The weather is warming and everything is growing and doing well. Veggies received a bit of a kick from the fish emulsion. There’s definitely a noticeable increase in growth and production. Eggplants are growing, but still young little seedlings. They’ll catch up. Ornamentals are flourishing; some are overgrown and need to be cut back, but unintentionally, I usually leave it for the Fall.
I must to remember to start watering veggies twice weekly—can only water on Mondays and Thursdays. So, if I’m tied up before 9:00am or after 4:00pm on those days, the garden might suffer from the escalating heat. Am accustomed to watering deeply only once a week, but vegetables need more water.
Lately, I’ve forgotten to take pics before harvesting. Zucchini and haricots vert have produced a steady delicious crop. Must remember to take pics prior to picking. I just gave a rather plump zucchini to a neighbor this past weekend.
Also, I’m finding it a bit trying to post these days, since right now, it’s more about patience and upkeep. It was through gardening that I learned patience. One must patiently wait for plants and veggies to grow—and mature enough for harvest—especially in organic gardening. It’s not to say that plants don’t necessarily grow before one’s eyes, but there’s no room for steroid-like growth induced by chemical/synthetic fertilizers such as Miracle Grow. It’s like crack for one’s plants. They grow too rapidly, which makes them vulnerable to attack by insects like aphids. The fertilizer actually depletes the soil of nutrients over time, since it “feeds” the plants without replenishing the soil. Over time, plants use up all the nutrients in the soil without replenshment. The “fertilizer” does not make the soil more fertile at all; it actually harms and kills off beneficial microbes and bacteria in the soil, that should be fertilizing plants. If that wasn’t enough, the plants become dependant, just like crack. It’s sickening and sad to see how popular those products are at big box store garden centers. People think they’re doing something good, but in reatlity they’re harming the environment.
In contrary, organic gardening feeds the soil with beneficial bacteria and microbes, that feed earthworms and other soil borne critters. Worm castings, or worm poop, is a great organic fertilizer, as well as compost, which is decayed plant, vegetable, grass, hay, newspaper matter. Composting is an excellent way to reduce landfills of perishable matter (no dairy, animal fat, and non-pershiables), while recycling, reusing, and feeding the garden. Fish emulsion is another organic fertilizer that I’ve started using this year. It’s ground up, left over fish parts from the fishing industry. It’s not vegetarian, but it’s organic. Nothing is wasted. That is doing a good thing for one’s garden and the enivronment.
(Channeling my inner Chaplin…)
The pyramids and this fountain both stand out against their surrounding. Both are made of materials in direct contrast to the abutting structures. I.M. Pei’s pyramid made of glass and steel symbolizing modernity against the Louvre’s historical, palatial architecture, while this rose fountain is covered in broken blue & white Delft porcelain symbolizing fine, highly detailed, handmade crafts against the sleek, bold, modernity of Frank Gehry’s design.
