Random Garden Pictures

This is the year of the bad bad bugs. The tomatoes are doing their best and there are tons in varying stages of ripening. Yet... something is wrong with some of them. I suspect a virus transferred by thrips, but it seems to only effect every other plant. The leaves are rolled up on a few, not quite as big as they should be.. but other than that the plants are showing no other signs of disease. No spots, no discoloration, still flowering like mad and setting fruit like mad. The source.. I suspect the neighbors and their contaminated garden store plants. Until this year I have never ever had issues with tomato diseases (and it nailed the potatoes too).. and the transplants I gave to friends all are thriving. The only thing that was new is the hanging pots with tomatoes the neighbors got (their patio is right next to ours and only separated by a fence).. and I had hanging pots with some extra tomatoes too that were maybe a foot away. Live and learn. Their tomatoes all died, but mine are still going. Seeds will only be saved from one of my raised beds which is not effected at all. Should be interesting lol.. Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Red Cherry, Yellow Pear, Queen Anne, and some Grape tomatoes... I watched a bumblebee visit each flower of 1 plant and then move to the next systematically and in turn got every single tomato flower. No clue what the heck that wild crossing will offer, but I can't wait to find out!

 The onions are flowering. They just started opening today. These should offer a brown skinned rather sweet but not bland onion. Onion seeds have a very short storage life, so these will be started in January to be transplanted in early spring. The sweetness of onion varieties also depends on how much sulphur is NOT in your soil as well as watering.
 The purple flowers in the background are yet more radishes... lol I will take pictures of what I have curing... seriously I need more radishes like we need more taxes.

Romain lettuce bolting. These took forever to bolt. They also took a long time to grow, but are my family's favorite lettuce. I don't know if I could ever grow enough of it to fill my family's needs. While I love an assortment of greens in general, this is as close as they get. They can cruise through 3 heads a day without trying. Lastly.. for the moment anyways... the Kohlrabi are finally ready to be picked! YAY!