Garden Update ~ July 2011

I've mentioned in a previous post that our newly-planted garden was a bit slow to get going due to the inconsistent weather we had in So Cal this spring. But the brilliant summer weather we're having has spurred the plants on to show us they can actually grow, though some have their hearts in it more than others!

The biggest change is in the vegetable plot (top) and the flower garden.

The peas have come and gone but the tomatoes are finally fruiting at the rate of more than one tomato a month, while the carrots and lettuce have finally decided to grow beyond half an inch high. Thanks you chaps.

After sowing two lots of seeds we went down to the nursery and bought some Black-eyed Susan plants and some daisy-like flowers. Well the seeds got the message and started growing. This is my English-style garden area.

Here is the tropical area of the garden after it was planted in March this year.

This is the same area today. Sorry I didn't take it at the exact angle but you can see some changes. The Plumeria (foreground) has several leaves and a flower stalk on it (though the flowers are not, at present, surviving long enough to bloom). Ironically the Hibiscus isn't blooming at the moment but has otherwise done so consistently from the first week. Comparing the two photos I can see the Bird of Paradise (behind the Hibiscus) has actually done better than we thought but not much.

The best area for growth has been this section.

The Black Taro and the inedible Banana plant with their beautiful leaves are my particular favourites. It's exciting to look back and see the changes and the progress in the last four months.