How does my garden grow?
Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2021 4:12 pmYou asked, and it's coming along.
The berry patch: raspberries are starting to bloom, blueberries are starting to ripen, and strawberries are producing a few ripe berries.
Experimental container vegetable garden. I call it an experiment in case they don't produce. Zucchini, summer squash, green beans, sweet corn, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes. So far green beans and cherry tomatoes are starting to bloom.
Pumpkin Patch
This area will be expanded for cantaloupe and small watermelons too.
Backyard flower/butterfly garden. There are a few milkweed for Monarchs and Queens, Passion Vine for Zebra Swallowtail and Gulf Fritillary, Honeysuckle, and various nectar plants, as well as a bulb garden with blooming amaryllis, and Irises on the back side.
This wildflower patch does not get enough sunlight now that the leaves are out on the trees, but hopefully by summer it will still have many flowers blooming. It's also a graveyard for former pet cats.
This is last year's eggplant which grew a beautiful large plant with many blooms that all dropped off before producing any eggplants. As I was about to dump it out of its pot and discard it, I noticed it was growing new green leaves near the roots. Since it was volunteering to try again, I planted it in the ground in the way back, and said, "Fine. I'll water and fertilize you, but from there you are on your own!" It's starting to bloom, so we will see.
Back patch of mostly surplus milkweed and one fire spike butterfly plant.
Lettuce patch
Seedlings and recovery area
Compost bins
Front yard butterfly garden is off to a good start.
When the monarch caterpillars get big enough to form chrysalis, I transfer them to an enclosure with a potted milkweed. This gives them a safe place free from predators to become butterflies. I have about a dozen so far in two enclosures.
The berry patch: raspberries are starting to bloom, blueberries are starting to ripen, and strawberries are producing a few ripe berries.
Experimental container vegetable garden. I call it an experiment in case they don't produce. Zucchini, summer squash, green beans, sweet corn, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes. So far green beans and cherry tomatoes are starting to bloom.
Pumpkin Patch
This area will be expanded for cantaloupe and small watermelons too.
Backyard flower/butterfly garden. There are a few milkweed for Monarchs and Queens, Passion Vine for Zebra Swallowtail and Gulf Fritillary, Honeysuckle, and various nectar plants, as well as a bulb garden with blooming amaryllis, and Irises on the back side.
This wildflower patch does not get enough sunlight now that the leaves are out on the trees, but hopefully by summer it will still have many flowers blooming. It's also a graveyard for former pet cats.
This is last year's eggplant which grew a beautiful large plant with many blooms that all dropped off before producing any eggplants. As I was about to dump it out of its pot and discard it, I noticed it was growing new green leaves near the roots. Since it was volunteering to try again, I planted it in the ground in the way back, and said, "Fine. I'll water and fertilize you, but from there you are on your own!" It's starting to bloom, so we will see.
Back patch of mostly surplus milkweed and one fire spike butterfly plant.
Lettuce patch
Seedlings and recovery area
Compost bins
Front yard butterfly garden is off to a good start.
When the monarch caterpillars get big enough to form chrysalis, I transfer them to an enclosure with a potted milkweed. This gives them a safe place free from predators to become butterflies. I have about a dozen so far in two enclosures.
You are very ambitious!