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Gardening in the City Blog

Hotter than a Firecracker!

Sunday, 01 July 2012 10:21

Seems the dog days of summer are here earlier than usual. We usually get this heat in August so the flowers aren't too happy with it. They get watered early and moved into shade if possible. Ah, the moveable garden has some benefits. Pictured here today are clematis (one of my spring favorites), Voodoo Rose, water lily leaves (no flowers yet) and petunias. Petunias don't like the strong sun so they sit in the shade until late afternoon.

The occupants of the raised bed box (tomatoes, red and habanero peppers, Swiss Chard and radishes) are thriving in the heat and get watered early in the morning before the strong sun arrives.

Clematis, a spring favorite, seen close up

Purple Petunias on the stoop

Lilypads in tub garden

Voodoo Rose in the Sun

Last Updated on Sunday, 01 July 2012 10:50

Summer beginning in the garden

Sunday, 24 June 2012 09:10
Summer arrived this week. The tomatoes and peppers have put out flowers. Only problem is, I don't see very many bees. Maybe they are visiting when I'm not around, but there seem to be fewer of them. The pear tree fruits are progressing rapidly. This year there seem to be single fruits at the end of each branch and the fruits themselves look bigger. We can't wait for these to ripen. They have been a treat every summer for the past five years or so. The kale and chard have been finding their way into our salads along with some basil and garlic chives.
Last Updated on Sunday, 24 June 2012 09:35

Early June In The Garden

Tuesday, 05 June 2012 06:59

Finally, we've got decent weather. Our dwarf Bartlett Pear tree is promising a good crop of tasty pears again. It seems there are less this year. This might be due to the decrease in the bee population or the warm weather that was out of sync.

We've got a bumper crop of peas this year. The question is, how to eat them? I'm thinking of raw in a salad, but then again stir fried into some Thai noodles and chicken sounds good too.

The basil is enjoying the sun. Pesto is one of our favorites here. Fresh basil added to pasta and sauce really gives it that extra oomph of flavor.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 June 2012 07:17

Status of the Garden

Saturday, 12 May 2012 07:44

The radishes and kale have been planted and the peas seem to be taking their sweet time. The blueberry bushes are looking good along with the lettuce and some herbs in fence boxes. The lovely clematis has returned full force. Pictured below are a few views of the garden's progress...

Blueberries!

Blackberry flower

Pansy

Last Updated on Saturday, 12 May 2012 07:58

Greens in the Spring Garden

Sunday, 06 May 2012 09:08

The weather here has been great for things like lettuce, peas, kale and chard. Not so for the tomatoes, peppers and basil still waiting inside. Greens like lettuce LOVE this weather. It's prime growing time for them. This year we are investing a little more in greens like chard and kale. As dark green, leafy veggies, they are full of good vitamins and tend to keep producing through the summer even when it gets hot. We love lettuce, but once the heat hits it slows down and bolts. I move the lettuce and mesclun plant boxes into the shade when it gets really hot.

If you've got fencing, you've got room to grow greens. We have a low chain link fence around our plot and the addition of fence boxes makes it look nicer. Another plus is that if you've got ground critters (we do) like groundhogs and skunks, putting the greens in boxes on the fence puts them out of reach. Nothing is more annoying than planning a salad and finding that the groundhog has beat you to it!

mesclun mix starts