Meanwhile back at the Fort

A quick check of what is growing (better) in the Fort.

The healthiest marigolds ever: Mom says she likes the lilies I put in:

A little something blue bridging the gap between flowers and tomatoes:

Lilies in the shade of the tomato plant:

Volunteer impatiens:
Sweet peas at the top of the fence:Cucumber vine and flowers:Pepper flowers:Baby Peppers:

Out of control tomatoes:

Overview:

Not very pretty....petunias taking over the geraniums:

After weeks of neglect....

After weeks of neglect, things seem to be thriving on their own in front of my apartment despite the heat and lack of attention:

Pretty sure these flowers were supposed to be Blue Flash Dwarf Morning Glories....guess they're White Dwarf Morning Glories instead (and something's nibbling on them...)

Flower boxes add a bright spot:

Something's eating away at the climbing morning glory leaves too: ...but it is getting quite tall. I've had to guide it back to the trellis:First flowers on my tomato plant:

Day In The Woods

Spent a little over 3 hours in the trails of Starkey Nature Park yesterday afternoon. This is what I have to show for it:

Water:

Plants:

Tracks:

Critters:

Got lots of mosquito bites, but didn't get stung!

Almost stepped on this little guy trying to make his way across the trail.


So bitty, I almost missed him (or her).


This locust was busy doing summersaults and digging his hole. I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get him face and beaty-eyes-side-up.

Found the following online about the park:

This 77-acre park, located a quarter-mile southwest of the village, is the largest park in Zionsville. Starkey Park is named for Lucile Starkey who bequeathed a major portion of the land to the Town in 1974 for use as a nature park. The park's wooded and open bottom land along Eagle Creek offers scenic beauty, hiking trails, nature study, picnicking, and perfect settings for photography. Youth and adult educational programs are offered throughout the year. This park is a restricted-use nature conservancy.

Candytuft Appleblossom

So, out of the 200 or so Candytuft Appleblossom seeds I planted from Value Seeds, there is only one flower (that I've seen so far). So either they didn't come up, or I weeded them out because I didn't know what I was looking for. I had forgotten I'd planted them and just saw this funny looking solo flower and was wondering what it was for about three days.

Today I was on Value Seeds website trying to ID something else I planted from them and saw a picture of my funny looking flower on the first page....I'm so forgetful....

Finally a healthy Nasturtium plant with flowers bright enough to be worth showing:

Category : Before and After

Show me what'cha workin' with (the best annuals are closeout price annuals!) :
The little brother was good enough to wield an ax and break up some of the most severe tree roots: Before:
After (first attempt at underplanting! Thanks Aunt Val for the hosta and yucca divisions) :

Before: After:

The Latest from the Fort

Geraniums doing well, somehow last year's petunias have emerged from these pots too...re-seed? roots? :

Impatiens have also re-seeded themselves...Dad says he's glad he didn't weed them all out:

My tomato plants from seed are HUGE at 'home.' Just more proof that there is no nutritional value to the soil in front of my apartment:


Tomato dwarfing pepper plants....it's looking a little crowded in there now:

Dragon flower, spreading quickly. Also Marigold from saved seed :) I forgot about those! So it turns out the stolen pot of saved seed marigold wasn't my only chance to see saved seed flowers this year:

Who's eating the leaves off the lilies? Some of the buds have even been nibbled off. Nobody bothers the lilies at my apartment...someone in the rents back yard has been hungry...and busy:

Oops...And one accidentally in this batch from the apartment...I know I planted these, but I can't remember what they are..very light, feathery leaves, getting pretty tall...no idea: