Ok I couldn't stand it - I put dinner on simmer and threw some cords around the stakes, just enought to get the tomatoes off the ground. Then I snapped a couple of photos. Vivek's dinner will just be late. And I did that in record time! Woops - only I left the scissors in the garden.

my garden with peppers tomatoes onions beans and cukes

Nick's pickle garden

and Nick's tomato, peppers, tiny watermelon, and peanuts

Tina, your garden looks very nice! And you need to delegate the work between the members of the household, they all can pitch in according to what they can do.
When my brothers were visiting (and even they have maids in their homes) I put them to help, one day they cut the bananas, other day they did the deck for the greenhouse.
And when we had the big dinners Willy was being the waiter, he can not cook but he can do that, he cleans too, lol.
Hope that you get some relief for your busy life!

Silvia

Wow! What is the plant with the beautiful purple flowers in the first photo? Gorgeous!

Carol

Looking good Tina, Nick's definitely got a love for the earth ;-) BUT, as he grows up you'll need some other things to occupy his time before he discovers girls ;-) Ever thought of geocaching? It's a good way to split up his time between the garden and NOT sitting in front of a computer :-) :-(

Tom

Great job on your garden. I definitely inderstand not being able to keep up. gardening is never ending...but worth it!

Everything looks nice and healthy.

Whew - another day done. Nick just crashed 1/2 hour past his bedtime.

You guys are so sweet! That's a bouganvilla behind the veggies, Carol. It is pretty but it likes to poke me in the backside and scratch my legs while I am gardening so we have a love-hate relationship. :)

Did you see the weeds were as healthy as the garden? It's a long story - that patch of side yard is to the south of my house and last year I decided I'd dig up all the St. augustine grass and create a natural landscape with beach daisies, nice paths, etc. Well the tiller I rented was much too powerful for me and I couldn't control it....all i did was dig ditches. The heat was killing me. When I tried to lay the newspaper down with the sand to kill off the remaining grass, I couldn't keep it down and it was going everywhere. I finally picked it all up. Now I have a yard full of sandspurs. Anyway - the lawn company was keeping it mowed until about 3 weeks ago, and I haven't heard from them since. I think they went out of business. I have a new guy starting Friday, but until then I have to high-step over the weeds to get to the garden. It's kinda funny I guess because no one can really see it, so my neighbors don't hate me. There is time to fix it. That is why I was so interested in your pathways Silvia. I had big plans for this yard...I just couldn't make it happen. Yet. :)

geocaching huh? That looked fun! Too late on the girl front though - he's sweet on a little cutie named Brooke in his class. Made her a valentine and everything! :) He should bring her one of his zinnias.

Well - g'night you guys- more gardening and chatting tomorrow!

Everything looks gorgeous Tina! A new day, a new garden task.... Funny thing is now I have a vision of perfection from Silvia's garden and think of all of these new, neater ideas I could have in MY garden so I feel extra busy too :-) Bug man Ronn has now also been anointed as Trellis building Ronn which is helping!

Elizabeth

Hi Tina, when you are ready for the path, I will help you with all the info and maybe taking you the place where we got everything and the owner does all the figuring out and help you choose the rocks for the path depending on your needs. And he delivers.

Elizabeth, thank you for all your kind comments, and good idea about Ronn, man can do a lot of things helping us out in the garden, we can for sure use the muscle and for killings bugs, they have to be trained on what they do best! lol

Silvia

wow, looks great. After looking at everyone's veggie posts, I'm starting to think I might have to start trying to grow food. Maybe that's what I can put in that empty bed by the pool, a buffet you can eat while floating by, lol.
Lori

Nick looked at the geocaching and is so excited! Luckily he has a birthday coming up and we can get him an inexpensive GPS. Good call, Tom!

I live so far from you, Silvia, I don't think your shop will work for me in Pinellas County! Maybe he can recommend someone in my area? BTW - how do you keep the grass out of your fruit tree area? Pull it by hand?

Hey there Elizabeth! I am all over the dwarf fruit tree idea.

Tina, when you are ready we will call him, he is a very helpful man.

And is best to take the grass out, little by little a section at a time, it can be done, most of the grass is pulled just by me. You have to have the mulch ready so the weeds don't come back. The less grass the happier that I am, and I am still not done. I have more plans for the future.:)

Tina and Elizabeth, you two can get your mini grove going between planting the cold resistant in the ground and the sensitive in pots we can have it all! lol

I will report on two new ones this year they are mixes of stone fruit. And I have a Tamarillo with flowers, hopefully I get fruit this year.

Silvia

Normally I am able keep up, as I'm retired with grown kids, but this past week I was flat out too busy. I'd look at the wilting gardens and say, "I promise, I'll water you tonight!"

The dog has been eating all the sugar snap peas. I just haven't had time to pick them. I didn't even realize I had a pepper crop because I filled the Earth Boxes at night!

Things are getting back to normal, though. There's hope.

Carol B.