June Update
It’s time for the update, and I’m pleased. Well, sort of. My garden is going slower than I would have liked, but it’s going strong regardless. Finally, last weekend I got everything in the ground that’ll be there for this year. That means I finally took my little seedlings from my bright sunny windowsill that have been growing there for months, and plunked them in the ground.

The plants I’m trying this year that I’ve never attempted before are:
Cape Gooseberry
Green Pepper (I’ve done almost every other kind of pepper EXCEPT green)
Bloodflower
Eucalyptus
Cape Gooseberry:

I’ve taken the tip from Gayla’s handy and wonderful book that has since become my gardening bible, and made some pop bottle cloches just to make sure the little seedlings don’t dry out in this wacky weather we have here. It’ll be hot and sunny without a cloud in the sky for five days, and then all of a sudden for the next five days it’ll be 12 degrees, cloudy and rainy.
Lime Basil:

I think next year I’m just going to start all seedlings outdoors though. There may be one or two seeds that I don’t, because they’re particularly sensitive (eucalyptus, bloodflower), but for the most part everything’s just going to get started outside. I find that the seeds I did start outside this year are far more ahead of the indoor seedlings:
Calendula (started outdoors):

And I’m happy to say that the tomatoes have started to bloom, two of the plants are doing really well, one seems to be a little smaller and a little more weak, although I can’t see anything physically wrong with it. What I definately need is some good fertilizer though. There’s a hydroponics store not too far from me, and I think I’ll pop down there this weekend and see if they have any seaweed, crab, or fish (simply being my last choice because I hate the smell).
Tomato in bloom:

A complete list of what I’ve planted:
3 different tomatoes
1 jalapeno
Bloodflower
Lavender
Osteospermum
Dill
Leopard’s Bane
Shasta Daisy
Rudbeckia
Oregano
Rosemary
Cilantro
Carrot
Green Pepper
Cape Gooseberry
Calendula
Lime Basil
Blanket Flower
Eucalyptus



July 20th, 2005 at 2:22 pm
Your garden looks great! Any edibles yet? My tomatos are going mad in downtown Toronto! They are loving the heat more than us Humans!
Anyways keep up the good work!
Vanmessa
July 20th, 2005 at 3:33 pm
I’m so jealous of your flowering tomatoes back in mid-June! I started seeds in March and they were pitifully slow starting and growing although they were from some of those crazy hippy nurseries on the Island which were highly recommended. they’re only just getting flowers now. Do you know if heirloom tomatoes are slower growing than normal ones? What varieties are you growing?
BTW, did you know about seedy saturday? Once a year in the spring at Van Dusen (amongst other places) - its a great place to get a great variety of seeds and there’s even a seed swap table, so if you go be sure to take some of your surplus ones - well labelled.
August 23rd, 2005 at 2:10 pm
Whow is this a big one, keep expanding shovel by shovel. Thanks for sharing. Check out my site its the funnie things that happen to me in gardening.
Rose