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

Hardening off seedlings and bugs in the garden

I am now 99% sure the damage I saw on the zucchini leaf was wind/sun damage. If I think about it, I moved the zucchini plants from indoors to outdoors into the strong winds without any transition period (or hardening them off). The reason why the zucchinis on the ground floor are doing better because they are in the shade and the fence protected them from strong winds. The seedlings were so large compared to the tomatoes and peppers that I didn't really think twice about leaving them outside. They are now doing OK, so I am optimistic that they will continue to thrive. I left the tomato and pepper seedlings (which are more delicate) out for 7-8 hours (albeit them being protected in the plastic box) on a windy day. I didn't realize it then, but I now see some damage on the leaves that look very similar (leaves turning white-ish and looking dry) to the zucchini leaf. I read a very good article here. The author says that the seedlings sometime can recover from these damages if they are babied for a while. So I'll keep a close eye on them and hope they will survive.

You can see the leaf is turning white. The edges of the leaf is a little dry.

  I found my first pest(s) in my garden the other day. Aphids on the jalapeno pepper plant! Before trying out dish soap water spray, I tried mechanical removal (twice) with a Q-tip. The infestation wasn't bad so for now I think this is working. I'll keep a close eye on it. I had no idea that aphids had wings...or maybe the winged ones were not aphids.

If you look close, there are some aphids on the leaves. It was much worse before the Q-tip treatment

While my parents were in town, my mom and I found a hornet hive under the balcony. We knocked it off (since it appeared empty) and so I thought that was the end of it. But a week or so ago I noticed the hornets were back rebuilding their home. I'm not sure if I should remove them. I think I will have to since now I am worried that they will come find me on the balcony and sting me.

In DC this weekend I found a couple of fennel plants growing at a parking lot. I didn't realize there was such thing as wild fennel.

Wild fennel

 My friends and I visited the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. It was a great place to have a picnic! Here are pictures of some really pretty flowers (I don't know what they are though).

Purple flowers

Pink flower

white flowers

succulents in concrete container