Flowers on the peas!...and tomato leaves curling

The peas are growing very quickly and they are starting to outgrow the trellis. I'm not sure if I should build a taller support because I wouldn't be able to reach that high anyway. I'm wondering if I can coax the plants to grow sideways. I also noticed some flowers yesterday, I didn't notice it earlier because they camouflage pretty well with the foliage. I'm very happy to see the flowers because I was thinking it might be too hot for the peas to produce any pods. Looks like I might be able to harvest a couple of peas!

Super Snap pea flower

The peas shooting up above the trellis

I noticed that the tomato leaves were curling up. I was a little concerned but I read here and other sites that this type of curling is the plant adjusting to changes in the environment (it has been really hot the past couple of day). I know I haven't been over-watering so I definitely think the plant is adjusting to the heat (makes sense to try to reduce surface area by curling). I also read that sometimes if the foliage grows quicker than the roots, it curls up like this to reserve energy for root growth. I feel so bad that this plant is confined to this container so the roots can't really grow so much. Hopefully it will do OK.

 On a happier note, the arugula is coming back I think! I moved it from direct sun to a space under the balcony - I think it is much happier there.

Arugula on the top, mescluns in bottom container

I just love the flowers on the ichiban eggplant. I didn't know I was such a flower person, but I guess I am!

Such generosity!

Yesterday I got this in the mail from Granny.

I was expecting a few seeds but she sent me a whole bunch of seeds for varieties that she thinks will do well in containers. So nice!! I have to evaluate how much space I have and see if I can try one of them this year. If not, I have SO much to look forward to next year!! \\(^o^)// Thanks granny!
I potted the 3 plants I bought at the nursery. So much fun!

Thai Dragon hot pepper in ~2.5 gallon planter

Fairy tale eggplant in ~2.5 gallon planter

Gretel eggplant in ~4/5 gallon planter

Quick pics of little little veggies

The weather is getting more summer-like. The hot weather must be good for the plants since I found a couple of small vegetables forming (in addition to the zucchinis). Great progress on this balcony container vegetable garden! I'm getting a little preview of the harvest to come?!

Little Ichiban eggplant

Little jalapeno pepper

Little Early Girl 50

Need more space!!

I visited valley view farms, garden center and nursery yesterday to pick up a couple of flowers to attract more bees to the garden now that I have so many flowers. This place was amazing! I've been there a couple of times during the winter but never in the summer. They had amazing selection of vegetables and herbs. I tried to resist, but I found 2 eggplants (Greta and Fairy tale) and a pepper plant (thai pepper) that was calling my name so I relented. But after bringing the plants back home, I realized that I don't have much space left over on my balcony with these new plants plus the 10 seedling of tomato and peppers I have hardening off. I think I will have to grow some of the vegetables in front or back of the house! I love living in the city, but just for this I would like to have a backyard!

The new kids on the block

The other seedlings that will be competing for space on the balcony

 I also bought marigold and a plant called pink alyssum that looked really cute. I want to put it on a these flowers on the railing and bought some brackets that doesn't quite fit on the railing. I will have to go back to get the adjustable kind that I wanted to avoid since it was pricey.

I am sad to report a death in the garden...the arugula. I left the planter outside and I guess the sun and wind was just too strong. I'm going to see if the stronger ones will survive but I think, sadly, this batch will not make it. I will have to try again but maybe wait until it get cooler or something. I didn't want to grow it inside because it just breeds fungus gnats and I don't like the little buggers inside the house.

I've also noticed these little red bugs on the balcony that are tiny tiny. I'm not sure if they are harmful for the plants but everything so far seems to be OK  so I'm not going to worry so much about it. After googling tiny red bugs I think it could be spider mites. Hopefully they will not be harmful.

More flowers!...and baby veggies?!

For the past couple of days, I went out of state for a job interview. I realized how much I am addicted to this gardening project. Here are some things that make me sure I need to find a support group for gardening addiction:
1) I checked the weather in Baltimore pretty consistently
2) I noticed all the gardening stores and took me all my effort not to go to one
3) Was reading other gardening blogs than reviewing my job talk
4) Took a mental note that if offered the job will need to negotiate on the start date for after the harvest is complete
5) Seeked out gardening magazine at the airport (didn't buy one though) rather than the fashion/fitness magazines

After being away for 3 days, I find my garden was doing very well. In fact there are now many beautiful flowers.

