Urban Gardening Update

I thought I would give my imaginary readers an update on how my garden grows. I So far I am very happy with it's growing. I started this morning planting some potatoes, adding some miracle grow, and talking to my impatiens. You might be asking, "Are your  potatoes finally ready to plant?"

To that question I would have to give an hearty, "No." I did plant potato's though. My girlfriend came to visit this weekend and she overbought seed potatoes that had been through a chitting process. Besides, she brought me Yukon Golds, and all I had were Reds so I figured I would give them a shot. They weren't in the best shape but that was okay. They're stalks were a little light, not much hair on them, and well over grown. I didn't take a picture of them but imagine a potato, erupting with 50 eyes trying to come thought at the same place. There wasn't much chance of cleaning them up so I planted them as is. I am afraid I am going to get a bucket full of cherry sized potatoes. But that is okay, this is my first run. She also brought some red potatoes that have been well through the process of chitting, I only kept 1 since I had 6 already.

 Medusa was my gift and the others were the potatoes bought with little eyes. First I will say, with the red given to me, I have since plucked out some of the eyes (they were causing me to sin), but have yet to put it in ground.

The eyes on mine are growing just fine into stalks, they are a good green and purple color, and covered with a  lot of hair. I probably won't wait until they are an inch long but I am going to give them at least another two weeks of chitting. But you want to see how I potted the ones I put down today.

The cat littler containers each have one potato, they were given to me by a dear friend, there are holes on the bottom and low on the sides. I have anti-weed porous material on the bottom and a layer of gravel. The Orange buck, which I found at Goodwill, is done the same without the side holes an inch from the bottom. The potatoes were planted whole in the white buckets and because of the polar growth of the eyes on the other I cut it in half and planted it. The little feller you can see in the bucket is a water worm, letting me know if they get too dry. I covered the stalks completely except the back right bucket, I let it stay a little above the soil. I have been assured by my local garden center that this soil will not pack. I might do the other tonight or tomorrow, if I find a container to plant it in. 

Can you see that little green feller, he will become a strawberry, I have a few of them, this is just the biggest. I have yet to build a cage to keep out the birds, so these early strawberries might end up sacrificed to the birds of my apartment buildings. The Topsy Turvy continues to grow wonderfully. I didn't post a pic of my hanging basket, two of the three plants in it are doing well, but I don't know if I will have berries on it this year. 

I started some peppers about two weeks ago in a little greenhouse kit. I didn't think it would go anywhere but I can see a little feller popping up. My girlfriend Alicia pointed it out to me. The kit I bought will grow Jalapeños and mixed bells. After reading the directions, peppers seem ticky, however, I will be happy to have them around if they work, and I really don't lose anything if they don't, the kit was like 3 dollars.

 I couldn't  go without a picture of my flowers though. They are growing back well, but I think some of the pink impatiens are growing back white. Anyway, hope you enjoyed... keep growing. 

This Gardening is For the Birds

Came home from work today, was going to revel in the joy of my little patio garden. Can you imagine the rage when I saw a bunch of flowers with no flowers.

I thought, "Maybe they're supposed to be like that and then they will grow back better." I just couldn't get past the cut look of the stems. I didn't know what to do so I went to google. I wondered if it was the ducks, then I read that some birds pluck flowers to line nests with. That last line made sense, so I thought, maybe I will just be able to make it though and they will grow back and the birds will be done. Then I saw one, standing in my flower pot, a bird. I didn't get a pic of him in my pot but, I did track him down later. 

I saw him, in my flower pot... arghhh I thought, "If I don't do something now these birds will feel like they are free to take whatever they want and that will lead to my strawberries, which gets in the way of deliciousness." I couldn't have that so I went a traditional route, a route known as wire mesh fencing. 

You have to understand I don't mind using a fence to keep birds out... I might just hang a sign for all birds, "Got Have A Membership Card To Get Inside," and sure they might reply, "What gives you the right, to put up a fence to keep me out!!!"

Sure if God were here he might tell me I was some kind of sinner but I don't think these fences muck up the scenery or break anyones mind... and they leave my flowers handsome, as they should be.