Growing Challenge report

The peas are getting bigger so I put up a pseudo-trellis (chicken wire & bamboo stakes). And each year, after messing with this, I resolve to construct something more stable & permanent for peas - and forget all about it by the end of the year. I used the chicken wire that had been covering the bed, so it was already stretched out (the good thing) but was slightly too long and therefore quite floppy (the frustrating thing). After I was finished I realized I sh/have put it on the INSIDE of the row for better accessibility, but was too exasperated to move it...maybe this weekend...
The radishes, lettuces, & spinach (next to the peas) are doing fine, & in the next bed the carrots, beets, kohlrabi & chard are up. With the rain we've been having, I'm going to have to start weeding soon.


I was able to get all the tomato plants into either the ground or pots/buckets. The roma (Viva Italia) tomatoes are in the white buckets in the background. In the gray pot are 2 of the more compact 'maters (Kootenai); in the 2 smaller pots are banana (sweet) peppers - first time I've tried growing them.
I planted the grapes on either side of this arbor, so now the only unplanted fruits are the trees. Definitely on the TO DO list for this weekend.


Last year I planted sweet peas in this half barrel with leaf lettuce around the outside. You can see the volunteer lettuce at the top plus some volunteer spinach than I transplanted from the garden on either side. At the lower/bottom almost-center (5 o'clock position?) are 2 gourd plants I started inside. And in the center, my Bloody Butcher. This is an heirloom variety I bought from The Tomato Lady - I wanted a few more, but she only had one left, so I've put 'him' in here (don't tell the others, but I think he's my favorite...)
The red potato plants are starting to poke through the ground, and the strawberries are starting to flower. The blueberries have lots of blossoms, so that's a good sign.

And finally, here's a photo of those many petunias, all 144 of them - non-edible but are planted for the hummingbirds & the bees. When they look a little better, they'll be placed in various spots around the yard.