Day whatever

I haven't documented my plants for a while because the growth was becoming less noticeable. They produced some fruit and it seemed FOREVER before they ripened. This last week however, it has been hot and they haven't had as much water (I've been out of town), so they spent that time ripening rather than growing. I've plucked about a dozen little pear tomatoes and three heirloom. Two of the heirloom were small and half rotten on the bottom. The other one is my prize. The first to grow and largest this far. I bought some mozzarella cheese to enjoy with it as a caprese salad.

I have started pulling another set of tomato worms off the plants again as well. Between those and the weather, my plants have seen better days.

On the other hand, my carrots have shot up since I thinned them, and my peppermint is growing like a weed.

Day 49

The real battle begins! This morning I found 4 tomato hornworms on my plants. 3 on the pear tomato and 1 on the other. Almost missed the last one. I hope I got them all. I scour those bushes daily now looking for budding fruit and never saw any worms. Where do they come from?!!
I can see on the leaves they have been snacking. **update** found another one on the pear tomato plant. Argh!
I am also going to have to start watering multiple times a day. Today's forecast:

On the happy side I do have a lot more fruit - especially on the pear tomato plant; it is going crazy.

Nice bushy tomato plants. Freshly watered before today's high

Big and little tomatoes

Just a few of the pear tomatoes

The culprits

Flourishing herbs

Sprouting carrots

day 42

What a tough past two weeks for the tomatoes. They are doing well despite that it was 100 degrees and then pouring rain a few days later. I just this morning saw a big black bumblebee fly away from one of the plants. That's gotta be good for it!

This week was most exciting because of the appearance of tomatoes! 

First heirloom tomato

First pear tomato

 The plants have gotten really thick and bushy this week. My husband stepped outside yesterday when I tending to them and even noticed how big they look. (That's a first)

Heirloom tomato plant

 

Pear tomato plant

Carrots spouting!

Day 35

It has been a tough week for the tomatoes. The previous two days have been 100 degrees. Here is a little extra information: container plants - vegetables - need watered every day. I didn't water the previous evening - got a little busy with the parents. So after missing some water and then hot temperatures... they looked pretty sad Thursday night. 

Sad plant

Here it is the next morning. I watered it in the evening, the morning, and the evening again. I also moved the plants to the other side of the patio with more shade. Unfortunately, it is by the air conditioning unit; its' not so pretty on that side. Although it looked even better after the 2nd day of triple digits.

on the mend

New spot for the tomatoes. More shade

So despite the tomatoes trauma, they are still pretty big. The herbs are looking pretty good - the basil hasn't grown up much, but the parsley and oregano has taken off! 

whew- that oregano is getting big

oh- one more thing! this morning on Pinterest I saw a container with carrots - it looked pretty easy to grow them and I had some extra soil. So when I found myself wandering past the pots - actually after spotting the pots from the other side of the store - I shortly found a pot and pack of carrot seeds in my cart. I'd take a picture, but now it just looks like a pot of dirt. ;-)

Day 27

My garden is growing more each week! I love it! I have starting to need to move the pots. I twisted the heirloom plant around earlier this week and then had to create some distance between the plants before I took a picture. Then the herbs are so tall that they're blocking the view to the tomatoes. I think I might need to make some pesto. Now what to do with all that parsley? 

Oh, I also added a plant my mom gave me (will pot it this weekend). And then a little extra something I am hoping will perk up.

Garden week 4

Heirloom Tomato Plant

Yellow Pear Tomato Plant

Basil, parsley, oregano

Can you guess the plant? The label is smudged.

Day 21

Wow, my tomato plants really grew this week. They were barely peeking over the first ring, now they are nearly at the next one. Also, I can tell the difference of the two of them. The one that will have larger tomatoes is looking like it- bigger stems and leaves.

Getting big!

Still have lots of new growth

  

 After I took the photo of my plant I pulled a bunch of basil off to make some bruchetta. I love the smell of fresh basil. I mixed it with some local fruity olive oil and garlic. Ate it with some mozzarella and crackers. Yum!

Fresh ingredients!

Bruchetta!

Day 14

  I love watching my garden grow. I make sure my plants are watered everyday. Earlier this week I noticed a flower; I was super excited. It's especially enjoyable to me to watch the plants from these week to week pictures. It seems the first week they were just a couple of small branches, then they filled out, and now they are reaching above the first rim of the tomato cage. Oh, it's great. I hope I get tomatoes too. Can you imagine how excited I will be then?

Well, I seem to keep taking pictures during the time of day when my shadow falls right on the plants. I nearly laid on my back to get these ones. The second is supposed to be my close up. I gave them some miracle grow tomato food as well.