7/21/10 - Growth Update, Watering, and Critter

The summer rain schedule has been very thoughtful lately ... and has helped in the natural burst of growth.

I went out early this afternoon to tie back a tomato branch and the kids next door came out. (The really hot days and the swimming schedule has kept our gang busy!) It was nice to see them again. The critter(s) have not been fooled by our attempts to keep them away from our bounty and it's starting to frustrate my little friends. (Okay! Me, too.) The first box, that is much fuller in growth, doesn't seem to tempt our thief. Maybe with time, the second box will do the same? In the meantime, I'm going to go and get some more pepper flakes and some chili power from Costco.

Pretty soon, we're going to have tons of cherry tomatoes. Currently, we're picking one or two at a time. We snapped off our first jalapeno (which I'm super excited about) and we were able to recover the pimento that the critter snagged, but then left behind. Kelly's idea to make some pesto is great because we have tons of different types of basil. And, if we don't use it, we're only going to get leggy herbs.

Even though I'm not seeing the kids much, they are keeping an eye on the garden and tracking its progress. I know this by listening to the conversations that they have with each other. My direct neighbors have an advantage in tracking by being able to just peer over the fence. They will have a great view when the sunflowers bloom! :-) Also, the kids are coming by and coloring the back side of the first box. (I keep the pens outside for them to use when ever they want - as well as bug spray.) They decided to keep the second box "clean" until next summer. It's fun to see what they're coloring. They have given me some special messages, but I really am inspired by how positive they are and that they take such pride in their garden. Project Big Hugs has really blossomed into something much better than imagined. I better get going on my research ... I'm still learning about the different growing seasons!

Thanks for reading the blog! Have a great day!