Adopt a Crop update: Alive and random

I was getting all verklempt, y'all.

I mean, on one hand my last Pickling Cucumber seedling was still alive and putting out new leaves and didn't show signs of bastard bug devastation - which was RAD. I wasn't yet having to write the "I suck and all my plants are dying" update, which makes us all that much happier.

But on the other hand, the runner up crops, which I'd so whimsically planted thinking "oh won't it be nice when everyone (almost) gets what they wanted" were really sort of languishing. Wilting. Not thriving. And just generally sucking the bag.

And, of course, I was hearing Thimbleanna in the back of my head going, "you're not loving the beets enough Finny! LOVE THEM MORE! MAKE THEM GROW!" and I was getting worried about disappointing her because she seems dangerous and enthusiastic - a combination known to be frightening. (Wuv you Anna!)

Until I realized how wonderfully random beets are.

Hello, random and misplaced thriving beet:

See, this guy started springing ahead a week or so ago and I thought (forgive me) it was an ugly marigold making its ugly but welcomed and necessary entrance.

No no.

It is apparently a beet out of water because I just don't know how it got from one bed to another but it's likely that I can thank my haphazard seed sowing technique for this fun and random surprise.

I can also confirm that there are, indeed, some ugly marigolds making their entrance somewhere (finally, Uglies!) since I found them in a different bed than where I thought I'd planted them which was with the damn lettuce.


What DID happen when I was planting this year? Lord I must have been hammered.

Anyhoo - the update is good this time and since I have you all here under the guise of The Adopt a Crop Cucumber is Alive and everything, I am going to do an everything update because that was my intention in the first place: to yammer endlessly about the garden.

Sorry, too late now - you're already in.

Basil: WOO! The snails haven't destroyed you with big yucky holes. And that is because someone (Ginger - wuv you!) is a genius and reminded Finny the Forgetful about the joys of beer baits. Take that drunkard snails and slugs. I WIN! For now anyways.

Beets - Randomly alive and one is thriving! The rest look the same and it's baffling me in the most annoying way.

Jalapa jalapeno: Not good. It looks droopy and sad. It might die and I have no idea why. It gets water. It gets sun. It has a nice spot in the new bed. Mystery.

Lettuce - Don't be fooled by this angelic looking lettuce plant. The other HUNDRED or so seedlings are nowhere near this impressive or glorious. This one will be a feast though.

Midget Cantaloupe: Um, it's about the same. But alive, which is good.

Tomatoes - There are more of the aforementioned fat feeling blossoms, which is great! But the plants aren't producing a lot of greenery which sort of worries me. However, I'm reserving real worry for warmer weather. If they still look stunted, I'll panic then. Don't you just want to (gently) squeeze around the blossom base there? Where it looks kinda fat? That's a future tomato! Be excited with me so I don't feel like a loser, k?

Radishes (Perfecto) - You are not so perfecto. I mean - what is this? Like JUST putting out your second leaves? Lame. I *may* not be watering you enough and I'm trying really hard to care right now.

Rainbow chards: Slow growing but good. They firmed up a bit after the warm weather and regular water. I have some hope, but thanks to our CSA, I'm eating my fair share of chard and not *super* worried about getting extra from the garden.

Ronde de Italia Squash - Holy hell this plant is going to take over my yard. I thought it would be small and compact as indicated on its lying tag, but it appears to have its eye on the better part of my yard. So far there are no fewer than half a dozen squash set and nearly ready for picking. Whoa.

Snap peas - Kicking ass. Soon I will have snap peas and I can tell you the story of Bubba and Snap Peas which you will like because it's gross.

Strawberries - Oh how I love thee. Let me count the ways...Specifically, I have been able to pick about half dozen a day and have even offered some up to Bubba who has forgotten them on the kitchen counter a lot, so has had his special Strawberries from the Garden Just For You privileges revoked.

So, in a shell: the cucumber is alive, as is its big brother (seedling with tendrils already woo!) and the rest of the garden is coming along slowly but surely.

The weather here has been swerving wildly from cold and windy (50 degrees) to hot and dry (90 degrees) over the last few weeks, so it's likely that the garden is just as confused as I am and doesn't know whether to wear shorts or a parka.

So who can really blame it for acting weird. I mean, I was wearing shorts with a cashmere sweater the other day - it makes no sense.