Partial Status Report

I make for you now a partial status report below, corresponding to the pictures above.

Potato, Sweet; Potatoes, Regular: fighting for survival. For further information on what is happening, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnrXiaPVeHY&feature=PlayList&p=5746AC95FD252265&index=11 (listen to the lyrics at 19 seconds into the clip).

Pineapple: has been moved inside where it grows and thrive, and on less water than it required outside.

Basil: harvested heavily when the wheather changed, these plants took a beating, but don't count them out yet.

Jalapeno: has not done anything noteworthy other than continued to not grow.

Garlic: sometimes the ones that grow the fastest and most quickly also burn out the fastest.

Potatoes Are Calm, For Now

A new but enthusiatic reader asked about the potatoes. I posted a picture of them above. As some of you may recall, after the sweet potato vine began to strangle the pineapple plant, I thought I would teach it a lesson by making it pick on something(s) its own size.

Many of you of course expected a Highlander-type duel to ensue between the various potatoes. Although I applaud you all for your interest in this critically acclaimed and popular genre of fiction, I am sorry to report that, as you can see, although it is getting a little crowded down there, all the potatoes are behaving themselves.

But, winter is coming. They'll find out who their friends are soon enough, I think.

Night Moves

Take a look at this tall drink of water. It continues to grow at an astonishing rate (photographed at night).

Growing Season Prolonged

I recently went to see Mt. Vernon with my family. Mt. Vernon is the estate of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States of America. It is located in Alexandria, Virginia. It is well preserved and held out as a tourist attraction for tourists to learn about history, as well as a realistic example of what life was like back then on that property. I, like you, my gentle readers, find history to be always interesting, exciting, and sometimes, sad.

There was and is a vegetable garden at Mt. Vernon! You can see it if you click on this link: http://www.mountvernon.org/visit/plan/index.cfm/ss/30/

The garden was situated so that it got plenty of sun. It was also surrounded by a brick wall, which kept out pests and kept in warmth, thus prolonging the growing season.

My balcony garden, wich faces southeast, and which for a floor and roof has a slap of concrete, and surrounded as it is with brick walls on two sides, also conserves the sun's heat and prolongs the growing season. Pests are barely a problem, because we are so high up that even insects have a hard time finding the place. As an added bonus, nobody who has ever been enslaved has ever been on my balcony garden. The same cannot be said of G.W.'s garden, sadly.

One other big difference between my garden and Washington's is that mine is primarily for growing one pineapple. Washington's was for growing all sorts of vegetables.

Update

The pineapple, it continues to grow. See how fast it does!

Today is the first day of September, and with it this month brings chilly temperatures and my mom's birthday. I might have to take the pineapple plant inside soon.

The potatoes will stay outside, of course, I do not care about them anyway. As for the basil, it too will stay outside. Several weeks ago and off to the side of the northern part of Dupont Circle I saw a large copse of basil plants, we're talking very substantial plants, planted in the dirt, right in front of a cafe. I had no idea that basil plants could be perennials here in D.C. Hopefully my basil plants will be.

As for the marigolds, well, sorry to say I planted them too late and they will never reach their full potential. Same for the garlic and the jalapenos. For that matter, a lot of people will never reach their full potential because they wanted for nourishment and timely, prudent, and appropriate nuturing, and so that is a lot worse than plants dying prematurely. Way worse.

Well, this has been fun but I better get back to work. I am super busy (and you should be too).

Presentation of a Pineapple

I know now what some parents may have felt once or twice. I know the joy of nurturing something that does not turn out to be a huge disappointment after all. I know the joy of a pineapple plant that has germinated big time.

I do not mean to insult the readers of this humble blog, but, just to be clear: No, I am not saying that the pineapple is German. Ludwig von Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 playing in the background is mere coincidence. "Germinate" is a term oft used in horticulture. It refers usually to what a man or woman of everyday experience would describe roughly as "a seed sprouting," and is usually the first step in growing things that one plants. Well, because my pineapple plant was first decapitated from a pineapple seed and then planted, the appearance of a new seed is really the important part, and thus the point of germination for my purposes.

Two years, perhaps more. That is how long I have worked for this. I take back anything I ever said or thought about this plant that was unkind. For that matter I take back all the unkind words, deeds, and thoughts I ever had against anybody. This is probably the happiest day of my life (although the extremely popular and critically acclaimed movie series Highlander is rumored to be in the process of being remade, so it might not be the best day of my life forever).

I am already worried about some insects I saw crawling over the baby pineapple. I vow to slay them, and to respond severely to anybody or anything else that seeks to do mischief (or worse, heaven forbid!) against MY pineapple plant.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife, for her indulgences and understanding. Now, to her, as always, I send my love (and also this post).

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