The Rants and Raves of a Foodie/Textilian/Worm Wrangler

rants. raves. & making stuff

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Garden Update: End of June

Like last year, we have one baby bunny that stayed in the yard. This little guy has been bolder and sassier than the other babies we've had in the yard. He/She is now exploring the garden and nibbling things.
I've had to gently coax him out. As usual, the bunnies don't care whether I'm around or not. They don't run very far when I come up on them. I think I was about 2 1/2 feet away from the bunny (top pic) before he finally decided he'd get out of the herb bed (bottom pic).

In the adjacent bed, the adult momma bunny started moving the soil around to start a den. One day the straw was completely cleared and the next day, the area was recovered with straw and the soil really disturbed and lumpy. So, I'm not sure if there are babies in there or not at this point. Last year....
The den looked like the pic above. This year, the rabbit couldn't get to this particular raised bed because I had fenced it off. Usually I don't fence but I was growing English shelling peas and wanted to keep the rabbits from eating them; rabbits can't resist peas or spinach I've learned.

This is the "new" den (?)...
As long as they don't completely uproot my one giant garlic plant (falling over right now in the lower right corner of the pic) I'm good. They can hang in this bed. They have been nibbling on the carrot tops all of sudden, though. This whole growing season, the rabbits have left the carrots alone until this week. I guess they need the extra nutrition for baby making!!

Other things happening in the garden....
IT'S WATERMELON SEASON!! I'm growing two varieties this year. Both are smaller, ice box types. I think I have about 4 watermelons that are pollinated. The top pic is the Sweet Siberian, a more oblong apricot fleshed watermelon. The rounder watermelon in the bottom pic is the Japanese Suika with a cream colored flesh. I can't wait!

And it's MELON SEASON!...
I have about three Zatta Italian melons pollinated (above pic). This is the one that I'm really really really excited about it. It's supposed to be "brutto ma buono", ugly but good!! The two other varieties, one French that's supposed to taste like brown sugar, and the other also an Italian melon that is smaller and traditionally trellised. All are orange fleshed! The other two are just starting to spread vines and climb a trellis.

I decided to do the Southern thang and plant cowpeas this year along with my other pole beans...


My luffa gourds have started to sprout. This is something new I'm growing. They're not for eating, although you can eat them, I'm growing them to dry and turn into natural sponges.






And finally, my tomatoes....
I'm trying to "sweeten" my tomatoes this year with baking soda. Also, this year, I pulled the first sets of flowers off to encourage root growth. I'm hoping this will prevent end rot in the first fruits. The two previous years, ALL my first tomatoes had end rot and had to be thrown out. So far so good. The top pic is the Black Krim and the bottom pic is the Isis Candy, and cherry type.






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