At first my tomatoes got Leaf Miner and I sprayed them with an organic bug killer, and after that they got BER, (Blossom End Rot). It started with one plant, and now almost all of them have it. I am over trying to grow tomatoes. I guess I put too much of the Banana Water on them, and I didn't deep water when I should have, or I didn't dig deep enough before I planted them. They started out so beautiful when I transplanted from the Raised Bed, but now they are stunted. They have stopped growing.
Why me Lord? I think I'll just get all that are salvageable and make fried green tomatoes. I can buy tomatoes at Aldi's, but they won't have that sunkissed flavor.
This past weekend we bought 4 bags of the Sta Green Garden Soil at Lowe's for $2 per bag. It is really not what I would call garden soil, but it is very composted and shredded mulch. It works as a mulch because it has fertilizer and its light as a feather. It is also very mulched up or cut up. I am only putting it around tomatoes, Red Salvia, Rosemarys, (I have several), and the better plants.
We went to Barb's today to ask how many more bags of rock she will have, and she thinks 7. I don't think she has 7, because she is almost finished with redoing her foundation plants. That woman is a worker. She dug up hills of earth and cut gigantic roots out that were trying to grow under the house. She uses a small chain saw. Her garden is already beautiful and its only spring.
Today I went by Val's place to check the plants and they needed watering. I watered everything, but the weeds are out of control again and I'm going back later to get them pulled. I noticed that she had put down some granular plant food and that will be good. I saw plenty of Zinnia and Cosmo seedlings up and her garden is finally looking good. She has a couple of Tithonia plants that are still alive. I'm hopeful.
It is blue blazin' hot here and I've slathered on the sunscreen every day and am wearing a big hat to cover my face & neck. I hate being a prisoner to the sun, but I'm trying to stay out of it as much as possible.
That's all I've got today. I still have a few buckets of water, but I'm very saving with it. Peace & Plenty.
Yes, it's drought time once again in Central Florida. My grass is dried up mostly and I'm having to use the hose to water things. I do have a few buckets of rainwater left, but I'm going to run out soon. We always leave some in the rain barrels.
My neighbor's first Tithonia bloomed. It is small, but it's a start. Her hose does not reach all the way around to the back fence line, but Ray just informed me that I could use her hose, which is hooked up to their well. Awesome!
There is a blue bird nesting really close to where all the Tithonias are, and she fusses at me when I work back there. I saw a beautiful blue eggshell under the birdhouse today, lying there broken on the ground. Wouldn't that mean a Robin's egg? Do Eastern Blue Birds have blue eggshells? Dunno! Something to look up online I suppose. (Yep, they do have beautiful blue eggs.) I just looked it up.
Last evening I trimmed almost all of the Red Fountain Grasses. Believe me I have a bunch. They were dry, with a lot of dead in the middle, and they may or may not make it through this drought. If not, that is fine. I will keep one or two alive to have seed. I got 2 blisters on my hand, and I was totally exhausted at the end of the day. The morning was spent at Barb's house getting rock and I got more this time than ever before. I spread it on different garden beds, and it looks so much better.
We bought 4 bags of Garden Soil for flowers & vegetables at Lowe's, but I have not put it on anything yet. That is because I am afraid when it does rain it will be light showers and they won't permeate a bunch of soil. I was going to use it as a mulch around some of my plants. They could all use a pick me up.
Send rain! Peace & Plenty.
I have discovered a new wonderful way to start seeds. You take a regular plastic pot from the nursery or big box stores and you line it with a couple of coffee filters. This is to keep the soil from all washing out. Place the toilet paper rolls in the pot with the holes upright. I was able to get 7 in a pot this morning. Fill the toilet paper rolls with a good potting mix and place your seeds on the top of each toilet paper roll. Add a 1/4 inch of soil on top of seeds and press down gently. Water good and set in the sun. You will be amazed how well these paper pots work and how good they are for supporting your little seedlings. The real clincher is that you put the whole thing in the garden. Yes! You can plant it in the ground and water away. You won't believe how well they perform.
Marigolds & Zinnias.
I'm dog sitting for Little Guy today. His mom had Sx and had an appt. with doctor. She will be home this evening, and then I'm keeping Roxxie overnight for 2 nights. They are both good dogs and I love them.
My new garden plants seem to be doing well. Some of the things I got from Barb about a month ago are dead or dying. The Elderberry is history, and the Fig is history too. 
. The Stokes Aster and Ginger Lily are both doing great. Remember, I had many starts of each plant. Life is good!
Peace & Plenty.
Yesterday about sundown I had an urge to do a project that I've been putting off for weeks. I had started a row of Morning Glories about a month ago and not all of my seeds sprouted. Since I have a plentiful supply of seeds, (Grandpa Ott), which I had gathered from my container garden last year and also from my neighbor's garden, I set about getting the previous row cleaned up and made ready for the new seeds.
I put the seeds to soak in a cup and then went out and raked leaves and debris, stirred up the soil, cleaned out gravel and lengthened the row. I had put a row of skinny bamboo sticks for the 1st plants to climb on and one got nearly to the top and has bloomed several times. That one is a keeper. plus a few others. My friend Ray had given me a trellis that is perfect to lengthen that row I put it in the ground at one end. Now it's a longer row outside the Lanai and gets the morning sun. 
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There will be pics added later today, but I just wanted to journal all this before I start a busy day. I'm dog sitting tomorrow, and Roxxie will be over nighting for 2 nights so today is shopping & errands.
One of my neighbors gave me these skinny bamboo sticks and I love them. I wanted some way to bring the tops closer together, so I sort of weaved them together with string. It looks better and gives a bit of whimsy. Now I'm all set for them to grow and add a spot of beauty to an otherwise bit of real estate that has gone undecorated until this year.
A cup of MG seeds in water.
Skinny bamboo trellis.
Dark green plastic trellis.
Morning sun not quite there yet.
Back of Raised Bed/frost cloth.
Front of Raised Bed. I got new RB soil today.
Inside Raised Bed, Marigold, Chives, & Dill.