Zucchini flower

Ichiban eggplant flower

Jalapeno pepper flower

Early Girl 50 flowers

I think I also see little baby vegetables!

Early girl 50, can you see the little green tomato-looking thing?

I'm not sure but sure looks like zucchini may be forming? I thought they need to be pollinated...?

The basil should be trimmed a little. They are getting quite bushy and the leaves are large and shiny.

I am also trying to harden off the tomato and pepper seedlings but it is very difficult.

Here is what the balcony looks like with it fully screened out. One is patched photo, the other is a panorama. My picture taking skills are limited and cannot get one nice picture to capture the whole balcony. This weekend I plan to make a couple of self-watering containers. I also want to get some flowers, maybe more marigold.

Patched picture

Panoramic picture

Starting to feel like summer!

Second sunny and warm day in a row! I smell summer is finally here!! I quickly checked the weather forecast and decided that today will be warm all day (70-80s). I took all my plants that are in big pots (eggplant, jalapeno, tomato, and zucchinis) out on the balcony. Then I sat there contemplating whether I should leave the seedlings out to. I know you are supposed to slowly expose them to the elements. From what I've read in gardener's blogs and from listening to podcasts (yes, I listen to gardening podcasts because I am totally addicted, a dork, and know little to nothing about what I am doing), you are suppose to take the seedlings out for about an hour one day, 2 hours the next, 3 hours the next and slowly increase the exposure time monitoring how they are responding. On the weekend, yes, this is reasonable. But during the week, I cannot figure out how this is possible. I live really close to work, so it is feasible to come back home quickly and bring the seedlings inside... but really? I can't do that. So I decided against leaving them outside for the day (though I have a feeling they would've been OK). As I was driving home afterwork, I was little concerned that my plants wouldn't fare well in the heat.But they were looking quite happy on my balcony!

If you look real close, you can see the peas "grabbing" the string

Jalapeno and eggplants are doing well

I'm not sure if this is what the mesclun green are suppose to look like. The side I thinned out doesn't look any better than the other side. Hm...

The balcony can be accessed from the second bedroom. There is no water source on the balcony so I have to go into the bathroom. I made a little funnel to make it easier to get the water in my watering container. Works pretty well!

Water bottle-turned funnel

Busy busy Easter Sunday

Yesterday, I went to buy tarp to protect my carpet from any water spilling from the containers. I walked passed the starter plants and couldn't stop myself from picking up a couple...3 to be exact. I bought early girl 50, mammoth jalapeno, and ichiban japanese eggplant. I found the eggplant first and after that there was no stopping me. I also purchased marigold since I read that they are a good companion plant for tomatoes. The weather forecast for today was thunderstorm all day - they were wrong! It was hot hot hot! On the balcony it reached 90 degrees. I had plans to go to a movie...but I decided to change my schedule and take the opportunity to do some gardening and go the move later in the day.

I put my seedlings outside to enjoy direct sunlight. The seedlings in the newspaper pots are tomatoes and peppers. Then I have basil in the two brown containers. Marigold replanted into a white container. In the top left corner I sowed some leftover mesclun seeds into a recycled salad container. In the green pot I have rosemary that I repotted. My goal was to grow vegetables, and I wasn't interested in flowers but I'm loving the marigold and the color it brings to the sea of green leaves. I need to think about getting more flowers to beautify my balcony.

It turns out that there are LOTS of bugs on the balcony. I saw ladybugs and several bees. I know these are good insects...but I don't really likes bugs. Actually, I hate them.  I will have to change my attitude quickly and make friends with them since I will probably be out on the balcony quite a bit this year and they are essential to keep my garden happy. It is good to know that I will not be having problems with pollination! I'm glad I haven't seen any stink bugs in the city yet (knock on wood). Just a couple of miles out and they are really a HUGE problem.

Here are all the other plants I potted today. I think it was a little too hot for some of them (eggplant especially). The leaves started to get all wilty-looking. Well, it is 4pm, and it looks like that storm they predicted will be here soon so I better bring the plants inside. One day they will be able to withstand a thunderstorm, but I don't think today is the day.

Peas with homemade bamboo trellis

Early girl 50 tomato starter plant

Right: Mammoth Jalepeno; Left: ichiban japanese eggplant

Zucchini plants. Experiment to see the effect of container size