Alchemy of Clay

I'm still trying to stretch my breathing and my stamina, so walked about a third of the way around the Lake...and back, so that equals 2/3 of a half mile.  Mmm, I guess.  At least the sun was a bit slow to warm things up this morning, and I was up at 6 for some strange (not natural to me) reason.

 Cucumbers are putting out leaves and flowers, but nary a cuke.

 The zucchini is showing it's stuff however.  And since Dave is out of town, I'm thinking that one needs to come home with me.  Next time I visit, if it's still there!

 Hydrangea and maybe some yarrow that is really high.

  There's a long string of Canada Geese going along out there (barely visible, sorry.) But since the canoe and radio controlled sail boats were about to launch, I dare say the geese will find someplace else soon.

Mama Mallard made sure I wasn't interested in her ducklings, which aren't quite able to fly yet, as they waddled from the lake on the right into bushes behind some signs on the left.

I then went to the wonderful Tailgate Market here in Black Mountain, which was busy as usual.  As my MudBuddy friends said, this has been a good year for the Market.  I don't miss getting up every other Saturday to go set up tent and tables and lift tubs of pots in and out of trunks.  But I do love seeing my friends, and picking up some of my specials (yesterday it was a gluten free brownie and some shrimp).

Rabbit rabbit, and may your life be full of blessings and rich memories!

 The yucca has just about finished its blooming for this year.

 Soon to be a zucchini!

Just look at those fat purple beans...

In the shady area, some lettuce is doing ok.

Other squash (or maybe cucumbers) aren't doing much but blooming yet.

 No beans just blossoms...
 Kale that needs to be picked soon!

Some kind of lettuce I think.

The veggie bed with a couple of bare patches...we're working on them.  Planted a new crop of beans in one area, and some posies in the shady area.

I got to the garden again after a few days, only to see huge plants just going like crazy.  These sunflowers are from seeds which I saved from last year's one giant sunflower plant.

Five days ago, they were only this tall! 
I learned that the leaves catch those strings and just pull them up to the sky with them! So yesterday I unhitched them, since they were just to keep the plants from falling over.  They are still loosely supported.

 A couple of zinnias (left lower plants with buds) were included with the "wildflowers to attract pollinators" packet. I didn't weed that area, so all kinds of things may be coming up.  Does anyone know what the lacy leaf plant is?


The ornamental pepper is producing a lot of leaves, as well as the basil.  Pesto anyone? The catnip on the right is blooming.   I may dry some again.  The last time my cat wasn't interested.

There were smaller sunflowers as part of the polinator packer as well...and they seem to attract the bugs.  I sprayed everything except them, with a mixture of garlic powder and a little dish soap.  But we had a good rain the following night, so I should go do it again, if I want to deter any critters on my veggies.

The tomato plants are also rampant at creating leaves.  I started pinching off some of them, I think they are called suckers, the secondary leaves that come at each branching.  Now just to get them to make blossoms!

Beans aren't doing half as well as I hoped, not like those sunflowers.  Perhaps they are in the shade of their taller neighbors.  I'm pleased with my 12 foot patch of earth however.  I keep harvesting basil and freezing it.

Today's quote: