Went and bought bacon, lettuce, and some good white bread. My refrigerator already contains mayonnaise. Have been noticing a couple of red orbs (NOT grape tomatoes!), so am about to start a summertime lunchtime love affair with BLTs. Sometimes, it's the little things. Take the time, people. Roses are everywhere!

I had visitors at the house Saturday afternoon. My 'big' sister Karen, and her husband Armand. Here we are, in front of the garden --- No tomatoes are red, yet.

Way beyond knee-high

Hello. It's been over 2 weeks since my last post. We had a great rain last night. This past Monday I used dill, cilantro and basil from the garden in my dinner. No peppers have formed, and no tomatoes are ripe [but the plants are loaded and growing like crazy]. Here are some pictures -

• phase 2, before weeding.
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• phase 2, after weeding and preening [YEA!]
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• photo of the garden on Sunday, June 28th.
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• Den came over yesterday and helped me move the tomato trellis.
• The little critters are growing like crazy.
• I think maybe it's the perfect trellis for 4 tomato plants, and i'm pretty much going to overstress this nifty little street-find with the 6 plants.
• getting dry quickly here - probably going to need to soak the garden on tuesday or wednesday.
• to your health!

• Was able to spend a little time in the garden this evening. Weeded the phase 2 plot, and transplanted some of the basil plants. We've had so much rain lately, the tomatoes are growing like crazy. Really need to get the tomato trellis spread out and moved before the blooms turn into fruit.
• Nate G. gave me some concrete pavers for use in my yard - now it's a matter of finding a good use for them.

• Enjoy the picture - I'm thinking of calling these 2 rows "The Ray Vondrak Memorial Basil Garden."

Here's to your health!

Here's the plan of the garden, with the plants labeled. Once again, in short, here are the descriptions for each number: Tomatoes:

• 6099: Grandma Mary's Paste: Roma
• 6002: Fireworks: Early producer
• 6721: Grape Tomato: snack-sized fruit.
• 5940: Brandywine Red: Mid-season.
• 5520: Giant Belgium: Beefsteak
• 3300: First Prize Hybrid: Mid-season

Peppers:

• 5340: Pasilla Bajio: rich, smoky flavor.
• 9748: Trinidad Perfume: no-heat, yummy habanero.
• 9062: Garden Salsa Hybrid: medium heat, for salsa.

• Incredible rain Friday night and last night.
• I had turned the soaker hose on at 9 pm Friday;At 3 a.m. I awoke to the deluge - I made my way out to the garden and turned the hose off.
• Definitely over an inch of rain Friday night.
• A bit of sun toward late afternoon Saturday.
• The heavens opened up again Saturday night.
• Overcast and drizzly today.
• Here's how it looks - after a week from the last photo. (Note the blooms on the middle front tomato plant).
• To your health!

• Here's a picture of the garden taken from the east, looking west.

• I'm going to try to post a new picture weekly - should be fun to see the tomatoes grow up the trellis.

• I documented the planting plan yesterday, so look for a little graphic in the next week or two.

• To your health!

Here's a picture I took yesterday - 3 peony bushes by my front walk (on the neighbor's property). What a nice burst of color the peonies are adding to the cityscape!

• What a great Memorial Day this has been!

• Started with a decent breakfast, and headed over to Boys Town between 8 and 8:30. The race started at 9. Ran about 40 minutes for 5 miles. Dr. Hans and his son Chris paced me the whole way. Katrina from the office finished a little after me - but of course, she looked fabulous, even at the end of the race.

• Got home, and realized Don Cross was around his house today (with pick-up). Told him about an old display rack that was leaning up against the OTCYP scene shop at 21st and St. Mary's. I drove downtown to confirm - yep! still there. Don came, and we caravaned back to Wirt Street. Don had to scoot away to continue working on his father's house.

• Dennis had called to see what was up. Told him I was about to start weeding, and we arranged to garden and bbq. Pulled all of the weeds from the phase 1 plot, put the display rack up in the middle of the tomatoes, put Preen down everywhere, and set the soaker hose on (about time to turn it off - I'm soaking for 4 hours). After the effort I went up to take a shower. Dennis doesn't sweat so much, so he decided to hang out outside and bask in our efforts (and have a cigarette, of course). I arrived outside 10 minutes later just as he had the display rack secured to a hook on my house - yep - the whole thing had collapsed onto the pepper plants in front, but it looks like the peppers and tomatoes all came out of the experience unscathed. Here's a picture of Dennis and I (post Preen / pre- display rack collapse).

• To your health!

• What a great rain we had - yesterday afternoon, all night long, and on into mid-morning. Don't know how much rain we got, but it was sure a good one.
• So, now that I've talked about the wet, back to the dry: more garden expenses: We were at $42.15. Since then, here's what else was purchased:
• the 6 packs of plants from Wal-mart were actually 10: 2 marigold 6-packs and 8 pansy 6-packs. total cost: $19.80
• The 120 pounds of manure I put on the garden cost $4.80. Expensive shit, eh? This was purchased at the Westlake on Saddle Creek.
• Packets of mammoth basil, mammoth dill, and cilantro from Menard's: $3.43. The bean seeds were leftover from 2 years ago.
• $27.93 + $42.15 = $70.08. So the garden, including some lovely flowers on my front and back steps, has cost me $70 so far this year.
• My next "project" is going to be some kind of wonder-trellis made out of 2" metal studs and wood 1x2s (all stuff I've had sitting in the garage) - I'll definitely be posting a picture of that whenever it's constructed. For reals.

Okay. Now I see why Wordpress is so superior to Google, blog-wise. Just not much to pick from here - and I don't know a thing about HTML interface. So you'll see the template here change a couple more times throughout the summer, I'm sure. Today we had great spring rain. Coolish weather, in the 60s. The tomatoes and peppers are really starting to take off - am anxiously awaiting the emergence of the herbs and beans. All for now - greetings from north O! Here's hoping there's a new councilman for my district when I rise-and-shine tomorrow.

I put phase 2 of the garden in today. Had intended it would only be herbs, but then I found a partial packet of green bean seeds from 2 years ago. Here's what went into the ground today: Herbs: back (4th) row: dill. 3rd row: basil. 1st (front) row: cilantro. The bean seeds all went in the 2nd row...with a smattering in the dill-row. While I like dill, I realize that it's basically a weed, so figure just a few plants will make it through "cuts" --- the little exercise with the tomato and pepper seedlings taught me a big thing this year - always over-sow the seeds. Like 2-to-4 times as many as you want, and then yank out the weakest seedlings, if there's multiple to choose from. Here's some pics showing the seeds in the ground, and the relationship to phase 1. The sideways picture in the middle is looking from the east, down the rows, back to my cellar door. Turn your i-phones for a better view. Hope I didn't jinx myself by putting the plants in without Dennis. The phase 1 plants he put in are all doing well (note the 2 milk jugs with the tops cut off). More financial stuff and a little plan soon to follow. Cheers!

Hi. I'm back from the wonderful world of Disney. Happy to be back. Dennis did a good job of taking care of the plantlets. All 6 of the peppers are looking good. 2 of the 6 tomatoes are looking a little sickly - will need to see how they do by this weekend. The reserve plants in the basement are all thriving, so I've got a replacement at-hand. All for now - more later. I need to get a roll-call of the folks at work that took plants - Might as well be mildly scientific about this planting season.

• Put plants in the ground today. Took about 2 hours to prepare the ground in the little triangle out from my dining room bay window. Just turned 120 pounds of manure into the ground that laid fallow the past year. Went away for a while. Came back and was greeted by my friend Dennis Forslund. He's truly a city dweller, but absolutely has a connection with the earth. All day I meant to check the weather - see if freezing weather is expected again. After everything was planted, I finally checked the weather. No freezing weather for this following week!

• Planted one of each of the 6 varieties of tomatoes in the raised back bed of the garden. Planted two of each of the 3 varieties of peppers in the front bed. Ringed the whole [currently planted] area with marigolds: tomato-friendly orange alternating with fluffy, happy yellow. All of the tomatoes and peppers got covered with half-gallon milk jugs. Thoroughly soaked the ground.

• Before putting the plants into the vegetable bed, Dennis filled 3 window boxes with pansies. We bought six 6-packs for $1.85 each at Wal-mart. You'll be seeing more receipts from my shopping today. Please bear with me.

• Finally! Some spare time, a Brady Bunch marathon is on, and it's too cold to be doing much outside. So now a recap of the garden's current expenses (at last I can throw receipts away!!)

• First things purchased were some seeds from Thompson & Morgan (quality English seeds since 1855). The aromatic Begonia seeds is what piqued my interest. I also ordered tomato-loving marigolds. Total order came to $10.90 after shipping and handling. Very expensive seeds. The marigold seeds came right up, though, so am excited about being able to put them out at the same time as the rest of the garden.

• Marigold seeds cost $2.45, plus approx. $1.55 for the shipping, so let's say $4.00.

• Second purchase was from Tomato Grower's Supply Company. Eight packets of seeds for $27.65. Five tomato seed packets, three peppers packets. Al Macchietto gave me $10 toward the cause.

• The mini-greenhouse cost $6 at Walmart. The 66 peat pots and transplanting mix cost $14.50.

• So now we're at $42.15.

• I bought a bunch of peat pellets for next year. 3 packages, at $2.00 each. So now, with any luck, the seeds, greenhouse, and starter pellets for the germination are all taken care of for next year. About half of the starter-soil is still left, as well as another 22 peat pot ($2 for those), so as long as there's not a devastating nuclear holocaust, it should be a nice inexpensive garden next year.

• It's supposed to be warm tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get outside and prepare the garden spot. Maybe I can even get my friend Dennis to help!

