Come on, rain

We were out of town this weekend (again). The weather report promised rain, but when I finally got out to the garden this evening, it was dry. There was a little dampness deep in the soil, but not the kind of dampness I'd expect if we'd had a good soaking rain. Only one morning glory germinated. I thought they were supposed to be weeds. Well, I'll soak some more sometime this week. I have no plans for going out of town in the near future, so maybe they'll get the water they need to germinate. I'd start them inside, but the place I'm planting them overlies some concrete and I'm not sure if I'd be able to bury the peat pots fully.

Last week, we enjoyed turnips (mashed with cream, butter, and caraway seeds), basil, lettuce, green onions, and the first of the peas. There is more lettuce, an unlimited supply of onions, and more peas outside waiting to be harvested now.

In the greenhouse, the tomatoes are slowly growing. The beets look good and are growing well. The carrots are getting a little fuller in the leaves. And the okra seeds that I planted last week have germinated.

Outside, the tomatoes have already put forth flowers. The peppers look a little shell-shocked from going outside and getting nibbled on by local pests. The artichokes looked pretty sickly at first, but I think they're settling in, especially the one that did not experience vernalization. The vernalized one hasn't done much yet. I'm not sure they're going to have the time to grow before it gets cold, but we'll see.

The main thing my garden needs now is water. The weather is predicting rain every other day this week with temps ranging from 50s-80s F. I've learned to not trust the Minnesota weather report. If the plants need water, just water them, don't rely on the weatherman to be right!