripe Heatwave tomato, too, and more are starting to ripen. The Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes are a major disappointment. The tomatoes are tiny, and split every time we get a little rain shower. Admittedly, that’s all too rare, but still…
As soon as the few tomatoes left on the plants ripen, I’m pulling them out and replacing them with another variety of bush tomato I started a few days ago. They haven’t even sprouted yet, and won’t be ready for a while, but I’m hoping they’ll do better than the others.
And now a few pics of garden progress since my last post:
The Kentucky Wonder pole beans I planted to grow up the arbor thingy are finally doing so. The french filet pole beans are not doing well at all, and the bush beans are even worse. The Contender beans bit the dust a while ago. They look like they have some sort of disease, and something still keeps eating just the leaves. KY Wonder have some disease resistance, so that may be why they are doing better. I bought some bush beans that have good disease resistance, and have them germinating in paper towels at the moment. I’ll put them out soon as they sprout. The other ones will probably end up being my post for Garden Blogger’s Death Day this month.
As if keeping up with the watering, harvesting, and debugging weren’t enough, it’s already time to be planning my fall garden. I’m supposed to have planted tomato and pepper seeds to put out come late August for my fall garden. I did start the tomato seeds, but am undecided on the peppers. Mine are just now starting to blossom and fruit, and should last until frost, if we ever actually ever get one. Unless, of course, the aphids eat them before then! If I start more, I may have to pull producing plants; if I don’t and the aphids kill them I’m SOL. What would you do?
I have to be thinking about all the cool season crops, like lettuce, parsley, potatoes, etc, and still find room for the fall hot weather crops. Gonna be a tricky juggling act, for sure. Then there are all the perennials I want to start, too…and the herbs…Oy, giving myself a headache thinking about it!
That’s about all the garden news, so here’s a personal note…
Today is my middle daughter’s birthday, so Happy Birthday, Chrissy!
My son and his girlfriend were here from the Thursday before the 4th until yesterday. He’s moving back here, as he’s applying to a local police force. My brother-in-law’s son has a relation on his wife’s side who is already a cop there, and he says they really need people. So I guess Mike will be staying until he actually gets hired, goes to the police academy, and actually starts working. Be nice having him here; he’s my “baby” and I like having him around – most of the time!
Whew! Think that’s just about enough for this post. Didn’t start out to write a novel; hope you didn’t get too bored!
You never bore me!
Too bad about those green beans, I wish I could share some of mine with you. Maybe trade you beans for melons, LOL. I have a ton of blossoms on 6 melon plants, but not a melon on any of them. I’m afraid it’s getting too late in the season to have any hope for melons at my house.
The picnic table is cute!
I’m very disappointed with the green beans. I love green beans, was so looking forward to fresh beans. Found another watermelon on the second plant that I’d thus far missed, so that’s a good thing…