December Yard Work and Garden Photos

It is Christmas Eve as I write this and yesterday was a beautiful day! I took advantage of the 72 degree, sunny and breezy weather to do some garden work.

First I cleared out the growth next to my vegetable garden. Then, I put down some big pieces of cardboard and covered that with dirt. My dirt pile is already much smaller, so I’m using the dirt sparingly.

I’ll leave the new space alone and let the cardboard break down over the next couple of months. This may be a good place to grow watermelon or Seminole pumpkins in Spring. The vines could trail down the edge of the yard or off into the empty lot.

The Eggplants Are Coming in December

The big eggplant plant in the raised bed has ten small eggplants growing! And out back I found one Rosita eggplant – the first one I’ve grown. The Rosita’s have had lots of bug issues, with the leaves being eaten and constant worms. I’m pretty unhappy and will probably not grow this type again.

The Hon Tsai Flowering Broccoli is growing some beautiful, fragrant yellow flowers. Although I don’t like this plant for eating, it’s worth growing for the lovely flowers.

The hibiscus garden has gone through some changes as flowering plants have died off over summer. I’m currently using the space to grow a tomato and some little yellow cosmos plants. 

The Firespike, which I began from a cutting, is beginning to get larger. This took quite a while. And of all the nasturtium seeds, only one plant grew.

My first green bean plantings have gone by, but I kept beans on one of the better plants to grow big and dry.

One of the Carolina Wonder pepper plants needed some help. I’m not exactly sure what kind of help, so I transplanted it into a fabric grow pot. I’m hoping it will improve.

The borage has gone crazy, and apparently likes the colder weather. Only one plant is flowering, but I am using the leaves to make a delicious, mild tea!

All my seedlings and small pots have been brought inside. Nights have been much cooler than they prefer. I noticed that growth had stopped, and the peppers looked bad. I think it was the weather.

I probably should have waited to start these seeds. Now, I will have to care for them (put them out in the sun, take outside to water, bring them back in) for months until they can be planted.

I’ve received two gardening magazines through the mail already! Planting plans for spring and summer have already begun. Notes from fall and winter are being organized so I will do better next year.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!