Friday, April 17, 2009

It's been a while...

So it's been a while since I last posted. So much has been happening in the garden. Everything is growing and getting larger and starting to set fruit. It's so funny, because every day I check the eggplant for new fruit, and have seen a few but yesterday, oh my gosh, found these ginormous eggplants that I didn't even realize were there. That's what I love about the garden. There is always something new happening. So, guess what we are having for dinner tonite? That's right. Eggplant.

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[caption id="attachment_113" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Notice the double eggplant on the left. It probably had a double bloom that was fertilized."]Notice the double eggplant on the left. It probably had a double bloom that was fertilized.[/caption]

Anyway, there are tons of tomatoes which is good, because soon it will be getting hot. I have been so happy with these tomatoes this year. I have several varieties, and it will be interesting to see which does the best. I just recently read an article about tomatoes and it did say that if you water them too much, they become tasteless. So, I guess there is a happy medium to watering...not too much, not too little, but just right.

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The snap peas are just setting blossoms, which is just in time. The bunching onions are some that a friend of mine gave me out of her garden last year. They have done so amazing, I can't even believe it. I just chop some off the top and use them in salsa, kind of like chives, and let them keep growing. However, some of them are starting to flower and need to be used up, even though we have been eating salsa about twice a week and are starting to small like garlic. You know you've had too much, when several of your kids reek like garlic when they come to kiss you goodnight, or good bye to go to school. Not good, but delicious!

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[caption id="attachment_118" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The peas are growing like crazy!"]The peas are growing like crazy![/caption]

And just for fun, I love this little guy. I have him set at from front door, but I think now that Easter is over, I am going to move him into the garden for a while!

[caption id="attachment_119" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The mantra of every gardener!"]The mantra of every gardener![/caption]

The baby chickens are now 6 weeks old, and it is starting to stay warmer at night, so I thought I would introduce them to the other hens. Unfortunately, it has become very apparent that 2 of them are roosters, so only one will be staying, but I feel so bad for her and don't want that little hen to be alone with the bigger hens, that I have decided to leave the roosters with her until they get a little bigger. Or, at least until they start crowing, in which case, they will be out of here. But they seem to be doing ok.

[caption id="attachment_120" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The new babies with the hens."]The new babies with the hens.[/caption]

On a side note, the chicken in the middle, went to chicken heaven yesterday. She had been eating all my eggs and was starting to pull feathers off one of the other chickens. It was a sad day yesterday. Very sad.

I have noticed some little birdies at the bird feeder that are very pretty. I don't know what they are, but they have red all over their head and chest. Check them out!

[caption id="attachment_125" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The birdies have found the bird house!"]The birdies have found the bird house![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_126" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="The potatoes are doing amazing."]The potatoes are doing amazing.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_127" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Zucchini are starting to flower."]Zucchini are starting to flower.[/caption]

Just a side note. It looks like finally the black eyed susan vine might be finally starting to germinate and sprout. I think it has been about 2 weeks since I planted those seeds. I'm not entirely sure that that is what it is, so we shall see. According to the literature I have read, they only last for 3 years, and they you have to replant.

I so love this time of year.

3 comments:

  1. Your garden is absolutely amazing! I wish ours was already flourishing. We planted late, so hopefully the heat doesn't kill them all.

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  2. Your garden is beautiful! What do your neighbors think of the chickens? I live in a SE Valley neighborhood that looks similar to your own; I'm terribly concerned about what the HOA would say if my neighbors complained about a cackling hen.

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  3. arizonagardengirlJuly 7, 2009 at 7:26 PM

    Thank you for the compliment. As to the chickens, that is a good question. People ask me it often. Actually, in our neighborhood, we do have an HOA and it says that we can have "ornamental jungle fowl". So, that is what these chickens are. They are actually Bantams which are half the size, and they really do not make much noise. We do not have any roosters, and the hens aren't that noisy. I have had no complaints at all.

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