checking in on the garden: May 2016

If you follow me on Instagram, or caught the mention in this post, you already know we recently installed sod. I’m planning a post for the how-to, but in the meantime, I’ve been inspired to totally overhaul our yard to create an oasis to escape to. When it isn’t sweltering outside, that is. We’ve been lucky this year so far, even though it’s only May. I’m hoping the unseasonably low temperatures stick around long enough for me to finish the yard at least!

This year’s spring garden is full of surprises! Take, for instance, our phantom tomato plants:

They’ve pretty much taken over EVERYTHING. In fact, they are so hearty that all my pepper plants are shriveling up from lack of nutrients. I know they aren’t supposed to be planted together for this very reason, since they’re both heavy feeders and compete with each other. I didn’t plant these tomatoes though – they came up from seed left over in the garden from last season (I think?). So their placement was totally random and their size is just silly. I’ve never seen anything like it! Almost the entire garden bed is tomatoes this season!

Aside from alien tomatoes and dying peppers, basil is growing in a few cells of the cinder block wall. Some of the purple basil I had growing in pots out front made their way back here – I’m guessing by cross pollination since its growing off the plant that’s been there a while now… Another fun surprise? I apparently threw some snapdragon seeds in with  chive seeds in a pot at one end of the garden. The chives sprouted right away so I knew what those were. The snapdragon looked like mint at first, and since it was growing in a pot I’d had mint in previously, I just assumed that’s what it was. I even fed some to my sister, telling her what I thought it was. No flavor, though! It wasn’t until weeks later that the flowers came through and I realized my mistake! HA! Also making it through so far is thyme and dill, although my dill is turning white – anyone know why?

Otherwise, there are some baby cucumber and okra plants hanging tough. Not sure they’ll make it past the tomato invasion, though.

Flowers! We have flowers everywhere! Succulents, lilies, sunflowers, marigolds, snapdragons, roses, windflowers, lantana and vincas. I’m trying to get climbing jasmine to grow big enough to cover our trellis in the back yard, but it hates me I think. And I’ve been debating on putting my elephant food plants in the ground…

Otherwise, I plan to add to my flower selection, put the pepper plants in their own pots, and prepare for a whole lot of tomatoes! Pasta sauce, salsa, and… You got any ideas? What’s happening in YOUR garden??