Fog, Fog and More Fog

That's describes the weather we've been having for the past week. This doesn't bode well for Canada Day fireworks (which I'm told almost never happen on Canada Day in Halifax because of the weather). Sigh.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining about the weather. It's a delightful change from the hot, sticky, smoggy summers in Toronto, and when the fog rolls in (along the coast and where I work), you can smell the ocean. With that said, this weather is not helping my little patio garden. The lack of sun and the really damp days (sometimes rainy days) have made the soil in my planters soggy. We need a really good stretch of sunny days to dry them out a little and to encourage my veggies and flowers and herbs to grow and bloom and produce fruit!

I'm quite excited about my patio garden, actually. This year I'm trying to grow quite a bit:

PeasMy peas are disappointing me a little. Several plants have wilted and I know it's NOT because they've not been watered (if anything perhaps they've been overwatered!). I wonder if they are too crowded... though I planted them according to the package.

Zucchini
I planted about a dozen zucchini seeds (I used an old egg carton to start them), and only 3 sprouted. Of those three, all I have is one left. Let's hope it continues to grow!

Tomatoes (3 different kinds: Scotia, SweetMillions and Tiny Tims)
These were a gift from my grandmother, who even potted them for me! Thanks Gram! They're growing beautifully and it's looking like I'll have a repeat of last year's success (last year I had 6ft tall Tomato plants).

Scarlet Runner Beans
I'm growing the Scarlet Runners, not so much for the produce (I'm told you can eat the beans early on) as for the foliage. I thought it would be nice to have a vine to give my patio a bit more privacy and hide a pipe just outside my balcony.

Peppers
Why not try peppers, I said, I'm growing everything else! And the plant was only $3.99 at the Superstore. If I can get a couple peppers out of it, I'll at least have broken even. And even if I don't, it was worth a try.

Herbs Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Chives, Rosemary, and a Curry plant (I always thought curry was a blend of spices. I'm not sure what I'll use it for but it smells just just like curry).
These are all growing like wildfire. Herbs must really like Fog. Tha'ts all I can say. I'm really surprised with my cilantro. Usually I kill it off right away, but it's actually thriving and growing tremendously. I have no idea what I did!

and of course flowers! Verbena and Petunias and a hanging basket of trailing flowers and a potato vine, and a yet-to-be-potted Black-Eyed Susan.
I went with a purple/pink theme this year for colour contrast with all the green. And also because I know a certain kid who really likes pink and purple. The hanging basket is a huge success.

The good thing about my garden, it seems, is that I don't have to worry about watering it. I can pretty much count on it raining at least once or twice a week here in Halifax. This will work nicely during my week-long vacation to the cottage....which is quickly approaching! I'm really looking forward to my vacation. This is actually the first time in many years that I'll get a full week at the cottage to relax, read, knit, canoe, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Oh! which reminds me (speaking of knitting). I'll soon have a new Finished Object (FO) to post. I finally finished knitting and seaming Sunday night, and now just have to stitch the ribbon ties on (today's project). As it is a gift, I'll have to wait to post photos a little later until after it's been gifted.

That's all for now. Time to get back to the list of things I want to do today....including a lunch with a cousin/former colleague from Toronto.