A Day at the Farm 05/22/2011

I went up for the day by myself. I didn't even bring my dogs. I just needed to check on things quickly before we leave for San Diego.

• Picked lots of pretty vegetables: tomatoes, little red peppers, banana peppers, patty pan squash, eggplants, and cucumbers. Looks good in there. The corn is coming right along. Bees were crawling all over the tassels. I have about 50 sunflowers growing. They all have big buds on them. They will be pretty.


• In the early morning there were many dozens of beautiful blue flowers growing on the radicchio that I am allowing to go to seed. When this particular variety of radicchio goes to seed it throw off a tall stalk, about 4 feet tall, and then - surprise! - all along the stalk bloom large blue flowers. The flowers only last a few short hours. When I went into the Vegetable Garden later in the day they were all gone. I forgot to bring my camera or I would have taken a picture. So pretty!


• All vegetables go to seed if you don't pull them up - how do you think the pioneers in the olden days got their seed for their plantings? You can gather the seeds and plant them at the appropriate time of the year, or you can let them fall to the ground and they will take root when the climate signals their time. I usually pull up my vegetables so that I can plant something new. And I like to try new varieties, so I don't want to grow the same variety every year.


• I filled the pool with water. The pool is not in good shape. There is something wrong with the motor. The pool people are coming sometime later this week to take a look at it. No doubt it will be expensive - isn't everything?


• Sprayed herbicide in the Rose Garden, the Orchard, the Star Garden, the Greenhouse Gardens, around lots of the flowerbed edging, the driveway, and paths in the Vegetable Garden.


• There was half an inch in the rain gauge.


• Tried to sun bathe for awhile, but I got impatient.


• Watered here and there, especially around the pool.


• Threw out some stale bread to the birds.


• Weeded and observed. The hot weather-loving plants are starting to take over.


• The plums in the Orchard are just beginning to show the faintest blush of pink although they are still small. I am excited about the plums. Plums are my favorite fruit.