Petunia border

These are probably the best looking of the petunias I planted last fall as a border around one of the raised beds. I think the small white flowers are something in the chrysanthemum family. I planted the original plant several years ago, and they have been reseeding themselves and appearing each spring ever since. The larkspur and the red leaf lettuce are also volunteers. In this photo you can also see cilantro, planted last fall, and newly planted tomato and basil plants.

A few changes and surprises

This bed has shown a lot of changes in the past couple of weeks. All three of the tomato plants that I thought were dead (see March 5 picture here) are flourishing, and the Early Girl has begun to set fruit. My second planting of green beans (behind the tomato cages) was more successful than the first, with plants now about two inches high. In the midst of the bean planting, there are a few surprises: lots of zinnias and one tomato that I didn't plant. And in the rear of the bed, the asparagus roots I planted on Valentines Day have sent up ferny shoots that are about six inches high now.

The marigold seeds I planted around the edges of this bed never came up, so I took advantage of discounted  pony packs at Lowe's to remedy that. As I deadhead the spent blossoms, I take the seeds and toss them in other places, mostly where petunias and nasturtiums are currently growing. Those won't make it through the summer in any kind of attractive format, but the marigolds and zinnias will.

Growth. Change. Adaptation. Surprises. That's gardening, and that's life.

Summer update, and some recipes

I'm back in the garden again, having gotten a green light from my chiropractor to resume (cautiously) my regular activities. I find there's nothing quite like digging out the Bermuda grass from the raised beds supposedly reserved for vegetables and flowers, to channel feeling of stress into something productive. I haven't been able to do that for a while, and I'm enjoying it- albeit in five minute intervals, because the temperatures here are above 100 degrees most of the time.

My current project involves planting things in the bare spaces left when I pulled out the broccoli, lettuce, spinach, nasturtiums, and larkspur. I seeded a border of sweet allysum around the perimeter of a couple of the raised beds, and I finally found some honeydew plants at Summer Winds nursery. It's rather late to plant them, even as transplants, but I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm trying a new planting method I observed in San Diego in a community garden...digging wells around the plants rather than planting them in the traditional mounds. Theoretically, that ought to help keep moisture around the plant's roots, which is always a challenge with new plantings in hot weather. I did mound up the soil a bit right around the stem of the plant, so water won't collect next to it. (not that there is much risk of that this time of year!)

We picked the last of the apricots and early peaches, and several varieties of tomatoes are doing very nicely. Our old standbys of cherry, Roma, and Early Girl tomatoes are already bearing, and some of the new ones we're trying this year have nice-sized green fruit. I found a delicious recipe for fish with roasted cherry tomatoes here and served it with roasted broccoli (my favorite recipe for that here) For dessert we had apricots in orange juice (recipe I used here) As you may guess, I enjoy trying new ways to prepare the food that comes out of our backyard as much as I enjoy experimenting with new things to grow and different ways to grow them.

Spring has sprung!

Now blooming in Arizona Backyard Eden:

Nasturtiums, Bachelor's Button, Larkspur, California Poppy, Gaillardia, Snapdragon, Allysum, Roses, Gladiola, Nectarine, Apple, Apricot, Pear, Plum. Cilantro

Now eating: Lettuce, Spinach, Sugar snap peas, Asparagus, Broccoli, Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemons

Now planting:Yellow squash, Zucchini ,Eggplant, Armenian cucumber. I've planted some directly in the ground, and some in peat pots to be transplanted later wherever I find room. No seedlings spotted yet.

We should have a bumper crop of peaches this year as we didn't get a late frost like we did last year; right now they are marble-size, so we're busy thinning them out. We're trying a couple of kinds of heirloom tomatoes this year in addition to the Roma, Early Girl, and cherry tomato staples. The other main garden task this year is trying to stay ahead of the weeds.

Annual Update

Surprisingly, some of the cool season-annuals are hanging in there in spite of 100 degree afternoons. I planted marigold, allysum, petunia, snapdragon, and stock in late March when Home Depot and Lowe's were having some kind of price war on spring annuals- 99-cent six-packs! The marigolds are the ones that are struggling the most, even though they supposedly like warmer weather, but I have never had much luck with marigold transplants. It's overseeded with warmer season plants- lots of zinnias coming up that should be in bloom soon, and a mystery "hummingbird/butterfly" mix. And hopefully marigolds- when I deadhead the transplanted marigolds, I scatter the seeds in bare spots. You can't see them, but there are herbs planted in there along with the flowers- chives, oregano, basil, rosemary, and lavender- and a Japanese eggplant!