The war has over, and the chipmunks have won. 

I have started cleaning out the corner where all the junk has accumulated over the years and will consider what goes in there when I'm done.  Another box? A small greenhouse?  Who knows.  I do know one of my plot neighbors complimented me the other day saying it looked like I'm an engineer because everything looks so organized.  I thanked him, but the truth is, I look at his plot with great envy because he looks like a gardener.

In spite of the forks, Irish Spring, pinwheels, etc.  The chipmunks at 18 out of 20 corn seedlings.  So I waved the white flag and ceded growing corn this year.  Time to rethink that box, perhaps root veggies like radishes, carrots, and other yummy root veggies.

Tee Turtle ❤️

To be safe, I will make a cover out of chicken wire to go across the top of the box until things are growing strong.

Recently I discovered my favorite place to buy t-shirts, Tee Turtle, now has a "cottage core" line. Now I don't get any type of affiliate stuff from them, but I will always take a moment to tell people about how wonderful their customer service can be and the quality of their product.  ❤️❤️❤️ I own lots of their shirts, pins, and games so when I saw their new design my eyes lit up.  It is lovely.  It will be in my cart and winging its way to me if I hit my goal in Camp NaNoWrimo this July.

Back to plants.  

I spend a lot of time weeding little bits that grow up in my bean teepee box, but I am excited that the peas are climbing up the poles.  I noticed little white flowers on them and did a happy dance.  Hopefully, I will have "sugar peas" for my little nephew and, once the beans start climbing, I will get a little mat to put down in the middle of the teepee so he can hide in there when I'm working.

When everything's done, I'll plant a fall peas and beans crop to start the climb all over again because ... gardens!

The onion box is so self-sufficient, I sometimes think it resents my interference when I jump into weed and guide things.  I will say the Egyptian walking onions I thought were doomed last year have come back with force.  Between those, the garlic onion thingies, and the chives, that box will just be what it is until it's OK with me going in so I can muck around some more.  One thing on the agenda this week, if we don't end up with more buckets of rain, will be mixing up some soil to top off a few boxes.  That includes my curmudgeonly onion box.

 My tomato plants are thriving, which makes me so happy.  There are some Sungold cherry tomatoes, some Roma sauce tomatoes, and some heirloom tomatoes too.  Someone once asked me the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes.  

I said that determinate (think fixed height) will grow and then everything ripens at once screaming, "Tomatoes baby... come and get your tomatoes before they're gone." 

Indeterminate will grow all season and be, "Oh, you want a tomato?  Here, have a tomato. If you want another, come on by and we'll see what we can do for you."

Me, I tend to think sauce vs sandwich tomatoes.  The determinates all show up at the same time as a convenience for people who make tomato sauce and can them.  The indeterminates just keep popping out tomatoes all season for everyone's enjoyment.

My peppers are in an odd state.  Something (I'm looking at you chipmunk) ate the bottom tiers of leaves on my peppers.  They kind of look like lollipop sticks right now.  The ones that were chewed off at the bottom are starting to produce peppers.  That's always fun.  

My squash... oh my poor squash.  My cucumbers are now coming up and I'll put in some straight neck yellow and winter squashes after starting the seeds at home recently.  I'm not sure if the seeds were a bit sketchy or they got eaten by critters or both.  I just know I have enough to put in the box now safely.  I'll run some bits of strings down from the trellis to the plants for them to do some climbing.

It's not a lot this year, but it is happy and happy is good.