final sowing

I started in pots today zucchini, cucumber, cantaloupe, bush green beans and cowpeas. They're on the lowest shelf of the greenhouse, door propped wide open so it doesn't overheat. Won't need a hardening off period, and really it's just to get the seed sprouted, then they go straight in the ground. So the squirrel doesn't dig up and eat the seeds immediately! 

Yesterday was a bit cloudy and today is due to rain, so I planted out: tarragon and salad burnet into the herb bed

Tithonias onto the empty sideyard, below where I buried the gladiola bulbs and above where I transplanted three wide-leaved common milkweed last week.

Two new england asters, also on that hillside, surrounded by a ring of stones so I don't forget where they are and step on them, they're so small yet.

Three hollyhock mallow aka zebrina flower, against the fence by the garden.

This purplish plant I bought on a whim and now can't remember the name of. Between the pots of limelight coleus, and the espresso geranium alongside the stairs.

Under the large holly bush, I tucked the persian shield plants in a few gaps between the dark heucherellas,

and a row of rooted tradescantia zebrina cuttings in front of that. Just for fun, to see how they do.

Edged that area with stones discarded from my husband's fossil-hunting. It's kind of my purple corner now.

And inside, I potted up some of my younger african violets. Most of these were still in those moldering paper cups, before.

I have pricked out

my basil seedlings into larger pots for the season- two sweet basil, three purple amaretto, three mrihani and one lemon basil. Did the same with my thyme and summer savory- except oops, I hadn't marked the seedling pots and think I mixed some of them together.

Also moved into pots to grow more, the asters. I'm pleased they finally grew for me, but are still so small!

My one salad burnet has grown a bit. I'm still debating in my head, whether to plant this one in the ground or not.

Feeling bad for my cardinal climbers. Not only are they winding all over each other, but some are starting to flower. I could trim them back a bit- have a week to go before plant out date- but really, ought to have waited a month to start them! Well, here's a mental note for next year.

Still disappointed none of my sown wonderberry (aka sunberry) seeds grew. I checked several times in the garden bed where the plant was last year, to see if any self-seeded. Plenty of berries had fallen, but I haven't found a single sunberry seedling yet. Also, none of the artemesia (wormwood) grew- for me or my teenager (who is using one garden bed for his herbs this year). So I just bought one at the nursery. Pics soon! 

newest seedlings

Tho not pictured: benne, amaranth 'calaloo' and fenugreek have sprouted. The one salad burnet has its first true leaves

and the chervil plantlets

also cardinal climbers- little tiny sprigs of ferny foliage

the garden is moving

faster than I can, these days- my recent trays all sprouted- there's only one of the salad burnet came up but that will be plenty for me

Tithonia already showing their first set of true leaves

Cardinal climber delight me with their double-lobed triangular appearance. I have a new trellis to grow them on! (Not the one pictured before- my husband bought me a new, taller, sturdier one)

I noticed when the leaves first unfolded they were rather yellowish and I thought looked sickly- but they soon greened up fine

 I have plenty more plants large enough to go in the ground but waiting for milder night temperatures and an overcast day. Forsythia has bloomed- bright and bold this year in the far corner of the yard- so time to plant out the lettuces soon as I'm able.

 and then onward to start more seeds!

third sowing

Chervil, salad burnet, cardinal climber, tithonia and wormwood. Also direct-sowed strawbery spinach- trying again with that one.

plants-

I haven't time to take pictures- but some notes for myself. My big schefflera is in full bloom now, dropping tiny sticky bits all over the worm bin that sits below it. None of the african violet leaf cuttings have growth yet.

Some of my houseplants looked sickly- I think the same thing that plagues them every winter, tiny mites or aphids that come in with plants off the deck. Realized I should have cleaned out all the old bamboo mulch from summer, it was still in some pots. I cleaned it out, topped off some pots with new potting soil. Cleaned out pale leaves on the cuban oregano and cut it back. Cleaned off anemic leaves on the ice plant and dunked it (sideways to avoid soaking the dirt) in soapy water, then rinsed. Lost my salad burnet plant, also the variegated basil and sculpit (no surprise there) and the stevia is almost dead.

Pruned back the lemon-scented geranium and some other plants, they look like will be okay. Repotted the big jade into the ceramic pot my avocado was in, and moved that one into a bigger pot and a sunnier spot in the basement sliding-glass-door spot. It keeps shooting up new leaves on tall stems- very leggy. Not enough light? Looks pretty unhappy for a while now, so trying a new location and fresh soil. The sweet potato vines in the basement spot were looking poorly, I pulled them out and replaced with all the ones that have been on the window tank, which were also starting to look unwell. Give them another chance in a pot.

A long list of ills, but really most plants are doing well. Blooms on the goldfish plant, growth on the heartleaf philodendron, zebrina looks great since I pinched off all the pale leaves. Took cuttings of jade and started new plants. Remnants of the oldest creeping charlie are starting to look healthier, so soon I will replenish that pot with new starts from cuttings off the other plants.

