Some plants are unexpectedly growing past their expiration dates. The tomatoes are a real surprise – the cherry tomato plant grew up to about 8 feet tall before it finally toppled over. Since then, it’s been continuing to grow off the side of the balcony, finally reaching around 12 feet in height/length. Inside the walls of the balcony, the rest of the plant only reaches about 4 feet tall and has spread to cover nearly a third of the balcony. It’s constantly dying. The broken, hanging stems and poor moisture management have left it stumbling along, still putting out a handful of tomatoes every few days. I’ve made salsa with it and the shishito peppers, and it tasted wonderful. At some point, it’ll reach its limits on size and physical damage, and finally fail.
Meanwhile, the wildflowers are putting out seeds and more new plants. The cornflowers bloom and die constantly, really trying to embody the differences between summer’s growth and winter’s death. Others are putting out seeds and dropping them right back into the pot. I’ve seen bees buzzing around on occasion, so I hope at least a few have been properly pollinated. There’s a batch of one particular species popping up only a few inches tall, but there aren’t any blooms yet to identify them.
The shishito peppers are growing like no pepper I’ve ever grown before. At the rate they’re going, I should probably fertilize the planter again. I didn’t think two little bushes would put out enough peppers for a salsa after just one harvest, but I’m happy to be wrong! They’re remarkably tasty, especially after lightly roasting the outsides, and then blending them together with some tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, cumin, and salt. Very recommended.
The olive tree’s planter has become home to a few large mushrooms. I doubt they’re edible, but I’ve pulled up what I can of them. I think this means it’s likely a bit too moist in the planter, but also probably pretty high in nutrients. I’ll need to let it dry out more between waterings now that the weather has turned colder. Did we even really have a summer?
The indoor plants have been even happier than the outdoor ones. The money tree is now about twice as tall as the original braided trunks, and has spread a canopy around 3 feet across. The leaves are slightly more slender than they had been earlier in the year, and aren’t showing as much phototropism. I think it’s getting close to time for a replanting, but I’ll try to hold off until early Spring if the plant lets me. It’s dripping sap most days, which probably means I’m watering it too much for the cooler weather. I’ll space it out to once every 8 days or so.
The monstera (which was not a philodendron as previously thought) has started putting out a new leaf. This is the first new leaf after the big move into its new home, and it’s aiming to be even more magnificent than the previous leaves. The delicate and deep lines across its skin may be early signs of the leaf’s splitting points. I’ll try to watch closely and see if that’s the case.
If you’ve got a garden you want to show off, don’t hesitate to write your own Six on Saturday post! They’re easy to make and I’d certainly enjoy taking a look at more gardens. If you want to learn how they work, check out where it all started!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you had a pleasant time checking out the plants. If you’re in the mood for more nature, please stay in touch!
Mindful Foliage 