WOOF!

Copper Trellis out of well, copper plumbing things.

A few years ago, when I first bought my house, I crafted a 'privacy screen' to battle a crazy neighbor, out of copper. I have wanted to re-craft some nifty bit of copper as a plant trellis. On a recent visit to Annie's Annuals (heaven for flower lovers) I picked up a climbing vine in need of support.

So I got out the blowtorch and whipped up this trellis. Big magic! I love fire! I can send you the how to's about, well, how to, if you email me. It's not rocket science, but it is pyrotechnics.

The plant has been in the planter for about two weeks and has already begun its ascension.

Litchee Tomato

I picked up these wicked cool tomatoes from Love Apple in Santa Cruz.  I have them planted in 15 gallon nursery pots and I've been feeding them like a nut job.  They are covered in menacing thorns from stem to stern and although I have had no fruit yet from them, I'm anticipating a bumper crop if I can keep them fed and happy.  They are an interesting fruit in that they need a love...there must be two in order for them to do their thing.  I kinda like that...romantic veggie love....

Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder.

No need to elaborate.  

Trellis for Butternut Squash

Butternut squash in a cage.  Yes.  Mr. 'Possum decided he dug the whole idea of squash in general.  He has a MUCH harder time garnering my squash when it's up high.

Upside down tomato experiment, year three.

Can you even believe that tomatoes have over-wintered three years and are still going???  Check this guy out!

So how are those SIP doo dads doing???

So here are some posted photos of the grow boxes over the past several months.  So far, so good.  I have a list of things I'd do differently if I go for this again next year....mainly around watering, (as in, gotta get automated with it...it's not that I'm lazy, but I feel that the hand watering is not good on a save water level.  Has to be a better way.) and pipe location, as well as lime and added fertilization needs. These are from roughly May/Early June.

And the same boxes/buckets currently as they stand:

Pretty cool, actually, although I'm dealing with a lot of frustrating blossom end rot right now.  I have been adding hydrated lime to the boxes via the tubes, and it seems to have helped.  I think our weather this summer in Nor. Cal. has been off, ergo, it's a late summer of veggies.  In general, I'd say this has been the most successful garden experiment I've undertaken so far....each box or bucket has produced many tomatoes already (or cucumbers or eggplant) and I'm already planning next year's assault on the yard.

I will say: It is a pain to water these, and if I am going to do it again, I will absolutely stick these twerps on a drip system.