Yeah, I've Been MIA

First off, my apologies for having been absent from the blogging world for over a week. We've been super busy trying to get as much done in the house as possible before I host the baby shower October 2nd, and this weekend we are heading to Chicago for vacation, so I will be absent yet again. Sorry guys!

Today's harvest, once again not on Monday (Thanks Daphne for hosting Harvest Mondays!), but a harvest never the less. I got a HUGE tomato, and I have absolutely no idea what kind of tomato it is. The plant came from the community garden free-for-all. I cant wait to cut into this beast and give it a try! I also got a few more roma-pasty type maters and a miniature little eggplant. We have been loving the eggplant this year. It is a must for next year as well.

I put the pea supports up at the garden, and took a picture of my favorite garden tool. I am in love with this knife thing. It looks old and rusty, but that thing cuts like no other. I love it!!!

Pea Supports

Pea Shoots

My Fave Tool!

Radishes and just a few beets in the background

Community Garden Update

So far, all of my radishes and carrots have sprouted! I am still waiting on the beets, but if they don't grow, I wont be too disappointed. Mr Gardener doesn't really care for beets, so I only would fix them to eat when he isn't around. I have 2 little pea sprouts, and will have to take my bamboo poles down there and set them up once I hit my days off next week. I am feeling for sure that I will be off on a jet plane this weekend.

Radish Sprouts

Radish Sprouts

Pea Sprout

The garden is also full of bright late summer blooms. Beautiful!

Harvest "Monday"

Thanks Daphne for hosting Harvest Monday! Yes, it is Tuesday again, but I can't help it! Yesterday we spent the day at Oktoberfest, drinking, eating, watching the wiener dog races. It was so much fun!!! But anyways, today I got a TON of tomatoes... Well, green ones. They really weren't even harvested on purpose. I was pulling out my dead, gnarly, viny tomato plants because my patience has run out. If only the largest ones could have lived through the destruction... I got one patty pan squash from the community garden. I didn't grow it... Everything that is grown "around the edges" is for everyone to share, and I missed all of the zucchinis, so I am happy to have gotten this guy. He is big for a patty pan... maybe 1/2 pound?

I pulled out allllllll of the hillbilly tomatoes because I just couldn't stand it anymore. Now I have a big open place for my lovely rose bush to go...

This rose bush (up) is going in this spot (down) and will have a lovely trellis to climb on in the spring

This other rose Bush is my pride and joy. I have no idea what kind it is... It is on its FOURTH bloom for the year! My others have only bloomed once.

A Sad Day in the World of The Tiny Gardener

So, I have 23,764 jars of delicious and beautiful peach jam... And I can't eat it! I am allergic! I woke up this morning to discover thousands of tiny tiny bumps all over my face. The only thing I can conclude is that since my peach eating has increased exponentially in the last 3 days, so that must be it! I am oh so sad... Peach Jam, I love you, but you don't love me :(

Fall Planting

I am heading on down to the community garden today to pull put my totally spent cabbages, stake up my eggplant bushes, and do some fall planting. I am only planting a few things. All seeds, no plants. The heat is supposed to break tomorrow night with a thunderstorm followed by rain and cool temps for about 3 days. I would rather get these tiny hopefuls into the ground now versus in the soaking rain.

My fall garden prep has been, uh, minimal, for lack of a better term. I was hoping to have more garden space along side the house by now, but since my tomatoes have yet to give me anything red, I am delaying pulling them out. I cant wait to take out my frustration on those bushy buggers.

So anyways, the Community Garden list goes a little like this (north to south)

Sugar Snap Peas (seed)
Hot Peppers (existing)
Egglplant (existing)
Beets - Detroit Dark Red (seed)
Carrots - Danvers Half Long (seed)
Radishes - Philly White Box, China Rose Winter, Cherry Belle (all seed)

I am also going to rip out my two lone tomato plants growing in pots. They dont really like the pots much, and the tomatoes that formed have just been hanging on dead vines. Not really a pretty sight... I also have some mint in pots that just doesnt seem happy. Mint seems to grow in this neighborhood like wild fire. It is all over the community garden, popping up in everyone's beds, and even my neighbor Sam has mint all along the side of his driveway. Serious mint bed, maybe 40ft x 5ft. Insane.

The Community Garden

 The Community Garden 

My parched and pathetic plot before my morning of work