In between

Progress has slowed over the last few weeks. I've harvested my collards and lettuce, weeded my temporary garden bed and, out of necessity, have planted my dozen or so tomatoes in the bed. The tomatoes will be easy to replant and move, but I'm sad to say my dozen squash plants don't take to replanting. Their growth stalled out and they started trying to flower, a sure sign that they've been stunted and probably won't recover to their full glory. With that being the case, and without a timeframe for the new garden to be ready, I planted them on the back of the shop in no particular order and with no regards to spacing. A few squash plants of some kind popped up back there, probably from composted seeds, around the base of my firebushes. Since they seemed to be tolerating growing there, I figured it couldn't be too terrible to plant the rest there also. Once the new garden is completed I'll direct seed the new squash plants.

I have harvested my first cubanelle pepper of the season and the second will be ready soon. My pepper plants look anemic and will benefit from transplanting just as soon as I get the new garden ready.

My husband solidified the garden plan with me last week. My first job will be to start sinking fence posts and moving the mower into the garage. Hopefully, fingers crossed, I can get at least that much done this weekend.

I'll be harvesting the last of the lettuce for dinner tonight and isn't it pretty! This is a salanova from Johnnys Seed, and a burpee Romaine. I also ordered a packet each of Magenta and Nevada summer lettuce from High Mowing Seeds. They had the best price and free shipping! These will go in a shady spot of, again, the new garden.

I still need to make the lid for my compost bin, but I haven't been in a hurry because I was waiting on one crucial, final ingredient. And, duhm duhm DUHM! Here it is! The calvary has arrived!!!

What you don't see it? Look closer.

A Black Soldier Fly! My composting will now begin full force and all those darn gnats will be chased off and replaced by the Florida Vermicomposting Wonder, Black Soldier Fly Larvae. In about a week, my bin will be full of these happy creatures and I'll be able to attach the lid and paint the sides of the bin. It'll be great.

Speaking of vermicomposting, I took a peak at my RW kitchen bin, and holy smokes, I'm finally cooking with fire. The population has exploded and while there is still a good bit of material that needs to be composted, there was plenty of good vermicompost throughout the bin. I scooped out about a half a cup with some paper scraps and let it brew in half a gallon of water to make verm tea. I then used it water my week old Bamboo!

This is called Angel in the Mist Bamboo, Dendrocalamus Minor Amoenus. It's a clumping bamboo that is supposed to get about 35ft tall and be "well behaved" and "easily formed to a screen or open clump." I got it in the mail and planted it 10 days ago. In that time it has grown about 18" and today I saw it's first shoot. I'm very excited. So is my husband. He loves bamboo and is looking forward to a towering stand of it on the property. I'm hoping to use the bamboo to turn the side yard into a tropical oasis. But that's too far into the future to realize yet. You can see the shoot in this photo. It's the little green asparagus looking thing about four inches front the parent plant.

In other happy news, my Sweet Viburnum hedge is going gangbusters. All that light green is this seasons new growth. Pretty impressive from one yr old transplants that I saved from the clearance section at lowes.

Also, I have GOT to pressure wash that patio! Talk about yuck!

Happy gardening!