Container Gardening

      Or as I like to put it, fresh herbs and vegetables, NO WEEDING! For a few years we did the giant vegetable garden, but when our little slave , oops daughter, flew the coop, it came down to Wifey or I to weed. As neither of us list this as one of our favorite outdoor activities, the garden had to go. Off it went to return as a beautiful flower garden,( see previous posts for pics of this years blooms).  And since flowers are strictly the domain of the wife (I get to help plant BUT only where I am told to plant), the weeding falls out of my jurisdiction, WOO HOO. What I am in charge of are the containers on the deck, every year these hold a variety of fresh herbs, hot peppers and what ever else catches my eye on our annual plant shopping trip.

     This year has been a bumper crop for tomatoes , ( seriously we had three ripe ones already, which is three more than last year). a new pepper crop called Caribbean red hots, ( not a lie, had the first on Saturday, wooo hoo a bit spicy ), basil is nice, Rosie is doing great, ( year round rosemary plant, we bring her in every winter), mint has exploded (this has to be a weed, I grow good weeds). Lemon grass (what?? sounded like a good idea at the time) and fennel are both doing great (OK ,seriously, anyone know how to tell when the fennel bulb is ripe and ready to pick?) . Not doing so good, serrano's, (plant died), habaneros, I JUST got flowers, we may never see peppers,  jalapenos are OK but very small crop, only 3-4 this year.

 A look at this years crops;

                                                   Jalepenos

Caribbean red Hots

Mint,and two basils

Rosemary

      All in all not a bad crop. Update, Wifey decided that the fennel must be ripe (it wasn't) So now we will never see if we can grow fennel to bulb size (at least until next year). And I still have to figure out what I am going to do with the lemongrass, but it looks cool. Finally a few more late summer blooms;

                                                       Balloon Flower

Day Lily

Cosmos

Hydrangea

      Until, next time happy gardening.