To Pluck a Thistle and Plant a Flower

"Die when I may, I want it said by those who knew me best that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow."  Abraham Lincoln

      I think it can be said that I have plucked many thistles this week.  It just sounded far more eloquent the way Lincoln said it and  in the case of the esteemed historic president, he certainly was conjuring a proverbial thistle, whereas I am being quite literal. 

There have been many developments in my little back yard obsession not the least of which is the sheer amazing rate of growth    that has occurred over the last week. 

  For instance, not five days ago I thought bed four could have done with three more hills of corn, so i planted them, now that is impossible as there simply is no more room nor daylight to be had in that bed.  The squash is monumental and the corn trucking along skyward. I have squash blooms and judging by the size of the plants I expect to be harvesting squash very soon which is good because we have no money and it is the promise of food. To the left is a nice picture of the 3 sisters method I used for growing corn, squash and beans:

My tomato plants are just prolific with the little green promises of red yummy sustaining goodness.   I am very happy so far with the tomato fence, it is fairly simple to get the new growth on the the fence and they are mighty tidy compared to last year's tomato jungle.  This picture is probably the first tomato I will pick,  it is "catfaced" which I learned this week is due to a cold spell when it blossomed. 

Here is of the tomato fence (bean fence left, tom fence right) and some of the 'maters. Sorry for lousy pics, I was swatting bugs the whole time.

The bean plants are progressing, the dragon tongues are producing and the poles are flowering which means fruit soon.

Yay for watermelon (or the promise thereof)

Peas are finished for the season, I will plant another crop ion September to see if we can get a second crop going.  I have tomatillos and peppers that are doing fine, I plucked a nice banana pepper, the official first of the season;)




 The peppers on my front porch are catching up too.   This week I planted 3 types of carrots and some more radish, leek and fennel in bed one.  I am eager to see if anything comes of it.

My main goal in the coming week is to get the containers finally planted for a mid summer lettuce and spinach crop on my shady front porch.  I am still confounded by the cabbage, it just does not seem to progress. I feel like we have been here for weeks. Soooo I will try again in the cool shade of my porch.

I have seen quite a few good size onions peeking out of the dirt.   I have seed already from my cilantro and will collect it later this week and my dill just flowered so the seed will soon follow. 

Dill:cilantro

My ugly herb drying contraption. I have some yummy savory, dill and some  seed drying on it right now, ugly but functional.

And for my flowers:)  This is what really makes me happy!