Garden Update // May

 

I don’t claim to be any sort of expert in the gardening field, but through a series of epic failures, small victories and loads of baby steps in the direction of a green thumb, I have only started to learn what it means to garden in zone 8. I hope you follow along with us here this summer and learn from my mistakes. Who knows, you might even get a laugh or two!

Here are some victories and fails from the last two weeks. Plus a new addition!! You can read my previous garden update here.

FAIL :: I didn't leave enough space between my plants. I followed (loosely) what the tag said, but my squash are now HUGE and so are the tomatoes. I moved my peppers and added some more basil, because my other one isn't taking off, to a whiskey barrel by our pool. We'll see if they go into shock or if they do better over there. Yes, you CAN grow edibles in containers, y'all. Promise.  

 

(giant straight necked squash)

 

 

(jalapenos, basil + bell pepper in whiskey barrel)

 

 (swiss chard + oregano in pots)

VICTORY :: My tomato plants are now beyond huge. I selected an indeterminate breed this year because they supposedly produce a LOT more fruit and since I didn't get ANY tomatoes last year, I thought this might be my best bet. The thing is, they grow BIG.... and that is the truth. I've been googling and researching all about pruning (or not pruning) this morning and I haven't decided my course of action yet. The good news is that they do not block light from the tiny bush bean sprouts next to them or the cucumbers next to that. The footprint of the garden is on a diagonal so I positioned them to where they would get a lot of light but always be on the back side of the light source. (That's by accident, although I did think about it a bit, but I'm not that smart, y'all.)

 

 (baby tomatoes)

FAIL :: I planted butterhead, spinach and baby green seeds for the second time this year and they sprout but do not continue to grow. They're all gone now. Oh well, I don't want to eat salads anyway.

 

VICTORY :: I have been successful at training my pickling cucumbers up and over the fence. I think this will still take training throughout the summer, but I'm happy with how it's going so far. I have 10-15 baby cucumbers already along with many other blooms, so now I need to learn how to can! If you have some pickling recipes send them my way!! (Especially the spicy ones because, after all, I do live in Texas.)

(cucumber)

FAIL :: Charlotte and I planted radishes and carrots in an elevated box planter this year and they sprouted and look great. However, the days to sow on the seed packet have come and gone and I pulled one up the other day and there is no sort of bulb, whatsoever. Just a straight reddish root! What is UP with that?!? I'll do some digging over the next week and let you know what I find out. 

(radishes + carrots)

(baby oranges)

What are you growing in your garden???? Are you trying something new or do you stick with what works? Do you like containers or beds better?! If you've found something that you LOVE, I want to hear about it!!!! Please do share! Next week, I hope to share my plans for the garden as well as some gardening resources. Stay tuned!