The tomatoes are doing pretty well but a few are starting to get these cruddy leaves and I’m not sure why. Hmmm

Strawberry patch! Glad we have the kind that keep producing instead of just one harvest.

BASIL! I’m so proud of this year’s basil. This is my best attempt so far. It’s definitely Pesto-Time.

Best lettuce crop so far as well.  We are going to have to start eating more salad to keep up.

Daniel bought me a Fuscia at Lowe’s the first spring we were dating because we walked by and I exclaimed how pretty it was so he made me let him buy it for me   I’ve gotten another one every spring since and hung it on the front porch and killed it every year.  This year I moved it out back where I actually remember to water it and it’s on it’s 2nd or third batch of blooms!  I get to look at it more than I would if it was out front too.

I’m still shocked at how well these three tomato plants are doing.  I really did not expect the spindly little sprouts to survive, let alone be thriving the way they are!

Still have Poppies from Daniels’ Grandma

My little patch of volunteer petunia’s is getting big and blooming like crazy! It has lots of weeds around it because I refuse to mow it over so I have to be careful mowing around it.

The cucumbers are still really stunted but they are starting to climb a little.

Sweet little Yellow Squash

I was told I could trellis the zucchini and squash. I think that might have been a terrible falsehood.

I had to stop Daniel from picking this one. I practically threw myself in front of him screaming, “IT HAS TO TURN RED FIRST!!!!!!” This bad boy is going to be delicious!

What’s that?  A tiny little soy bean pod waiting to become my Edamame?  Oh yah.

The pumpkin was doing GREAT until we left for the weekend and it got a tiny bit crispy.  Will have to do lots of watering this week to make up for that little mishap.

Also, it’s kitten season.  Luna chased a little and mama kitty out from behind the shed this morning so animal control brought by a trap to see if we can catch ‘em. Fingers crossed.  It didn’t work last time we tried.

I have volunteer petunias coming up all over the place. In a pot for the 2nd year in a row as well as all around the new 4×10 raised bed! Those are the biggest surprise and they put such a smile on my face. We also finally have some poppies blooming from seeds we got for Christmas from Daniel’s grandmother. They came from her own garden so they are extra special just like our blackberry bush from her house. It’s FULL of green blackberries. I see cobbler in our future.

Life is good.

I usually don’t buy plants at full price. I wait for the people at Lowe’s or Home Depot or wherever to pretty much kill them and then put them on the “Almost Dead” rack. Then I pay 25cents for them and either nurse them back to health or I finish the job and they end up in my compost heap.

Yesterday was the first time in ages that I’d been to Lowe’s because a) I would definitely kill anything new that I planted in this heat just as I killed 99% of the plants already on my deck in the past few weeks and b) I just really didn’t need to be spending money on more plants. I have a birthday party to prepare for, people! But because of said birthday party it really IS time to fix the running toilet.

A plumber friend at church offered months ago to fix it if I’d just go buy a “Tank to Bowl Kit.” OK. I can do that. If there is something called a kit and all I have to do is ask for it at Lowe’s I’m golden. I was even more excited to realize that such a kit is less than $5! The teenage boy in the plumbing section even said it was a one-size situation. Even better! But I’m cautious (ok, paranoid) about that kind of thing so I asked him “Are you SURE this will fit any size toilet?” and he returned from asking another employee with the answer “Probably, but maybe not.” Instead of buying both sizes and returning the one that doesn’t fit, I decided I’d let my plumber friend come look at my toilet and tell me which to get. At which time I will go get the correct size while he takes apart my ancient toilet. Problem solved; now it’s time to go look at the crispy plants!

So while I was checking out a very meager selection, Daniel was noticing that a particular section of plants was swarming with butterflies and bees while none of the other plants were getting much attention. Since he was getting really excited about the butterfly bushes and we had a disappointing showing around the garden this summer when it came to the precious little pollinators I suggested we get one. The big sizes were marked to $16.95 or something like that but the smaller ones didn’t have a price anywhere. So another high school boy/Lowe’s employee came along to get us a price check.

And it rang up as $1.91.
“Did you say $11.91,” I asked skeptically.
“Nope,” says another high school boy. “They’re $1.91.”
“…..”
“DANIEL! Get 3 more!”

Four plants for less than what one of them probably should have cost! That is the kind of thing that makes me just giddy.

Because I might have someone out to grind up a stump right where they’ll be going they aren’t planted yet but here they are patiently awaiting their new home.So pretty!

My photography skills leave a little to be desired and they’re pretty small not but THIS is what they WILL look like.
And they have a really fast growth-rate. We were at some friends’ house for a party last night and coincidentally they had a butterfly bush in their yard that they bought last year. When they planted it it was a foot tall. now it’s about 6 feet.

I also finally remembered to go to the park and pick up a few horse apples for decoration. I have meant to do that every year for 3 years and I finally remembered!

Saturday was a pretty dandy day!