Catching Up

May has been one busy month! I've found time here and there to do stuff in the garden, but no time to write about it. So, now I'm catching up with what I've done.

Two weeks ago, I planted 4 tomato plants among my roses. I read that roses, tomatoes, garlic, and basil are all good companions and together, it should help with hornworms and black spot. So far, my roses are still fighting black spot, but my tomatoes seem to be doing well. I added mushroom dirt on top, and added fish emulsion as I planted. I also tried burying a gallon jug with two holes in it as a perpetual waterer. I shouldn't have put in two holes though as the water goes out almost as fast as it goes in. Next time I'll try one hole and see what happens. I also planted my canteloupes in front of the office. I added mushroom dirt there too, but this time I mixed in a bit of peat moss. I was also able to plant the other two mounds of corn, although the dogs reflattened one, and put the cherry tomato and hot pepper in pots.

Speaking of dogs, they are now chained, but only at night. What's with that? The good thing is that it does alleviate most of the problem, but we did catch one of them in our yard just as we were heading out this evening. I did look at electric fencing at Lowes. I can get a starter kit for about $50, so I might just do that shortly. I did buy some cheap fencing to make better tomato cages.

I have been harvesting strawberries. Some of them haven't been fully ripe, but it's a race to harvest before my mockingbird does. They're still good though. I will probably only get a pint by the end since I only have three plants, but it was nice for a tasting and in a couple of years we'll really have berries hopefully. Yesterday, I also clipped the first of my green ice lettuce, spinach, and radishes, as well as a couple small broccoli crowns for a very yummy salad. David said they were some of the best radishes he's had. Yay! (I might get him to really like vegies yet...) I'm noting that I really should plant a lot more lettuce and spinach than I do. I'm also trying to figure out why my broccoli crowns don't get very big. I can't complain too much though, this year is the best my broccoli has done yet.

Today I planted pole beans in the first two corn mounds. I also planted more spinach, parsnips, cucumbers, dill, basil and green ice lettuce. I also transplanted the lemon balm, rosemary, and watermelon to bigger pots. And, I finally finished the second half of my new raised bed. I started soaking okra seeds tonight, so tomorrow I hope to try planting that bed again. This time I will do swiss chard, carrots, leeks, turnips, okra, and probably some more corn. I will try to water every morning, and hopefully if the dogs stay out I might get some better results this time. We'll see.