Good Plants Gone Wild

I am quite literally up to my ass in Swiss chard. Actually, some of the leaves (like these) are even higher than my waist.

These are more normal sized plants, but still, going to town. Notable in and of itself, but I can't help but marvel at the fact that chard is one of the more photogenic vegetables.




I wanted to post some garden progress pictures, but really the whole garden scene looks like crap. The unreliable spring weather resulted in poor planning on my part and hasty planting overall. The result is a roughshod plot that demonstrates little organization or foresight, and I've got stuff growing I didn't even plant. Like this -- I think it's corn (next to the non producing eggplants).

My favorite Chinese co worker convinced me to plant a sweet potato that had started sprouting on my desk. So I did. And the vines, or whatever they are, have bullied the adjacent tomato into submission and are now about to swallow the shed. Actually, I'm not 100% sure I did it right, because sometimes I don't always understand EXACTLY what she's saying. Something about burying the potato "just little bit," then snipping off the vines and re planting them? I planted a few snipped vines and left some as is. We'll see what happens.


Also, random sunflowers and peanut plants are popping up, no doubt planted by squirrels that are either really brilliant or slightly retarded, depending on your perspective.


And here's a tomato plant growing out of the compost bin.


It may be the only survivor, actually, because the rest of the tomatoes are being slowly consumed by blight. I'm trimming and spritzing with a home remedy concoction I got off the Internet, but I think it's going to be a losing battle.

My little patio tomato plants are particularly blighty. Isn't that pathetic?

I'm hoping they hang on long enough so I can at least get a few little tomatoes off of them. I have two more out front in pots that are doing a little better.

Black eyed Susan's, which usually offer a reliable splash of color and charm, are kind of...out of hand, frankly.


But on the plus side, the basil seeds I tossed out have turned in to a bumper crop (left), and so did the chard seeds, which I didn't even expect to grow (right).


I've also got some baby bell peppers...


Tiny hot ornamental peppers that my dad said will blow the top of your head off if you attempt to eat them...


And some menarda (a.k.a. bee balm) that I accidentally uprooted and then attempted to relocate seems to have "took," and a flock of teeny tiny butterflies (I guess, or maybe they're moths?) have been flitting around them on a regular basis.



Here's the back garden behind the shed with my newly added anti varmint fortification in place. I'm sure it would be totally ineffective if a deer or other critter made even half an effort to thwart it, but I'm thinking maybe it's enough of a deterrent to make the interlopers wander into my totally unprotected neighbor's garden instead. Don't tell.


Here's the back yard part of the garden -- it's kind of an embarrassment and limping along due to increased shade from tree growth.



Herb garden I looks OK.



Herb garden II (not pictured) is a little sad looking and being overrun by chipmunks. I found a dead one in the garage yesterday though. Karma! I know they're cute, but damn...they suck. And they stink a lot more than mice when they die behind the freezer. Make a note of it.

Here's some baby chard I thinned out and have been consuming in green smoothies.


I'm wondering if I can make chard puree in the blender and then freeze that in large cubes (Dixie cups maybe?) for future use over the fall and winter in smoothies. What do you think?

In other news, mom and dad celebrated their 51st anniversary Saturday! I called to wish them happy anniversary, but, like last year, my dad wasn't exactly sure where my mom went. Later I asked if they had done anything special that day and my dad said, "I did laundry, and I think your mother went to the library." I get a little misty just thinking about it. We were going to go to Colonial, but decided that was too much effort, so I brought over some Dairy Queen. Here's dad sampling the toppings, pre sundae assembly.


I convinced my mom (who HATES wind chimes), that 51 is the wind chime year. She was not thrilled. Truth be told, I got that little chime at the annual Hysterical Society garage sale for two bucks. My dad kind of liked it and wondered aloud if he could hang it in his room, but my mom quickly nixed that idea.


Speaking of the garage sale, look at the cute little nosegay vase I got for 50 cents! This arrangement is for Tracey :)


I also got a space heater to combat the ridiculous air conditioner settings at work, a small dresser, a bunch of colored envelopes and paper, two extension cords, a cement ducky, a buttload of plastic and wooden hangers, some baskets, linen napkins, a camera, and ... other essential treasures I can't remember right now...all for about $35 bucks that went to a good cause. I wasn't fast enough to snag some polka dot rubber garden boots or a pair of metal frog statues.