This year I have tomatoes, zucchini, cilantro, and mixed greens growing, and I JUST started some pumpkins as well. One thing I learned from last year was fewer was better and to thin out the plants, since I’m doing container gardening. As soon as I did that my plants starting taking off. The zucchini have tons of blossoms AND I was very happy to share my started plants with many people so far.
We’ve been harvesting and using the greens and cilantro for quite a while. Last year I grew all sorts of salad greens and I really couldn’t stand to eat any of it because it was all too bitter. This year I bought greens that said they were heat resistant. Cutting some from the pot and taking a bite I was sad to taste that it still seemed bitter, but I brought it in and thoroughly rinsed it. I don’t know if it is because they are a heat resistant or because of the thorough rinsing, but added to salads they don’t taste bitter at all.
And thanks to the garden we’ve had some delicious salads so far. I’m looking forward to zucchini bread and yummy tomatoes later this summer.
I think this tomato has a date with some fresh mozzarella for a caprese salad in my tummy very soon.
This snap pea needs some friends. When I started planting seeds for all of my garden plants this spring I said I would be happy and it would be a success if I got just ONE single zucchini, tomato, pumpkin, pea pod, etc.). I think my garden is kind of holding me to that.
Here is a pumpkin, isn’t it cute? And next to it, the world’s oldest cell phone still in use, isn’t it sad?
Now, I’m off to the porch swing where I will be working on my latest yoyo project.
So my container garden is growing splendidly.
I only have the two tomatoes still and they are just starting to head towards orange. My lettuce, well, they look like lettuce. They taste like poison, but they look like lettuce. My sister in law warned me about this, apparently they get bitter once it gets warm. Note taken. My zucchini is looking and tasting like zucchini. In a proud triumph, I made zucchini bread from my own hand grown zucchini (grown from seed, mind you) and it tasted yumm, to umm. Lastly, pictured above…it is what I assume to be one of my first potential pumpkins. They are vining out of their containers and onto the patio.
My hibiscus has been blooming like crazy for the last month as well. It just rained when I went out to take these pictures so everything is a bit dewy looking.
And because I love dying hibiscus just about as much as I love blooming hibiscus, here is this beauty for you.
And, if you love the wilting hibiscus blossom as much as I do, you might like a copy of this image hanging in your home, available in my etsy shop.
I just hobbled out to water my plants and was surprised to see I’ve got two little tomatoes growing. I squealed when I saw “a”, which is probably the diameter of a dime (if even) and then shocked when I saw “B” (probably the size of a half dollar) because ‘How had I not seen this big ol’ tomato yet?!?!’.
For my first container garden I said I’d be pleased if I got one fruit or vegetable off of each variety of plant I grew. As I only had one tomato plant, that seemed reasonable. Then I thought “oh no, do tomatoes self pollinate or will I have a fruitless plant because I only had one?” but it worked. Multiple tomatoes off of one plant (so far).
My mom told me, since I’m enjoying my container garden so much this year, that if I wanted, I could till up a section in their old garden (which has just become one with the rest of their lawn) and have a garden there. I think I might take her up on that. I have dreams of making a little fenced in garden area, like my grandma used to keep, where things are all planned out and have their places. I’m learning a lot about that after seeding and planting so many in just the containers this year.
I’m excited for Tomato a and Tomato B and the rest of the gang to develop and ripen.
I’m sure they will all be delicious. Is that disturbing? Naming and then eating your produce? I promise not to get too attached :D