In my angelfish tank, val rubin continues to thrive. Tetras look great, spunky and shine with health. Angelfish looks unhappy sometimes, sits and stares at the back wall or goes pale and hides behind plants. Twice again has fled in a panic when I approached with hand raised to feed them, and crashed into things again. I don't know why.

And I was wrong, wrong about my paradise fish. I think he's got camallanus worms. I see red narrow things sticking out of his anus, until he moves then they disappear. Maybe he didn't eat the missing white cloud after all, it could have died from the parasites and I never saw the body. He's probably swollen around the vent from the worms, ugh. The other fishes in there look fine, but I've read it's an infestation that often doesn't show signs until too late. Must have come in with the guppies, or the newer white clouds, or the plants I got from a goldfish pond at the nursery. Should have quarantined longer, or done a stronger dip on the plants. I looked closer and there's white pale debris on the floor of the guppy fry tank and some fish in the tenner have white stringy poo. I'm going to have to do huge water change and dose with levamisole- tomorrow- no time today and it will be a lot of work to nearly empty all those tanks while keeping careful to not cross-contaminate and sterilize my equipment and wash my hands between. I'm feeling glum about it, haven't paid enough attention to the tanks of late, that's for sure.

few plant things

Newer hosta in the garden, the one with lance-shaped leaves I got as a trasnplant, is blooming white in the shady sideyard.

This is my scapegoat plant. It comes up as a weed, and some of the bugs seem to prefer eating it rather than my ornamentals it grows next to.

this one that came up in the back near the mayapples is a pokeweed-

I can tell because compare it to a larger one nearby that is starting to show the flowers-

but another in same area, I am not sure of. The foliage is similar, but there are slight notches in the leaf margins. It may be a tree seedling, or a giant weed I don't want?

My fig tree in a pot, is making figs!

Salad burnet is looking better since, like the others, I have been throwing soapy dishwater on it. I think it had a slight case of aphids or mealy bugs. All fine now. I haven't used it much this year, but did strip some leaves to throw into a plain burrito with beans and cheese last night, it was surprisingly good!

that's a vine of cucumber circling round the base of its pot. Might eat the last cuke and upend those pots; they just aren't doing so well.

on the table

Since everything is planted out now, there are only a few pots left on my deck table- those that will live here all summer. The salad burnet is looking a lot livelier, with temperatures and light increasing.

I was starting to think of tossing my two sweet potato vine plants, and getting new ones from the nursery, they look peaky and unwell lately. But this past week suddenly grew new leaves with a healthy color.

They must have been languishing without the summer heat, as well. I'm gradually pinching off the poorly-colored leaves to encourage more new ones to grow.

indoors things I will eat

Chives. This pot goes out during warmest part of the day, now. One half is thicker, straighter stems than the other, hm.

I'm about ready to trim salad burnet into a soup or stir fry again

Tarragon is definitely coming back, but its never enough plant for me. 

Not pictured: lemon balm. My one indoor pot of it is growing, but it doesn't look nearly as healthy as its parent in the garden. Leaves are smaller, tend to crisp on the edges. I think it doesn't like the draft from the door, or the dry heat from the vent. Maybe a different window location would suit.

few indoor herbs

salad burnet growing back from being eaten! it looks nice and fresh

my little potted lemon balm sprouted new leaves at the base since I pinched the top leader

in spite of winter

I am still eating a few of my plants!

The store of dried herbs in my jars are not quite depleted yet. Used summer savory on a pork roast the other day, dill on fish earlier in the week, fresh chives in mashed potatoes, and the salad burnet is almost grown back enough to cut again. Yesterday I picked a few small leaves of my potted stevia along with dried chocolate mint for my tea. Had tarragon in some scrambled eggs. Lovely flavors.

lemon balm plus

My little potted lemon balm has doubled in size! I keep it in a warm spot against the window, currently moving it over to a shelf every night to avoid the chill.

Salad burnet is getting eaten. It's one of the very few fresh greens I have right now- and discovered my kids like it on fish, in soups, in stir fry, I added some to a dish of herb-infused noodles and peas once too.

Curry plant doesn't seem bothered by pests any more- it has great color and is growing- but continually falls over like this- the roots don't seem strong? I am not sure if I should bury them further (add soil to the pot- the stem is not deep) or water more to encourage root growth.

Untrimmed mini geranium scions continue to look great!

Here's more of the crowd in the winter window spot- two kinds of sweet potato vine, cuban oregano, jade plant, salad burnet is there in the middle so small.

a few more indoor things

Very pleased that my salad burnet has revived from the pest it had when outdoors- it actually looks better now than it did all summer. Soap rinsings and a predatory insect saved it.

I've potted up the other cuttings of sweet potato vine that had been rooting in water, and moved the mini geranium scion into a larger pot (actually four stems in there).

One of the pieces of thanksgiving cactus I brought home from my grandmother's died- its base rotted. I'm hopeful for the others, trying to keep them dry enough (resist watering!)

my lovely little blue-green succulents have grown more-

the Leaf has done nothing yet (at least, nothing visible)

My reconfigured spider plant seems to be improving. One part of it- on the right- is still too pale and droopy- but the other parts are perking up and color is better

and I found a tiny sprout coming up from one of the rhizome pieces!