Some Annual Flowers, Update. 6.4.22

 The carnations are growing nicely.  These may be perennial in warmer or drier winters.  I don't know about here.  I think they would benefit from some warm, sunny weather.

Statice.  During chillier weather the leaves were all red.  The newer leaves are green.  They need some warm, sunny weather to get growing.

African Marigold,  I started these last week or so.  These will be big and tall.

French Marigolds.  These were from saved seeds.  I don't know why germination was so sparse.  I just now sowed a second tray with a different batch of saved seeds.

Salpiglossis.  I have never grown them before and don't know what to expect.  The seed packet flowers were very nice.

Thunbergia.  I wonder if I should have started them a month ago.  They are African plants, and I waited hoping for warmer conditions.  Germination was described in some websites as difficult.  I think about 1/3 of these germinated.  Also called "Black Eyed Susan Vine".

The sweet peas don't look like much yet.  I don't know if they will come out of it.

Yesterday and today I sowed cosmos, zinnias, various marigolds, cleome, outside.

Cosmos I sowed in containers.  Germination wasn't great, might be old seeds.  The ones I sowed outside are home saved from last year, a d sometimes they come up volunteer, so there might be more of those.

Ditto for cleome.  I don't want a lot, but re-sowed seeds in the cells with no growth so far.

Four O'Clocks, not pictured.  I'll have to do that later.  They are growing by leaps and bounds.

Growing Native Perennials From Seeds, Update. 6.4.22

 Here are some of the seedlings I started during the winter.

Rudbeckias.   I think this group is Gloriosa Daisy.  Behind them are a Coreopsis and a Ratibida.  They all look like weeds now.

Gallardias.  There is variation in vigor and leaf shape.  I don't know why.

Echinacea

Bloodflower Milkweed and some poppies.

 Oregano

More Rudbeckias and more poppies.

The poppies grew from saved seeds that I just scattered in lots of places.  Some didn't.  Poppies are annual but can self seed so thickly they crowd out some weeds.  The native milkweeds all died or were eaten.  The tropical, annual milkweeds (bloodflower) so far look pretty good.  I thought frost killed the oregano, but now it's growing great.  The echinaceas kind of lagged behind the others and vanished, but now are growing nicely.  The rudbeckias seem to be the most vigorous.  Most of the coreopsis is growing nicely too.

So far, so good.  I don't expect them all to bloom this year, but some might.  The annuals (poppies and bloodflower) should bloom mid to late summer or fall.

Planting Sweetcorn And Zinnias. Sweetcorn Update. 6.4.22

 Today I cleared two of the last three seed bed areas.    Not ideal weather, drizzle and rain.  But it's now or never.  I worked from the sides, turning over the soil, smoothed with garden rake, and planted seeds.

The first batch of sweetcorn is growing.  That was Orchard Baby.  Something is pulling up some of the corn plants, despite fencing.  My guess is birds.

Tomorrow I'll put a net over the seedlings.  I didn't think of that until now.

Edit:  The adage for planting grains and beans, is "Four seeds in a row, one for the rook, one for the crow, one will wither and one will grow."  A rook is a bird similar to a crow.  I've also seen "Four seeds in a row, one for the mouse, one for the crow, one will wither and one will grow. I decided to go out and put down a net after all.  Who knows, tomorrow the plants may all be gone, and whose fault would that be if I don't protect them?  Mine!

Flowers. 6.4.22

 Mock Orange.

Roses

Itoh Peony

Tomato Update. 6.4.22

 The dwarf tomatoes are looking pretty good.  I need to redo paper mulch, which is deteriorating due to the rains.  Maybe cardboard would be better.

Sauce tomatoes.  They are a bit behind the dwarf tomatoes, because I started them later.  The green on the right is cilantro.  The green on the left is carrots.

This is Dwarf Johnson Cherry in the grow-bag planter.  Planted later and different soil.  I gave it some Tomato fertilizer and I think it is starting to perk up.  The basil couldn't handle the chilly weather.