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Attack of the Potatoes

Okay recently in one corner of the garden I couldn't help but notice that everytime I turned around the potato plants seemed to be growing. I thought that it must just be a mistake because they were already bearing down on the 2 foot mark and the guide said they would be 1-2 feet tall. Mind you they started at the bottom of a 6 inch trench. I checked for flowers everyday as a sign that they were slowing down because frankly I just didn't allot that much space in the bed for the potatoes.

Well today they are just three inches shy of 3 feet tall and FINALLY a flower. I can only hope that this is some sort of signal that they have ceased their upward and outward takeover and will now focus on the actual potatoes. If anyone has found a way to send a message to your plants that that will be quite enough, there is no more room for you, please share. I have a couple more renegades that didn't seem to get the memo.

What's Growing-Seeds in the City-Summer 2010

We are very happy to have such a healthy and happy garden this year that is already producing. Friends of Seeds in the City get your recipes ready. This is what we have growing this year.

Basil-Black Opal
Beet-Burpees Golden
Beet-Early Blood Turnip
Beet-Pronto
Bean-Blue Lake Black Seeded Pole Bean
Bean-Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean
Bean-Royal Burgundy Bush Bean
Borage
Carrot-Danvers
Carrot-Dragon
Carrot-Red Core Chantenay
Carrot-Scarlet Nantes
Corn-Golden Bantam
Cucumber-A&C Pickling
Cucumber-Bush Champion
Cucumber-True Lemon
Dill
Eggplant-Imperial Black Beauty
Eggplant-Listada de Ganadia
Eggplant-Rosa Bianca
Lettuce-Jericho Romaine
Lettuce-Webbs Wonderful
Onion-Parade Bunching
Pepper-Jalapeno
Pepper-Mini Red Bell
Pepper-Quadrato Asti Giallo
Pepper-Sweet Banana
Potato-Desiree Red
Pumpkin-Cornfield
Pumpkin-Rouge Vif'd etampes
Radish-Cherry Belle
Rosemary
Spinach-America
Spinach-New Zealand
Squash-Anna Swartz
Squash-Buttercup
Squash-Spaghetti
Thyme-Spicy Orange
Tomato-Celebrity
Tomato-Paul Robeson
Tomato-San Diego
Tomato-Yellow Pear
Watermelon-Chris Cross
Watermelon-Sugar Baby
Zaatar

No SERIOUSLY, get ready, we might have gone overboard and in a couple months it's going to be crazy.

Bake seedlings at 350 degrees for two hours....

I must be honest; I have never owned a greenhouse. Being from Southern California, I have never really experienced what most people refer to as "seasons". That being said Josh has been eager to find some sort of housing for the seedlings after they inexplicably jumped off their perch on to the ground in his office (trying not to take it personally). Josh found a great portable greenhouse that wouldn’t take up much space, would house my seedlings and would give us a place to grow some summer crops in the winter.

It arrived the day before yesterday and it was perfect. Josh quickly set it up and placed it out on the balcony. I couldn't wait to get my seedlings into their new home so I promptly placed them on the shelves and zipped it up tight seeing as it was a cool overcast day.

I went about my day and while casually walking by the new greenhouse two hours later I couldn't help but feel a nice cozy warmth emitting from inside. I looked inside and gasp in horror as all my seedlings were wilting under the immense heat. I frantically zipped open the door and a microwave popcorn like steam was released from within.

As if they were on fire I quickly dosed everything with water practically drowning them in the process. The pumpkin and eggplant seemed quite pleased with the new temperature but the carrots and tomato were lost. I couldn’t help but wonder if they believed this was a payback for their stunt in the office. I almost think these seedlings and I might have too much past baggage and it might be better for us both to move on.

Whatever does end up happening, one thing I will probably not be caught doing until the dead of winter is zipping up the new greenhouse.