Things are (looking) up

Well, the rain took a three day break (set to return tonight for a couple of days) and we, the plants, Mike and I, used the time productively. I was feeling pretty depressed about everything being destroyed, so the fact some things are alive seems really great. It is all a question of perspective. I was actually happy yesterday when I saw that 7 of 90 beans came up.

On the real upside, Mike is making productive use of all this rain. He has put up a third rain barrel in the front of the house where all the driest beds are. Mike made this barrel by reusing a grease barrel he bought for a couple dollars. I insisted on the new paint job, and the result is quite fetching.


James and Mike hauled a whole bunch of rocks to add to the bed where we took out the gout weed. We are using just rock under the eves where it is dry, then adding rocks and succulents to the part of then bed where conditions are dry but not drought. Mike has a vision of a dry stream bed with cascading plants, and I have been helping with that (see the pics).

The other main project this weekend is hanging up the upside down tomatoes. I have grown these plants from seed and in one pot, they kept snapping in the wind without support. Now that they are against the garage, the wind is less and the plants are larger, which I hope will mean success. I have planted three varieties of various sizes so I can see what is most successful. I was dubious originally about growing plants out the bottom of plant pots, but am interested to see how it will do. We often have blossom end rot due to under watering, so we'll have to be careful to water them well. I'll also add more soil as they get larger. Mike also put up the trellis I have been wanting on the side of the garage.

On the upside, the spinach appears to be recovering from the worm onslaught and we are still enjoying asparagus. The strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are all flowering and I even have a cucumber that has started. I replaced some dead cucumbers and a pumpkin and hope we will have an okay year.