Montauk Daisies

Make me happy!

Montauk Daisy's first bloom!!

Montauk Daisies start blooming after the first few cold nights, I've had them bloom until mid December as long as we don't get the dreaded "freezing rain" they can even do light snow.  So as someone who LOVES winter and despises summer (really garden fresh veggies are the only thing that allows me to survive summer) these flowers bode better weather ahead!

zucchini calzones and eggplant calzones

Got the recipe from The Chew -- Mario Batali Calzones with eggplant and zucchini. (Two separate recipes - the eggplant is stuffed with an eggplant caponata filling, the zucchini sit with some salt to pull water out and is mixed with a ricotta mixture) I needed a good eggplant recipe, because one of my plants makes prolific chocolate brown eggplant about 3-4" long and about 2" in diameter - but 7-8 ripen at a time. And lets face it everyone can use another yummy zucchini recipe! Served up with a tossed balcony garden salad and some tomato/basil sauce to dip in.  Came out really good - have leftovers in the freezer.

more harvest pics

Harvest time!

Flowers on the steps

One day's harvest

Planters on the steps are filling in nicely!

Balcony Garden Updates

Plants are all settling in nicely to their pots.

 

Teeny soon to be spaghetti squash!

 

 

 

Cucumbers!

 

 

Succulent tower

My original concept of a vertical succulent garden had some issues after the first year, soil washed out is was hard to water, everything died.  SO now vertical succulents 2.0

 Started with yet another run to Derring's in Roxbury.

 Took two deck stair stringers, used 4 railing spindles and screwed in 4 window boxes. (Not worried about the pressure treated wood - it's enclosed soil under it - just flowers and pachysandra underneath) Put some gravel in for extra drainage.

Did about 4 or 5 arrangements before I found one I liked, then cactus soil and a good water.  All the plants I chose are hardy to -10F, the brick wall in theory should radiate heat (what there is in the winter) back at the box at night.  If it seems like it will be colder, maybe toss a moving blanket over it??  will probably put mulch over as the green dies back in the fall..

Finished the plants in front.

How funky is that begonia??

Really love this corkscrew grass - but it needs it's own pot - it's the only plant that wants wet roots. Maybe someday if I have a water feature, I can get a bunch!

Will have to take a picture wen the geraniums actually bloom, and the 2nd from the top should end up with blue flowers.

Anyone who has seen my pictures in the last few years knows I'm in love with portulacas (the pink and white in this box and the pink on the top step in the previous picture) and whatever the name of those yellow and orange daisy like flowers.
 

Some garden pictures

 Herb pyramid filling in nicely.

 Eggplant flowers!!

 Cukes!

 Spaghetti squash!

Trying celery this year!

Balcony Garden - cucumbers

Trying something new with cucumbers this year.  I planted them inside a tomato cage.  I saw examples of this on Pinterest so I figure it's worth trying.  (The water bottle has pinholes in it so when I water I can fill up the bottle and have it wet the soil slower - and hopefully longer so it won't be dry when I get home at night.  Also seen on Pinterest, I did about 1/3 my pots that way to see what happens. It's the one literish size before you tell me the pot is too small.)

Balcony garden is almost planted! Herb Tower

I moved my herb tower to the shadier side of the balcony.  Maybe because of the metal trays - but no matter how much water, or how much coco fiber and peat mulch was mixed into the soil, the herbs just burned up.  Hoping the new spot helps that - it still gets full morning sun but afternoon sun gets filtered through the tree.  It's also less windy on this side.

You say Potato I say Tomato

Check out what I saw at Derring's Nursery in Roxbury!!  A plant that makes tomatoes on top and after the season you get potatoes from the bottom!!  How could I not buy it??  (no I don't anticipate harvesting $25 worth of tomatoes and potatoes although cherry tomatoes are like $4 a small container so maybe...) it is the total coolness factor!!

Weather hasn't been garden friendly

It rained almost every day for 2 weeks, it's been pretty cold (if you're a tomato or a pepper plant at least)  Today is supposed to have a high or 62 so I put my plants out on the deck for a few hours to start getting them used to the outdoors!

I also tried planting some chard, carrot and radish seeds... they are taking forever!

 
 

Poor Angeliques are water logged

The Bleeding hearts however seem happy:

Prophetic Rose Bush?

My already weird rosebush got all excited about the warm weather back in march and started leafing.  Then we had a snowstorm, hail, freezing rains and deep frosts at the beginning of the month.  I really thought this was the end of the bush - all the leaves died, shriveled and a plant without leaves can't make food from the sun.  I was sad but it fit the gloomy melancholy mood I was in. Now that spring seems to be here for real, new leaves are popping out. 

Hoping the same goes for my mood. (although work seems determined to keep me pissed off, and to top it off they've gone on a firing spree when we are shorthanded to start)

Bleeding Hearts

My bleeding hearts are blooming..echoing my own heart...