My sunflower saga.....

            I don't know what it is with me and sunflowers. Really! I tried to germinate almost a whole packet of them - and NONE, read NIL, NADA, ZILCH.....sprouted. I mean, I'm not the world's best gardener but I'm certainly not its worst either [I believe!]. I managed to sprout all the other seeds I bought. So maybe some didn't make it through infancy....but they germinated well enough! Except for the sunflowers......
            I felt challenged when I read the blogs and viewed youtube. ALL of those featured said that sunflowers are among the EASIEST plant to grow. Ouch! HUH!! I watched kids toss them into pots and voila....they got bright yellow sunflowers!! pffftttt......
            A friend said that it could be the seeds I bought. Maybe they weren't good. I think he was trying to make me feel better. But it made me pick up a couple of fresh packets of sunflowers when I bought my compost. I gently tossed a few into a cup, watered it and waited breathlessly for several days....AND....ta-da~~~~here they are!

            The packet says "Sunflower - Big Smile". Well, right now it's more me...with the big smile :) :) :)
            I'm praying that they'll make it through and give me these.......

            Wouldn't that just be so grand..... ;)

Gardening sure is challenging ;)

            I've planted these okra plants for the 4th time already!! Some mysterious bug loves them when they're about 5 inches tall. Nips their "necks" and leaves them drooping....and dead. So here I am germinating okra seeds...yet again. I insist on having homegrown okra no matter what :D

I'm praying that they'll survive this time around. I've yet to catch the culprit in action. My brother thinks it's the work of a grasshopper. I guess he knows what he's talking about since every plant he throws in soil thrives beautifully.

            The onions are doing well to date. I guess it's one of the easiest thing to grow - for me! I could virtually leave them alone and they'd still survive. Aaaah....my kind of plant :D  I've got onions strewn everywhere...and they're all growing nicely.



Even managed to get this last week ;)  Nothing to brag about I know...but for a gardening ignoramus like me, it's akin to a lifetime achievement! :D

The kailan [Chinese kale] have been transplanted into this planter as well as a recycled 5l bottle. Still have another batch to transplant. Which I'll have to work on real soon - like right after I'm done with blogging.

On the left are Japanese cucumbers and black eyed peas. Those are eggplants in the cups.
 
Top left is coriander. The leaves are taking shape already! Yea.... Carrots in the cups - this makes it my 2nd attempt at carrots. I'm hoping to keep those playful kittens from trampling them. I did read somewhere that if I were to mix coffee grounds with citrus peels and spread it on the soil, it would deter the cats. Must try this soonest.

            Seedlings ready for transplant - I think. But they look so tiny!

The lemon seeds I germinated. I'm into germinating seeds at the moment. I've got melons, guava, orange and more mango seeds in ziplock bags on my kitchen window. And avocado seeds suspended in water on my windowsill. I still have lots more mangos, rock melon, oranges and avocados to be consumed!

Balsam hanging from my clothesline.......

and......... 

semi-dead and very dead marigold-like plants.

Oh..on a happier note, I saw little shoots of butterhead lettuce, red okra and thyme this morning :)