Garden Update!

Wow!  I've not really wandered around in the garden for a couple of weeks now...

Ignore it for a week and holy sh*t!  Things can really take off!

(Some more than others!)

First up:  I posted this pic in my "Birthday Ramblings" post - but it's noteworthy enough for a repeat performance!

My VERY FIRST MATER of 2012!  Stephanie Stupice, of the Finny Farm, is living up to her potential!

Happy Birf-day to Meeeee!!!

This was a much better surprise than the "gift" that the dogs left me when I *refused* to let them out at 4:00-F*cking-AM this morning!

Ahem!

Back to the Garden....

Upside Down Planters:  Well, I think I had posted, a week-or-so-ago, about how I had gone against conventional-wisdom (or plain ol' Common Sense) and planted some of my leftover "Runner Beans" in my Upside-Down Patio Planters.  My thinking was that A) I had run out of plant-able real-estate and B), I could let 'em vine-up the legs of the planters and - possibly - the gazebo...

What I failed to factor-in was the harsh reality that said runner-bean plants would be A) Easily accessible to the Destructo-Dogs (aka Weenie Dogs from Hell) and, B) Our patio gets Bloody-Freaking-Hot during the day and I'd, quite-frankly, be amazed if a Mojave-Desert type of cactus could survive - mere inches from the heat-sinking cement...

Whatevers!  The Bean Plants are GONE! (I blame Princess Annie - since I caught her noshing on 'em!  B*tch!)

Upside Down Planter #1
(Hotter'n Hades)

Upside-down Planter #2 (not as hot)

Again - note the "disappearance" of the beans from the bottom.

On the plus side: The herbs *and* maters seem to be hanging in there!

More Patio Planter Action:

Mandarin orange, transplanted...

Anyway, back to the Beans...  Seems that once the dogs "discovered" that Baby Bean Plants were "tasty," they then went and discovered my "Bean Bed" (aka "Overflow Bed").  Now, RASS-C had installed a smallish picket fence around my Bean Bed.  It wasn't totally Dog-Proof, I'll admit (I was limited to whatever Home Depot had in stock, k?!), but it *was* tall enough that the Destructo-Dogs would have to exert some serious "effort" to get in there...

Friggin' TAZZ has decimated my bean plants!!!

B*tch!!!!

I honestly expected - that if anyone was going to break-into and destroy my Garden Beds, it would be Princess Annie (our most Narcissistic Hound).  Noooooo!!!  TAZZ (the Spazz) was the dog that I discovered INSIDE the planting bed, noshing on my baby bean plants.  "What the HELL are you DOING???!!!!  GIT OUTTA THERE RIGHT NOW!!!!" I shrieked.  

Tazz is my "most neurotic dog" and I would have thought that ONE encounter, of me shrieking at her, would have put the Fear of God into her.  No such luck (Dammit).  Every time I catch her anywhere near the bed, I yell at her!

Nevertheless, even this morning, I caught her in that bed.  I am now down to three bean plants :::sigh:::  The plants on the left pole are DEAD.  The pole in the center has one plant - barely clinging to life.  And the pole on the right has - maybe? - two plants, barely hanging in there.  :::sigh:::

The artichoke I planted towards the back appears to be dead.  Friend-DV's Zuke is still hangin' in there.  And my pumpkin is also still (barely) clinging to life...

Pisses me off, though...

Okay...  Looks like I might have to break this up into two posts because I need to hop in the shower and get de-gunkified so that hubs can take me out for my birthday dinner!

I will leave you with a couple of "big-picture" photos of two of my beds.  Hopefully, I'll get back online either later tonight (or - more likely - tomorrow) to finish my Garden Ramblings post!

Paste-O-Rama Bed

(yeah, not the best shot - but it's hard to get a good pic with full-sun!)

Artie's Bed

(I tried harvesting a garlic today, but it was microscopically tiny!)

I'll try to update more tomorrow.....................................