This weekend it was quite the Herculean undertaking. All of the little seedlings were transplanted to peat-pots. Out of 72 spaces in the greenhouse, I believe there's a grand total of 65 pots [6 peat pellets had no germination present: wah-wah]. I did some of the work Saturday during the day and night, and finished up on Sunday morning. I just checked on the little fellas, and the seedlings seem to be thriving in their new potting/planting mixture. It's beginning to smell like spring!

Less than one week since the seeds were planted, and here's what it's looking like. I purchased pots and soil for transplanting - this should happen sometime next week. In one of the upcoming blogs I'm going to put up the financials for this little pre-garden.

The marigolds are going crazy. After only 3 days. I put a fluorescent light over the green house this morning. Need to make tracks toward transplanting the marigolds next weekend. I think a few of the tomato seeds were germinating as well. slowly. but still - it looks like there will be quite a few plants popping out from under the green house lid. Woo-hoo!!

Here are the rows in the greenhouse, from left to right: Grandma Mary's Paste #6099: This familiar heirloom variety has large, pointed red paste tomatoes that are meaty and flavorful, just right for cooking into sauce or chopping up for fresh use. Expect abundant harvests, as these plants are prolific. Indeterminate. 70 days. Paste. Garden Salsa Hybrid #9062: A medium-hot pepper developed just for homemade salsa! It is milder than Jalapeno but hotter than Anaheim, offering the amount of heat that suits the average American palate. Also useful for picante sauce and various other Mexican dishes. Smooth green peppers are 8 to 9 inches long and 1 inch wide, ripening to red. Large plants produce a big yield and are tobacco mosaic virus resistant. 73 days. Fireworks #6002: What makes this variety really special is that it is one of the largest, earliest red slicing tomatoes available, and it has excellent flavor. This combination of size, earliness, and good taste is truly uncommon, but Fireworks is an exceptional variety. Its bright red fruit are 6 to 8 ozs., round with a pointed tip, and borne quite heavily on vigorous plants. Indeterminate. 60 days. Early season. Trinidad Perfume #9748 (30 seeds) $2.85 This wonderful seasoning pepper from Trinidad may look like a typical habanero, but it has no heat. What it does have is delectable pepper flavor that adds so much to make Caribbean dishes or other cuisines really special. Pendant peppers are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long and mature to golden orange-yellow. Plants are tall and extremely prolific. 80 to 85 days. (Three rows of 'special' marigolds) Grape Tomato #6721: Long, grape-like clusters of brilliant red elongated cherry tomatoes have earned this variety its name. Very sweet, complex flavor is delicious and has made these tomatoes a favorite of people everywhere. In fact, pints of these have become a popular supermarket item. Vigorous vines are very productive, but none of these delectable little morsels will go to waste. Their taste is addictive! Crack-resistant and tolerant to heat and a number of tomato diseases. Indeterminate. 60 days. Small-fruited. Brandywine Red (Landis Valley Strain) #5940: This special strain of Red Brandywine comes from Chester County, Pennsylvania, where it originated in 1885. It produces medium-sized, 8 to 12 oz. round, smooth red fruit that are juicy and loaded with intense tomato flavor. This is a different strain than regular Brandywine Red, which has a much larger and more ribbed tomato. This foliage is shaped like a regular tomato leaf and is not potato-leaved. Expect high yields of this very flavorful tomato. Indeterminate. 78 days. Mid-season. Pasilla Bajio #9340: When fresh, this pepper is called 'chilaca;' it is also known as 'chile negro.' 8 to 10 inch long cylindrical peppers are thin walled, and dark green ripening to dark brown. They have less than 250 Scoville units and are mainly used dried for their rich, smoky flavoring in sauces. Plants are tobacco mosaic virus resistant. 75-80 days. Giant Belgium #5520: Developed in Ohio, this variety is distinctive for its fruit that averages 2 lbs., but has been known to grow to an enormous 5 lbs. Tomatoes are dark pink and solid meat with smooth blossom ends and a delicious sweet flavor. Some folks make wine from these very sweet tomatoes. Indeterminate. 90 days. Beefsteak. First Prize VFFNT Hybrid #3300: Exclusive release of Tomato Growers Supply Company. The kind of tomato home gardeners would love to grow for a county fair entry. Vigorous plants produce loads of delicious 10 to 12 oz. fruit, even when conditions are not ideal. This one was a winner in our trials for its high yields, good disease resistance, mid-early maturity, and great flavor. First fruit mature early and low on the plant, which continues to bear tomatoes over a long season. Indeterminate. 75 days. Mid-season.

Planted 72 peat pellets with seeds. 12 rows of 6. 3 x 6 peppers, 1x6 grape tomatoes, 1x6 roma tomatoes, and 4x6 regular eatin' tomatoes. Put a heater under the tray, setting 2. Need to get a fluorescent light rigged over the table this weekend.