girlfiend

The unidentified peppers are officially out of control but I don’t know when to pick them. They seem too big to be Serrano, not lumpy enough to be the California Chile, and not yellow enough to be banana peppers, but maybe they’ll turn yellow if I leave them long enough? I don’t know.

I have two green pepper plants (California Wonder bell peppers they say, but who believes the labels anymore?) that are slowly growing. One is starting to get little blooms. The one banana pepper (so it says, but again, you can’t believe what you read) plant is also getting little blooms.

The eggplants have survived all aphid attacks and are currently flowering, which I hope means eggplants to come. The blossoms are beautiful purple and are oddly spiky. They hurt.

The zucchini (yellow, and definitely considered zucchini) is pathetic. Right now I have one measly, spindly little guy about 4 inches big, a bunch of male blossoms and a couple of less than an inch long zukes that appear to have rotted well before their time. More blossoms appear to be on the horizon, but I have little faith.

My green beans (the skinny, french variety) are flowering like crazy.

Tomatoes, planted after weeks of sitting in my father-in-law’s backyard, appear to be growing slowly. Nothing yet, but I have faith.

The basil is officially too much. I have hours of pesto making in my future. Somehow the two measly little basil transplants have become 5 enormous monsters. I’ve been trying not to use it to discourage growth but it’s not working.

Aphids are easily controlled by swift application of the garden hose. Squirrels hate me. They have eaten all of my cilantro seeds and a few green bean seedlings I planted after the first round. They’ve also eaten a geranium. Fuckers.

The rose of sharon is in bloom but the tiger lilies have sort of crapped out on me- two bloomed, but the rest are just standing there, threatening to, while the rest of the neighborhood’s lilies have been in bloom for weeks. Of the annuals, the petunias, impatiens, begonias and coleus are doing well and the geraniums look like shit. I blame the lack of full sun as well as the squirrels.

These peppers from my garden were labeled jalapeños,  yet look completely different. I’ve not yet tasted them but they smell hot. Any ideas?

And the zucchini? Clearly, it’s not green as I originally expected.

Twice this week I’ve cheered out loud after managing to get a piece of newspaper or junkmail under the cat just in time to catch the vomit.

The Fiendling’s cast came off this afternoon. The sawing was traumatic for him, as were the subsequent x-rays, but it’s off and he’s healed and ready to go. He took off walking almost immediately with a slight limp, but I think I’d be limping too if my leg had been immobilized for the past three weeks.

My jalapeños are still growing like crazy and the zucchini’s beginning to flower. The bean seeds I planted sprouted and only one’s been eaten by a squirrel so far. Since this post is about yeses I’m sort of reticent to mention that I think the eggplants may be goners thanks to the stupid aphids, but time will tell.

I finished a sleeve on the sweater I started for months and months ago. It looks like shit close up, but I finally got the hang of knitting in the round with double pointed needles so hopefully the second sleeve will look better.

I need book recommendations. Fiction or non-fiction that reads like fiction. Any suggestions? Take a look at my 50 Books page to see what I’ve been reading.

It occurred to me, after I transplanted a few plants and planted some seeds for green beans, that most of my veggies will be ready to harvest while I’m away on vacation in July. I’ve been using the herbs as needed though, and a few other vegetables should be ready sooner. Like these jalapeños:

Unless the stupid aphids eat them first.

While I’m posting pictures, does anyone know what this bush is?