11/9/16 – Day 62

Starting to look good!

I’ve given almost 25 Jalapenos away to my classmates, from that big bush above.  It’s a 3rd generation, which means its survived 3 years in Phoenix.  Peppers are a great plant for the southwest.

Pumpkins… Will they grow?

This is my 2nd time trying these out.  If you notice from the first picture, my yard doesn’t have a lot of shade.  The sun murdered these when I planted in June.  So I planted again over Labor Day weekend this year, and 62 days later, they are huge and leafy and are flowering.  But Halloween has come and go.

Some new additions

Let’s see if this tomato plant does well (left).  Some flowers and a flower bed planted against the house.

Mint and basil doing great (top left).  Broccoli starting to take root, and I know it’ll be a giant.  (top middle).  My one potato plant that has sprouted (top right).

Carrots and spinach are starting to pop up everywhere finally.  62 days later I was getting a little worried…  Don’t sweat it, just keep planting until it hits 100 degrees again.  There is also a squash plant (bottom right) that should take over the garden if everything goes well.

Cucumbers are coming along splendidly!  Both left and middle.  If you look close, there are 2 tiny cucumbers sprouting already!  The cucumbers love the lattice I have put up, and are wrapping themselves around it.

A lone hollyhock grows among a vine of rosemary.

Keep checking back for updates!

 

October 23 – Day 45

10/23/2016

Just in case anyone reads this, how the f*ck do I get rid of ants in my garden?!  I have tried every liquid ant trap I have found.  They are up and down my jalapeno plant.  Anyways…

I remember saying something about the weather finally cooling down?  Let me tell you about the last 3 weeks… 97 degrees flat.  Almost every day, give or take a 2 degree variance.  It’s so hot.  The plants are all doing seemingly well though.  Even a couple of the new additions, a birds of paradise (they do exceptionally well in AZ) and a hibiscus (those things are good eye candy).  I just hooked on line hooks to my drip system, dug some new holes and got some good soil and mulch.  Hibiscus LOVE mulch, and coffee grounds or so I was told.  So I mixed the two together, and its been happy ever since.  Same for the Birds of Paradise (far right).  Tis the season.

So what’s been new?  I picked some produce today!  The fun part of gardening.  The reward.  Just some jalapenos that I am going to give to some classmates.  I swear there are 45 more peppers just on this one plant.

Avocado tree experiment that mostly everyone else has done so far!  But I have not, so alas, here we go.  You know, the one that looks like this on Pinterest.

My version is better, obviously.

Basil has finally been starting to sprout, after 3 weeks of excessive heat.  Plant it outdoors, it will do fine.  My indoor experiments have all met their makers.  I don’t have good enough lighting on the inside to properly grow a plant.  Everything grows long and falls over from being top heavy.

I picked MORE rosemary.  She’s a giver.  The plant is still huge.

So that leaves…

Cucumbers – Albeit the aphids, the plants are doing well.  They are getting huge!  I need a newer and higher lattice.  This is the first time I’ve tried cucumbers so bear with me.  They are flowering beautiful yellow flowers so they must be pollinating.  I’m excited about their progress.

Carrots – There might be ONE carrot sprouting in the garden right now.  It is sad.  I know they will come, and in abundance.  But right now, just the meager one.  However, bucket of carrots is doing fantastic.  Nothing special to see, it’s all on the inside that counts!  😉

Spinach – Yes!  Spinach.  It has begun!  I believe… I forget what the plant looks like when it first sprouts but I believe it looks something like this.  A very bountiful plant once blooming, it keeps producing and you must keep trimming off the leaves to prevent it from souring.

Squash – All dead.  They sprouted, they got eaten (I think), they died.  The leaves all turned yellow and mostly vanished from bugs.  I will keep trying, mark my words.  This is trial and many many errors!

Pumpkins – Ok I really have NO IDEA how these are going to turn out.  I see pumpkins all over the grocery store.  As I’ve posted in earlier posts, I tried pumpkins in June, but I had no shade whatsoever, and they all died from the 1000 degree 2 months of hell we had.  I planted more about 45 days ago, and they are looking pretty cool, but just no fruit blooming.  Just small vines.  I’m still impressed, and I like them.  I am down to 4 plants, which only 3 are doing well.  That’s starting from 16…

Mint and Basil – store bought.  Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone.  I transplanted these from Lowe’s, as I sometimes do with plants because… they cost $3 and look fantastic.  I have other basil from the seed sprouting but nothing fun to speak of so just these two.  I planted the mint, because I read that it was a deterrent for aphids.  I really haven’t been able to tell, and I’ve seen a couple aphids on the plant itself.  But they are thriving.

Broccoli – Don’t forget about broccoli!  I had a HUGE plant last year, it was like a tree.  I love this plant in Arizona.  It blooms with beautiful yellow tiny flowers, and a bouquet of broccoli for a side dish.  I understand it’s been 45 days, but they have FINALLY sprouted.  Keep confidence in your garden, it will happen.  Just take comfort in the fact that I have absolutely no clue what I am doing, and it is working out for me so far.