Weekend work update

Was I the one hoping for cool weather? Gads, it was certainly that! It oftentimes felt as if we were standing on the beach with the ocean cooled air coming directly off the water. I swear I could smell salt spray.



But the wall progressed easily enough. We placed the other rows of blocks on Saturday. We made a lazy day of it, fetching blocks, stacking a layer, grabbing a cup of tea, repeat. So unforunately, on Sunday, I ran out of time running to Tri-County for the soil mix.


It filled the bed 3/4's full, but then they shut at 2pm, thwarting a final run. But it looks like nice stuff, 1/4 yard topsoil mixed with 1/4 yard organic amendment. Needless to say, even unfinished I did some planting. More tomatoes into their final spots (Kentucky beefsteak, Sweet Horizon, Azoychka, Camalay, Mom's Paste,) blue lake bush beans, parsley, crookneck squash and black beauty zuchini. I added some cosmos, cherry profusion zinnias, and marigolds for the beneficials.

I'm glad to be seeing lots of ladybird beetles (mature and larval) and syrphid wasps/flies. Of course the syrphids seem to like the dandelion blossoms best. I've yet to see a lacewing this year. Also I'm seeing lots of dragonflies.

Bed one is popping with sugar snap peas. The calendula is in decline and I am needing to take some of it down, especially around the garlic. I harvested the garlic scapes (sauted them with the other vegetables that I stuffed into cabbage leaves) a while back so the garlic is finally beginning to decline. I'm anxious to see the heads. I've let some (well, maybe lots) of the leeks flower. I enjoy the flower and I can't say they were going to get any bigger than a thick pencil. I see minor growths where the brussels sprouts should be but nothing large enough to cut. I may have to cut it down soon & count it as a no show. sigh.....

I'm still procrastinating over bed 2. Don't know what I can do to kick myself into gear on that one. Maybe find a home for the salvia.

Bed three is blooming profusely with campanula cup and saucers. I staked a couple of the tomatoes there (Jaffe's Cherry, Ukranian Pink Pear), as the Annais Noir (in the greenhouse) was standing on Saturday, and lying down Sunday morning. I didn't want to see that happen in the raised beds.

I had removed the wall-o-water from the cossack (Purple Russian). He didn't seem to be thriving. But he's looking a bit better, I'm sure the Nitrogen shot helped (alphalfa meal scratched in). I've seen fruit on the Jaffe's cherry, Ukranian Heart, Marmande, and the Kentucky Beefsteak. I removed the one from the Sweet Horizon because it had bottom rot and I think I knocked one off the Cream Sausage.