What a difference one week makes...

container beets (damage on right from bad, bad squirrel)

Although it's rained almost every day, and my yard has now converted to a bog, my container garden is thriving.

I'm definitely going to miss a few of my yearly favorites from my rented garden plots, green beans and squashes in particular, but what I have growing in containers is going so well that I'm ok with it.

In the past week and a half I've completely filled my potato bags they've grown that fast!

Mesclun is actually getting big so I've been making salads like crazy, but my little mesclun bowl won't last long it's so tiny. (note to self - next year plant a bigger bowl)

Baby romaine is no longer baby and very crowded, so I've been thinning a little at a time adding the thinnings to my lunch salads.

dill, sage, and anise hysop (added to replace a fungus covered rosemary)

insane oregano!

new herb planter, savory, 2 new rosemary plants and my transplanted basil starts)

My herbs are doing fabulous. They are so easy to grow. You really can't do them wrong.  I've been hoping to start drying some but it's been so humid and wet here. I dried some mint a few weeks ago and it took forever.

May be time to invest in a dehydrator or give the oven method a try. I plan on drying a lot of herbs this year and making my own herb blends for winter cooking.

This year I expanded my herb pots and have planted quite a variety:

• Sweet & Genovese Basil (sweet in container above, genovese is in one of my flower beds)
• Savory (new)
• Tarragon (new)
• Anise Hysop (new)
• Rosemary
• Lemon Balm (in flowerbed)
• Peppermint - two varieties (in flowerbed and everywhere else it decides to spread)
• Oregano
• Marjoram
• Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
• Thyme - 3 varieties
• Dill
• Sage
• Stevia
• Lemon Grass

1-San Marzano, 2 Roma Tomato

Tomatoes are growing well. Last year I did not have much luck with them in containers. Major issues with blossom end rot. Hopefully this year will not repeat.

My hanging tomato plant is doing well...

hanging tomato planter, San Marzano Tomato

Snow peas

pickling cucumbers

And today I transplanted my hardened off pickling cucumbers I grew from seed. Last year I did not have much luck with them in containers but this year I got them in much earlier and I decided to give the Miracle Gro Organic a shot again, even though I don't like how chunky it is. I'm also concerned it had an off smell. I guess we'll see. If these fail, I'm early enough I can run and buy some plants.

Just as an official tally, my container veggies are:

Beets
Snow Peas
Russet Potatoes - 2 bags (5 seed potatoes)
5 Pickling Cucumbers
2 San Marzano Plum Tomatoes
2 Roma Plum Tomatoes
Mesclun 'bowl'
Baby Romaine

Once the beets and snow peas are done, I replant them with some summer lettuces.

I've also located a patch of wild black raspberries in the woods behind the garage that I've never noticed before. Unfortunately it's completely surrounded by poison ivy - my arch enemy.

Hoping I can persuade HE to rip out the poison as he seems immune to it.

Look what is also growing in my yard, in their own little 'container'...

four baby robins