bluesgarden | Sunny! Cool Temperatures! Woot!

Pulled weeds and spread some mulch today. It's nice the soil is dry enough for me to be able to actually be in the garden for a change!

The collection of potato buckets, most with leaves beginning to spill over the top and soil filled nearly to the rim.

The collection of potato buckets, most with leaves beginning to spill over the top and soil filled nearly to the rim.

For the record, non-drowned potato plants grow fast.

A close-up of one of the potato buckets from the perspective of the soil level. There's quite a bit of growth showing.

A close-up of one of the potato buckets from the perspective of the soil level. There's quite a bit of growth showing.

I know I planted potatoes in these buckets, it's not like it was kudzu seeds or anything. *eyeballs plants suspiciously*

A sunflower plant is growing well outside the garden.

A sunflower plant is growing well outside the garden.

I can't seem to grow sunflowers in their actual rows (the germination is... pitiful, actually) but last fall the birds were apparently ensuring they'd have munchies this fall.

Beet leaves, spilling over the edge of their planting container.

Beet leaves, spilling over the edge of their planting container.

These are beet plants. They are large! They are crisp! I have no idea if they'll actually result in beets!

The first lacey, delicate, fern like true leaves of a few carrot plants. A tag in the background identifies them as the cultivar Hercules.

The first lacey, delicate, fern like true leaves of a few carrot plants. A tag in the background identifies them as the cultivar Hercules.

The carrot seedlings were thinned yesterday. If they're too close together, the roots (otherwise known as, ya know, carrots) won't develop properly. The seeds, however, are really, really tiny, so it's impossible not to plant too many. Therefore, thinning.

Container planted lettuce seedlings with several leaves each that are maybe three inches high. A wooden tag in the back identifies them as Valmaine.

Container planted lettuce seedlings with several leaves each that are maybe three inches high. A wooden tag in the back identifies them as Valmaine.

Lettuce, which was also thinned yesterday. They're also small seeds and, if not thinned, then they won't develop into large heads.

A pot of orange mint, full of leaves.

Oh sure, the orange mint looks like it's just sitting there, but in reality, it's taken up telepathic communication with its embattled brethren buried under mulch in the tomato patch and is attempting to regain lost ground.

Two small tomato plants (barely past being called 'seedlings') are growing in one space.

Two small tomato plants (barely past being called 'seedlings') are growing in one space.

These little guys slipped past me when I was buying plants. When I was planting, I decided it would be less traumatic for them to keep growing together than to be separated (and have their roots torn apart/damaged).

A crazy, stringy tomato plant that was one of the survivors of the four that were discarded in the compost pile. It's rather difficult to see against the mulch.

A crazy, stringy tomato plant that was one of the survivors of the four that were discarded in the compost pile. It's rather difficult to see against the mulch.

Can you even see the tomato plant here?! This is one of the compost pile survivors, newly trimmed. Figuring out what to cut off was hilarious - first I had to figure out which end was up. Then I discovered that this one was already working on its first tomato - which is what's inside that white circle.

A view of the front of the garden while sitting in the middle of the tomato bed. Beans and melons alternate into the middle distance while tall grasses grow beyond the far edge.

A view of the front of the garden when sitting in the middle of the tomato bed.

A double row of bean plants that are just a few inches high and surrounded by mulch.

A double row of bean plants that are just a few inches high and surrounded by mulch.

I discovered today that I would much rather carry 5-gallon buckets of mulch from the mulch pile to their destination than use the wheelbarrow, even though the wheelbarrow would mean fewer trips. I have a strange aversion to using the wheelbarrow(s) any more than necessary.

A top down shot of a watermelon plant against it's mulch insulation.

A top down shot of a watermelon plant against it's mulch insulation.

The Moon and Stars watermelons are looking chipper.

A still smallish melon plant.

A melon plant just hanging out and looking furtive...

Swiveling to look under the leaves of the melon plant in the previous picture, a hidden yellow flower is revealed.

Swiveling to look under the leaves of the melon plant in the previous picture, a hidden yellow flower is revealed.

Because it has a secret. *grin*

A corn plant grows amidst the garden weeds.

One of the corn plants is waving hi. Ignore the weeds - I'm waiting to see which ones make it to a foot tall first so I can tell which is which.

On the back of the couch, River is nearly sitting on Jack.

On the back of the couch, River is nearly sitting on Jack.

Meanwhile, inside... River: "Moooommmm!! He's in my spot!" (She kept looking over at me, and then back out the window, and then back at me as if to say "MAKE HIM MOVE".)

Jack has moved to the far cushion, leaving River the closer spot.