A Race to the Sky

Tall Stakes and Twine Provide a Growing Area from Pole Beans

First Bean Plant Reaches the Top

At lower levels, beans are growing.

I like plants which grow vertically because the allow me to fit more vegetables in my small garden.  I was very industrious this year and made three panels of poles and twine for my pole bean plants.  First I drive the stakes into the earth.  Then I created twine lattice for the beans to grow up.  Looking forward to harvesting a "mess" of beans in the next week.

Cucumbers Growing and Blooming

Delicate flowers of the cucumber vine open early in the morning.  Their petals become translucent with the bright California sun shining on them.  These specimens are vigorously growing and reaching for the sunlight with tendrils seeking out steadying twine.

Shady Beans

Setting out veggie starts late in the season means that during the rooting process, they are subject to the high heat of the summer sun.  After setting out some bean starts this week, I attached a piece of shade cloth to the support poles to provide shade for the plants.  I plan  to expose the plants to the sun for a few hours each day starting next week.

I've set out veggie starts before to find them wilting by 4 pm.  So far the plants have flourished and not one case of wilting leaves.

Whooooo is in the Garden

Funny Owls.  Look so darling sitting together.

Happy Fourth of July!

Zucchini Growing.

Better late than never... 

Such a late start to my garden this year.  I went by a garden in Laguna Beach yesterday and the plants were so mature already.

Well, by late garden is fully cooperating with me.  Everything is getting well rooted.  The tomato plants have a few tiny fruits and if you look closely, you can see a female flower with a zucchini at the base.  This is a beautiful specimen with very verdant leaves. 

Once in a Blue Moon

 Enjoying a little moonlight...in the afternoon. 

Growing Tomatoes in a Bag of Potting Soil

Growing tomatoes in a bag of potting soil is an easy way to capture a little more growing room for your vegetable garden.  I've purchased a bag of top quality organic potting soil and created a little extra harvest capabilities.  Wanting to keep the garden looking pleasant, I sewed a little burlap cozy for the bag of potting soil and poked drainage holes in the bottom before setting in place. With a slash and fold under a planting area is created on top.  Finish with a tomato cage and the stage is set for a harvest of heirloom cherry tomatoes.  (I plopped two small lettuce plants to see if I could get some lettuce before the tomato plant grows too large.)

The garden is on a drip system, so I will set up a drip into the bag and it should be one happy plant.