Bye Bye Tomatoes

Okay, I finally did it. I ripped out my tomato plants. Yes, they were already dying (dead!) but it's a step in my garden that means summer is officially over and I like to live in denial every autumn.

This year I planted a variety that I hadn't grown before called Lemon Boy. They are a fairly common yellow tomato. I think I got them at Canadian Tire of all places.

I had them planted in the large herb box on my deck where they got regular attention and sunshine. They had a bit of a slow start with our cool summer up til about mid July but eventually they took off and became very happy tomato plants. Here's a photo from when they were just starting to produce.



The fruit was a beautiful colour and had a great taste to it! My only gripe with them is that they took forever to make fruit and ripen. I planted them as 8" tall seedings back in April/May but they didn't really start to produce until late August and September. They should have been producing by late July so I think that the cool summer put them back by about a month.


Below is the info on the tomato variety.

Lemon Boy tomato
Indeterminate- 72 days
yellow flesh- 6-8 oz size
heavy producer

Spring in Full Swing

Spring seems to FINALLY be underway here on the island. Until recently, the weather has been very cool and rainy but the May long weekend seems to have brought the sun along with it. I've been busy gardening. Here are some photos from what's been happening in my little yard.



These are the bulbs I planted a few months ago in pots (previous post: http://horncat.blogspot.com/2011/04/peek-outside.html ). Last time I posted a photo of them, they were just poking their heads out of the soil. Now they are in full bloom and looking beautiful. I especially love the tulips (Luca Banja).

This is a rhododendron that a friend gave to me. It never bloomed for her and we hoped it would be happier in my yard. As it turns out, the plant liked the change and we now know what colour it is; pink! The rest of the bed is still a work in progress but I am happy with how it is turning out.

A Peek Outside

I looked out on my deck today and guess what I saw?! The bulbs I had planted at the end of January have come up! I was beginning to think that they weren't going to come up- assuming that they had succumbed to death by drowning- but no, these little bulbs are persistent.

They were bulbs I had gotten on sale at Superstore for $0.75 a bag and at the time they didn't look very promising, but I figured I'd give them a shot. The pot closest holds tulips (Luca Banja). The other pot holds chiondoxa forbesii. I had put a twig into one pot, so I'd know which was which. I guess I can take the twig out now!

These bulbs are quite late (most of the other bulbs in the city are blooming or have finished blooming already) but I am happy and will make more updates as I go along.

A Beautiful Day...

... for digging a hole!

One of the great things about the place I've moved to is that the back yard is just lawn. It is a blank canvas just waiting to have plants put into it and I am so excited about trying to garden in Victoria this year!

So today, I got out my shovel and started digging out a flower bed. It's in a corner of the yard where the fence is the highest. My plans are to turn it into a shade garden. I think it will be a mix of perennials and some annuals. I might add a shrub or two but I want it to have mostly perennials: some hostas and ostrich ferns and definitely some plants that I've never tried before.
I won't have as many weather-related challenges here in Victoria as I did on the prairies, and I'm going to be able to try out plants that are new to me; so basically anything higher than a zone 3. I guess a trip to a garden centre is in order!

The weather today was absolutely amazing. I hear that the prairie provinces still have snow but that is definitely not the case here in Victoria. The sun was shining and the temperature was close to 20oC. People were out mowing their lawns and the mail carrier was wearing shorts... AND I had the gardening bug! What a great day :)