garden update

Starting with the front. I think the snow peas got hit with fusarium wilt (AKA pea root rot). They turned brown from the ground up, and tends to happen if they aren't in well drained soil. So next year, I'll grow peas elsewhere, perhaps where the bachelor buttons are now.

Bachelor buttons and associated plants in that bed: The bachelor buttons keep falling over. I think they actually prefer a worse soil than where they are now. Also, flax is ok, but poisonous. I don't think I'll grow it again.

Mustard: I'll grow the giant green or whatever I have now, plus order Kyoto Mizua and maybe Green Wave. It grows easy and tastes, uh, tasty.

The triangle of plants near the street: I'll leave them in peace mostly, and probably add a few seeds so it'll have more flowers in the spring/summer. I liked the poppies, but they looked pitiful when they faded. Also, I think we'll have more johnny jump ups sprouting next year.

Honeysuckle: growing like mad since I planted it. I better get that trellis out there for it!!! I know, I'm bad!

Amaranth: It's biggest problem is I didn't plant more of it. It's really strikingly beautiful, and the flower bits I ate the other day were tasty. What kind was it.... an old Hopi variety, deep purple. I can't remember the name, but you can eat all of it, and use the seed bits as a grain and as a dye. Amazing plant.

Roses: powdery mildew. When I remember to spray them with baking soda water, it seems to help. When I don't, well, they get rather sad. It's worse on the ones on the east side of the house.

Rosemary: growing mad. Sage as well. That's one sage plant, you know. If you've seen the plant, you're calling me a liar right now. It's something like 4 square feet and purplish green.

Cilantro: grows for shit in the hot weather. Maybe because I'm growing it from a spice package of coriander. I'm going to grow the recommended Santo variety as soon as I order from the Territorial Seed Company.

Tomatoes: the small red ones are the tastiest cherry tomatoes I've ever had, so delicious that I'm hesitant to call them by the dreadful cherry tomato name. I wish I knew what they were. My Tigerellas are delicious, a tart yet sweet medium sized tomato. Then there's a ruffled tomato that I either got from a wonderful coworker, or for free during the Laurelhurst garage sale extravaganza (thank you, wonderful tomato seedling distributer)!

Nasturtiums: do not taste delicious. I read that they were peppery and great. I disagree. They are gross, maybe peppery, but overwhelmingly taste like medicine and slime. But they are pretty!

Zucchini: woefully planted where they did not get enough sun. or calcium.

Corn: should've planted earlier, I think. I'm waiting for the silks to tell me that it's ready to pick. Actually, I lied a bit. I picked a corn off already and ate it right there, after knocking the pincher bug off. It was very small and very sweet, and I ate the whole thing, even the cob. It was very small. and delicious. It was a Black Aztec. Interesting note that I didn't realize until after I reread the seed catalog I had ordered from: Black Aztec corn is only black after it's dried. If you grow it for sweet corn, it retains it's white kernels.

Day lilies: the ones that bloomed were orange. Very pretty.

Green beans: delicious, but I need a lot more than the scrawny plants I had. Also, I need to protect the seedlings better from slugs. I think I AM going to grow them in little pots indoors next year despite warnings that they don't like to be moved once germinated.

Uh, what else.

Artichokes: I think they might produce more next year if I feed them better.

Peppers: the jury is out. I need to take better care of my bell pepper seedlings next year though.

Bottle brush tree: seems to be doing well.

My neighbor's jasmine that's poking through the fence smells very good. I might try to cut a bit and root it.

Lilacs: all progress made at the base has been lost, mostly. It grows like mad, and the flowers are only mediocre. Also, the columbines I planted underneath is not doing well. I wonder if lilacs are a type of plant that produces anti-growth chemicals that discourage other plants to thrive around them. The ferns planted under aren't doing very well either.

Overall: I think my backyard soil needs calcium. I have blossom end rot issues (peppers, zucchini), and some leaves are yellowing early. Also, I'll be using the Territorial Seed Company mostly, since I recently found out Seeds of Change is owned by Mars. Yeah. Also, next spring will hopefully bring chickens to the yard! First, I need to build them a happy home.