Haven’t been posting much about the garden lately. That tends to mean things are going poorly, but this time it’s just that I haven’t had much time to sit at the computer babbling. Things are going great in the garden! Well, sort of great. Warning … long post ahead!

The last of the winter plants are most definitely coming out of the ground either this evening or tomorrow. They’ve had their chance, and now all they are doing is taking up space and sucking up nutrients that could be going to something more important, like tomatoes. So this weekend, I’ll have almost a full bed to replant. Good thing I have some baby tomato plants almost ready to go into the ground! Those plus some more radishes and carrots should fill that bed nicely. It’s a shame the Brussel Sprouts never sprouted any edible bits. The plants are so healthy looking, but they just aren’t doing anything. Maybe I’ll leave one. The cauliflower, on the other hand, has been trying to make edibles, but mostly they seem to just be a breeding ground for leaf-eating caterpillars. They must go. Don’t even talk to me about the fava beans. All that blooming, and it looks like we might get a small pot of beans out of it. Ugh. Had hoped for more than that.

Now for the good news:

Last year I planted parsley and not a one of the seeds came up. Everyone warned me parsley was hard to get started, and I had followed the directions to soak the seeds and whatnot before planting, and still nothing. This year, I forgot to soak the seeds and couldn’t remember how deep to plant them, so I just stuck them in one of the mounds in large quantities hoping one or two would come up. It looks like they all have. So much for following instructions, huh? Last year I had no problem getting dill going, but this year, only two of the copious amounts of seeds I planted have come up. I’ll be sticking more in that mound, because I need lots of dill. Two plants just isn’t going to cut it. The radishes, marigolds, and nasturtium I planted in the other mounds are all doing great! At least we’ll have a few salad fixings (though edible flowers are still new to me).

The lettuce seems to be doing alright, but I think we’ll not be having fresh lettuce much longer. It all looks like it wants to go to seed RIGHT NOW. Sad, but a fact of Texas life. Most lettuce just doesn’t have a long growing season here. The arugula though has really taken off. Too bad I have discovered I am not all that crazy about arugula. Guess I’ll learn to like it. The head lettuce has come up, but I have no idea how well it’s going to do. Got a late start planting it, and it’s such a slow grower. Just have to wait and see what it wants to do.

None of the pepper seeds I planted have come up, so I’ll be replanting those. The pepper plant I bought is looking healthy but growing slowly. I don’t have much luck with peppers. Not terribly crazy about them either, so if I get enough to keep Lin happy, that’ll do. Though I will admit to being disappointed that none of the pepperoncinis came up. I do like them, and these were second generation seeds. I expected them to at least grow. Oh well. I’ve got more seeds.

The marigolds in the tomato bed have gone completely insane! The two that survived and bloomed all winter continue to be covered with flowers, and they are producing a load of nice, fat seeds … some of which have fallen down and replanted themselves, so now I have a whole bunch of baby marigolds too. Something will have to be done about these plants, because they are technically taking up too much room. But, they are SO pretty and they are the first flowering plants I have had such success with. I think I’ll cut them back a bit and maybe I can dig one out and move it. If not, oh well, they can take up space. Have to have something pretty to look at!

I’m having varying shades of success so far with the three tomato plants. My precious wild tomato is thriving and blooming and has a bunch of blooms on it as well as a couple tiny tomatoes. It’s looking really healthy, which makes me very happy. I intend this line of tomatoes to eventually be my showcase ‘maters. I have a bunch of seedlings from the second generation of that line to plant in the soon-to-be-cleared bed.^† The Better Boy plant sucks, but then I didn’t really expect it to not suck. It’s really not growing much at all, and seems like a waste of space. I’m not even sure why I bought the thing. I just have not had much success with Better Boys. The new hybrid I decided to try doesn’t even have a name. It’s a BHN 602, and from what I have been able to find out about it, it’s a commercial production tomato and will likely produce well … though it will also likely produce tomatoes of the sort one finds in the grocery store. Oh well, they have their uses too. The good news? It’s already got some ‘maters on it, so I’m glad I allowed a crazy hybrid into the garden.

Of the tomato seeds I planted, they all came up, so eventually there will be yellow pear tomatoes and maybe a couple of other heirlooms. I’ve already forgotten what I planted, but once they get more leaves and bloom, I’ll be able to identify them. There are also a few volunteer tomato seedlings that have popped up! Still too small for a proper identification, but from their location, I’d guess they are yellow pears. Though considering they may have arrived in my garden by bird poo, it’s possible it’s something I didn’t plant. Only time will tell!

The squash in the containers are all doing quite well. I suspect we will have a good amount of squash this year. Hope so! I’d like to put some away in the freezer for winter eating. We had some squash last year, but not enough to put back any. Those were patty pans. I didn’t have any of those seeds, so I bought a pack of zucchini for this year’s garden. I hear it’s impossible to not get too much zucchini since it grows like a weed. We shall see. I want tons of the stuff, because I love squash.

The new plowed area, which can’t really be called a bed yet, is a weed and fire ant infested nightmare. All the same, the walking onions, nasturtiums, and cucumbers are doing fine. The okra is doing fine too, but alas, a hoard of fire ants moved in right beside them, so I’ll be pulling up the seedlings, boiling the fire ants, and then replanting okra. I won’t have lost too much time, and okra loves heat, so planting it late should be OK.

Oh, and the pole beans are doing great too, as is that one lonely potato plant. Soon I’ll have to build one of my ridiculous bamboo trellises for the beans, and then we’ll all get to laugh at my awful building skills. There’s a bit of room under where the trellis will be going, so I could plant something that likes shade. I probably won’t bother, but maybe I’ll try sticking some head lettuce under there to see if that works for getting some late lettuce. Never know unless you try, and I have a gazillion lettuce seeds, so might as spread some around and see what happens.

Through a combination of laziness, lack of time, and almost continually too muddy yard, the corn area has not gotten tilled, and so … we won’t be expanding the garden that much this spring. I’m cool with that. It’s a little late now to be planting corn, and I wasn’t all that gung-ho about expanding the garden anyway. Let’s see if I can have one really great growing season before we go adding to my woes, yes? The garden is plenty big enough as it is for right now, and it is sure to keep me busy enough pulling weeds and killing bugs.

There then, that’s what’s been going on in the garden! Like I said, it’s been going pretty good. Not bad enough for me to complain about yet, anyway. If we keep getting regular rain like we have been, it looks like it might be an awesome season, except for the fact that the wet and somewhat mild winter now means tons and tons of weeds and bugs. Oh well, have to have something to do out there other than sit and watch the plants grow!

And now I think I’ll go put on some shorts, grab my gloves and tools, and go putter in the garden a while. It’s a beautiful day.

1. † And I plan to plant a couple of these seedlings around the yard for total ignoring. Anything that survives and produces tomatoes is a keeper. I still have no idea where that seed came from, as it isn’t any kind of tomato I’ve ever planted, but it’s definitely a wild and heirloom variety. Must keep the line going! [↩]