A Gardener's Work Is Never done.

Today I had planned on tilling all the new beds, but I spent half the day emptying and cleaning the refrigerator instead.  Unplanned work, I assure you.

I did manage to go cut more bamboo and construct a trellis for the sugar snap peas and the pole beans.  I went ahead and planted pole beans, again, it may be too early, but I think they'll be fine.  I had planned on planting Nikki, but the seed I ordered in January (and was charged for in January still haven't arrived.)  I won't be ordering from them again, less than half of my order was in the box, and phone calls haven't yet worked.  So, I planted Santa Anna instead.  If the Nikki make it here, I might go ahead and plant another bed so I can try them. 

I trimmed back the hibiscus, but I ran out of energy to haul the trimmings to the curb for pick up.  Maybe tomorrow.

The following pictures are awful, shadowy, poorly composed and poorly lit.  The yard is also a bloody mess, but if this is to document what I'm doing in the garden, I'm going to go with the good the bad and the ugly.  I will hope to show you great improvement in the next few weeks.  Remember, it is only February.  (All photos may be clicked to make them larger)

This is the view from the back door looking west.  You can see the rainbow chard on the left side of that bed.  Carrots have sprouted in the rest of the bed, and cucumbers will go there when it gets warmer.

Here you can still see the chard, now on the right, and three of the new beds.  If you look back into the corner you can see where I have cut back a wisteria and a bougainvillea.  They both where a pain in the ass and planted in the wrong spot.  I am temporarily moving my compost pile to that corner after I dig out the roots.  That spot will eventually be home to flowers and a water feature yet to be determined. 

This is looking back the other way, mostly north.  Don't look at the fence, I'm in the middle of a project with it.  I hope to have it done by the end of spring.  If you look past the birdbath you can see my existing compost area.  I plan on planting Scarlet Runner beans there when I get the fence finished, and I hope they will climb all over it.

 

 Looking back from the other side of the yard you can see the baby tomatoes in the left foreground, some lettuce behind it and the pea and bean trellises.

 

 

 A closer look at the lettuce.

 Baby tomatoes - the bottles of water help them stay warm at night.  I meant to cover them today, but I ran out of time.

 The asparagus peeking up.

 The two beds in the back have what's left of the collards, I will plant summer squash there when it gets warmer.

 Little marvel peas with some nasturtiums coming up in the center.  Radishes in the foreground.

 The lettuce left over from fall.  I will have more in a few weeks.

The potatoes.  As the plants grow I keep covering them with soil until just a few leaves show.  Keep doing this every few days and by the time the containers are full they will be full of potatoes.  This works because potatoes only produce tubers above the original root.

 The tomatoes from the other side.