Meet Byron.

Isn't he handsome? He's the newest member of our household except he lives out in the backyard. He has a fondness for twine belts, corn-patterned shirts and patchy overalls. He doesn't like rain. He's always smiling.

We've actually adopted Byron so that he can guard the tomatoes. Why would we need someone to guard the tomatoes? Well, because lately they look like this. Yes, half eaten. Yikes, I know. All that work and time and money and energy down the drain. All because my beloved backyard birds want an extra snack. The heirloom Cherokee Purples are their favorites. But you know what? They're mine too.

Let's just hope Byron is good at his job.

State of the Garden Week - Post #3

Hubbell will be happy. The cucumber plant is alive and well. Better than well really. It's already reached the top of the cage and has random arms reaching all over the garden air....desperately looking for something to grab on to. We've also spotted the first few cucumbers. One of them will likely be ready for harvesting in the next couple of days. Yum.

Also, here is a photo of the other two tomato plants. As of now, the blight-free plants. Luckily, my favorite Sungold plant has been spared. The other is the Cherokee Purple variety. They're both growing out of control and it's on my to-do list this week to prune them a little. We will definitely have fresh tomatoes ready for consumption in the next week or two.

State of the Garden Week - Post #2

Let's start with the good news.

This is one of my three cantaloupe plants. Lookin' damn good if I do say so myself.

The scarlet runner beans are slowly making their way up the trellis. There are a few nice red blooms but no beans that I can see yet. When I look at the garden from a distance, for me, this is the highlight. It provides a nice aesthetic that would otherwise be missing.

A peak at the red cabbage head. And, unfortunately, more examples of looper damage. Yes, I am still picking off worms every single day. Although, I do have less work now that I've removed the two broccoli plants. (silent cheering going on here behind the keyboard!)

It's been pouring (and I mean POURING) rain all day in Charlotte. I just took these pictures within the last hour. I am including this picture because I will never tire of the way water beads up on cabbage leaves. It's so lovely. Of course, a picture barely does justice.

The bad news? Two of my tomato plants have blight. I don't exactly know what this means yet but you know for sure that I will be researching this most of the evening. The two affected tomato plants are in the first bed that is the carry over from last year. I feel sure that it's something that I didn't do after last year's growing season. This year I will know better what to do with the bed once the season ends. For now, my fingers are tightly crossed that I won't have to remove the entire plants. More to come....