Making a Small Water Feature. 5.21.21

 I've been wanting a small water feature to give a calming  atmosphere in my garden.  I haven't found what I wanted, so I'm making one from a ceramic planter.

The inside is unsealed clay, and it has two large holes that need to be sealed.  I'm using self adhesive rubber patches, and liquid rubber sealant.

The  I sprayed with white rubber sealant.

I messed up an area, so will get some more rubber sealant spray and repeat.  I think this will work.  I ordered a floating, solar powered mini fountain, and it will stand on a bird bath pedestal that is missing its bird bath.

Today's Gardening. 5.21.22

Today I installed and tested the drip irrigation system for the sauce tomatoes. They will also need a  support system - my idea is to make a horizontal trellis, using bamboo.  Then they should be almost no maintenance until harvest in Aug or Sept.

Here is Rufus inspecting the fresh eating tomato plants.  I ran the irrigation for an hour.  With the warmer weather, the leaves are greening up as I hoped.  Several have blossoms.

A couple of the irrigation fittings have popped off with the water pressure.  I used a zip tie and zip tie gun to tighten the  better.  Time will tell.  These valves may not be meant for this hose but they were a lot cheaper than the brand name valves.

I laid black plastic for one of the squash beds.  It's about 3/4 done now.  I have last year's experience to tell me that they grow and produce amazingly well with a black plastic mulch, and weeding problems drop to almost zero.  These will also get drip irrigation this year.  I ordered some more tubing for that.

I also installed a cedar trellis for the Honeynut butternut squashes.  I haven't grown them before.  Here is its Wikipedia page.  I also haven't grown squashes on a trellis.  

I suppose, if the squashes look too heavy for  the vine, I can make little hammocks for them.

Lemon Sugar Cookies. 5.21.22

 Today I made a batch of the usual peanut butter cookies.  Then I made a batch of Lemon Sugar Cookies.  The recipe was on the back of a flour package, Bob's Red Mill, and can be found here.  I don't know if it is copyrighted so I linked.

Here is how they came out.

These have a flavor and texture similar to Madelines.   I like them better than the Madelines that I made.  The contain zest from an entire lemon, plus 2 tbsp of the juice.  The recipe stated it made two dozen.  I though it would make more, but it was exactly two dozen.  Very tasty, lemony cookies.

I wonder if the same recipe could be used, but substitute a Mandarin orange or Tangerine for the lemon juice.  It would need to be as acidic for them to rise so nicely.

Mounding Up Container Potato Plants. 5.20.22

 Today I mounded up the grocery Red potato plants, and less so for the container Envol potato plants.

Planting Sauce Tomatoes. 5.20.22

 I was anxious to get the sauce tomato plants planted.  Today I cleaned up the raised bed for them, planted them, and applied kraft paper mulch.

I think next year I'll grow about half as many.  This year is an experiment to see which varieties do better, and whether the home-saved Roma VF seeds give a good crop.  I get the drip irrigation installed next.