2016 Garden Update #9

Another garden update....I'm still trying to catch up all my posts.  :)

I have potted a lot and put the pots outside my greenhouse.  I haven't decided if I'm going to put my plants on my back deck this year or leave everything by the greenhouse.  I like everything in one place so it might be staying here.  It gets a good amount of sun and some shade at certain points of the day.

My mother dropped off these yellow marigolds for me.  I like how big they are.  She also gave me some snap dragons which I potted too.

More flowers....

I planted 3 tomato plants that my mom gave me in the ground.

I filled up my watering can.

My gnomes were moved from the tree I had them under to right in front of my greenhouse.  My husband is glad I moved them because he hated having to watch for them when he trimmed around the tree.  haha  I need to fill this area in.  Maybe some cute rocks and a little gnome fence.

I had some random packets of flower seeds and I decided to plant them here in the ground.  They are a mix of seeds to attract bees and butterflies to the garden so yes please.

I made myself a bee watering station.  Bees need water but you don't want them to drown.  The bees land on the little stones or rocks and then are able to drink water.  I just use a pie pan and some flat rocks from the dollar tree.  It's cheap and it helps the bees and looks cute in the garden.

Inside my sprouts are getting bigger and bigger by the minute.  Well maybe not the by the minute but it sure does seem that way.

Here's the peas.

Here's the green and purple beans.  The leaves are so healthy and big.

I might just leave the peas and beans inside to produce.  They are doing so well.  

Do they need to be pollinated by a bee though?  I came across this site that had some good information.

What veggies need pollinators all the time:
• Cucumbers
• Melons and watermelons
• Berries
• Tree fruits
Melons and cucumbers can be hand-pollinated, but it is a somewhat cumbersome task. In the case of blueberries you also need some cross-pollination. This is easy to do just by planting two different varieties.

What veggies can be pollinated with human help:

• Squashes, both winter and summer types—by hand
• Tomatoes—by hand or wind
• Eggplant—by hand or wind
• Peppers, both Hot and Sweet—by hand or wind
Squashes, with their rather large male and female flowers, are easy enough to hand pollinate. Just remember to get as much pollen on the female plant as you can. The more there is, the better the chances the fruit will develop well.
Wind-pollinated veggies, such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, are fertilized by the beating of bees’ and other insects’ wings. You can likewise give the plants a little shake, or hand pollinate using a small paintbrush or cotton swab. In the greenhouse you can help these veggies simply by adding a fan to move the pollen.

What veggies do not need pollinators to produce:

• All leafy greens
• Brassicas: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kohlrabi
• Below ground root veggies and tubers such as carrots, parsnips, salsify, potatoes, sweet potatoes, horseradish
• Ground level root veggies such as beets, turnips, rutabagas
• Most legumes including peas and beans
• Corn—like other wind pollinated veggies, giving them a little shake helps distribute the pollen.
• Herbs, like the lemon balm pictured
• Celery
• Onions and leeks
These veggies will all grow by themselves when planted from seed.

source