Amanda Takes Off...

This week we had a really heavy rainstorm. I was at a class for work and Good Man called to ask if he should drag the plants inside. I scoffed and said no, and when I got home I found all of my pepper plants laid out flat. Hmm.

I did, however, get some nice post-rain shots.

Pepper Leaves

First Pepper

The marigolds looked especially nice. If you roll over this image, you'll see it in B&W. I think the texture actually "pops" better in B&W.

Marigold

I usually update my garden every two weeks, but we were out of town last Saturday, so it's been three weeks since my last update.

I do these updates to convince myself that things are actually growing. It's amazing, comparing photos, to see how quickly things grow. Every herb has been harvested (often multiple times) since the photos from three weeks ago.

The dill just wants to go to seed. I'm doing one more harvest and then letting it go to seed. If it doesn't reseed itself, I'll plant some more. I've deadheaded (snipped off the flowers) multiple times, but it's time to let it seed on.

Dill

The sesame leaves...something's been chowing down on them. Cutting off the damaged leaves has encouraged a lot of new growth. One of the six plants is just a runt. I'm amazed it's still living and growing, it's so sad looking.

Korean Sesame Leaves

Cosmos, Basil, Marigolds

I've been harvesting some of my basil from the top (encourages shorter, shrubbier growth) and some from the side (encourages taller, sparser growth). This one has been harvested mostly from the sides and I'm surprised at how tall it's grown.

Peppermint and Basil

I still think this Thai basil was planted too closely together by the nursery, but it seems to be doing fine.

Thai Basil

I don't know that these poppies will ever flower. And I still don't know what the hitchhiker plant is.

Poppies and Unknown Hitchhiker

I do like using the plant nannies, but they occasionally lead to sun scald (sun burnt leaves) like on my tallest basil plant.

Sun Scalded Basil

This is an overall view of my porch garden. You can see how tall some of the pepper plants have gotten.

I label my pepper plants 1 (Hybrid Kimchi), 2 (Hybrid Korea Winner), and 3 (Hybrid Long Green).

Overall, the Hybrid Kimchi plants are the tallest and the Long Greens are the shortest. The Winners flowered and set fruit earliest, the Long Greens are starting to flower and the Kimchi ones are so far blossom-less. I hope I didn't get a bad batch of Kimchi seeds.

I know too much nitrogen can cause large, fruitless pepper plants, but all of these have been grown with the same soil/vermicompost and conditions (I mean, as similar as they can be), so I suspect it's a variety thing.

The property management office lady came by to tell me if people seem to be driving slowly past my house, it was because she sent them there. We're not allowed to put food plants directly into the ground and she's been finding corn, tomatoes, and mint all over the property. "So I'm sending them to see how it's supposed to be done!"

She also asked where I got the plant nannies. I was afraid she'd tell me they were too ugly to stick around, but she said they're fine. I told her I like them because I no longer accidentally water the neighbors below (which is true, but they're jerks, so it's not like I really care about that side effect).

Another neighbor passes by often when I'm out there admiring my plants and comments on how beautiful they look each time.

I do enjoy my porch garden. In actuality, buying the peppers would probably be cheaper in the long run than growing them, but everything tastes better homegrown!