ahhhh…summer

So I haven’t posted in a while, mostly because there have been many projects in the garden keeping me busy. Who wants to be inside typing away on the computer on days when the temp is just perfect for planting? Not I.

The garden has grown dramatically since the last post. We have added many new features, including a pond with five goldfish, only one of which we have named. Powder, as we so affectionately call the white-lipped fish, is easy to spot due to his distinguishing feature. They were all a bit shocked at their new environment at first, but quickly came around once feeding time was set on a schedule. We now have them trained to recognize a slight tap-tap-tap of the food canister on the rim of the pond. They get very excited and start slurping the water even before the food drops. It really is a trip to watch.

The water barrels that we installed are doing a great job at keeping up with the watering needs in the garden. Since their installation we have only had to water the entire garden with the hose once. The idea of all this free water going down the drain with every rainfall has me thinking that we did a great service to ourselves and Mother Nature by capturing it and putting it to good use.

The next project in the lineup was dahlias. I had been anticipating the arrival of the bulbs a couple of posts ago, and I have to say I have not been disappointed. They are doing great! I started them in pots just to be safe and then transplanted them into their own bed near the fence. The seven I had chosen, plus a free bulb that came with the order(!), are all growing by leaps and bounds. There are also 10 additional plants, five each of two varieties, that my wonderful husband purchased for me while out shopping one day. These became the front border of the bed since they are of the dwarf variety. But wait, there is more! A close friend of mine has requested my help in the creation of bridal bouquets and table centerpieces for her wedding in October and she wants to use my dahlias! What an honor. I sure hope I can keep all of them alive and well until then.

Tigger, his last portrait. Ironically, the night before he passed.

As with all well laid plans, one has yet again gone awry. The vegetable garden is dying. Again. I am not certain why I am able to grow just about anything else EXCEPT vegetables. My zucchini has some sort of growth on the leaves, the tomato plants haven’t grown an inch since I planted them and the bell peppers are producing peppers for munchkins. It is a sad state of affairs and my husband is in shock since he holds my growing abilities in high regard. So much for feeding my family with the fruit of my labors.

All this talk of the trials and tribulations of my garden has brought me to a very sad note. Our wonderful furry friend, Tigger, passed on April 22nd. He lived a long and happy 14 years with us and was unfortunately taken before his time by a pack of wild dogs. He enjoyed the garden just as much as we do and it will never be the same without him. We miss you, Tigger.

June 5th, 2009 in Uncategorized