I'm Kaye and I'm a late bloomer.
(whistling logo)
If you've been following my vlog,
you know that I traveled
for nearly three weeks back East
to see old friends and meet new friends
and share their inspiring stories.
Well, guess what?
While I was gone,
my garden got out of control, ha, ha.
So, it's taken about three weeks
to get it back in shape.
Now, this is Memorial Day weekend,
and a perfect time
for a look at the garden.
(classical acoustic guitar)
Here's the trapezoid bed,
two months later,
and that humongous thing,
is the volunteer cabbage.
It's completely blocked my path.
It would take two more weeks
to convince myself to take it out.
Ha, ha, you know that voile I used
to protect my cabbage?
Well, it only works
if it's really covered.
I've got a couple of promising cabbages,
but,...this is what happened
to most of them while I was gone.
Worms.
And once they're in there, ha, ha,
it's a field day.
This new beet bed is a raging success.
Wow!
Beautiful!
I return, and my salsify
is absolutely covered with white powder.
All that has to go
into a garbage bag.
The roots suffered as a result.
The same thing happened last year,
so that's probably it for salsify.
The weather has been
unseasonably cool,
and June gloom set in
by the end of April.
These conditions are rife
for powdery mildew,
which has affected my roses,
sunflowers,
even my California poppies,
which I love.
All that had to go.
The sun was just peaking through the gloom
as my helper, Eric, shoveled them out.
(contemplative acoustic guitar)
(birds chirping)
This is all....
this is...
not contaminated ,
and this is completely,
the ones that are silvery-looking
are completely covered in powdery mildew.
The nasturtium had run its course
on the opposite side.
Hairy vetch had returned
on the parkway.
It adds gorgeous color
to the garden,
and it is a nitrogen builder,
but it's very invasive,
so that had to go as well.
The bolted wild arugula
was halfway across the sidewalk.
But, it's a bee magnet,
so, it stayed.
(cheerful Spanish guitar)
It was judgement day
for the monster cabbage.
Other plants were suffering
while it blocked the narrow path.
The problem was,
it was a volunteer that had grown up
through the hard soil of the pathway,
and didn't want to let go, ha, ha.
I couldn't pull it out.
I took off a few leaves,
but, I wanted to try my new
bypass pruners to cut the stem.
But, it was too thick!
Eric gave me his saw,
and I got the job done.
I removed a borage plant
just as large.
Okay, this,....
is a disaster.
This was my best cabbage, and
as I get in here to investigate,
as you can see...
absolutely covered...
in aphids,
worm damage, yikes!
Wow!
Well, I fed the aphids,
and the worms, while I was gone.
Only two were worth saving.
At least I got the path cleared,
so, I could tend to the squash
and volunteer cherry tomato.
From birds and bees
to aphids, cabbage worms,
grubs,
and...
my resident lizard,
the late bloomer garden
has been home to a host of critters.
(bees buzzing)
I operate with the belief that
that the bees understand
I am providing lots of flowers for them,
and that they allow me to
to pass through, and get in their space
without stinging me.
So far, it's worked.
(bees buzzing)
(soft jazzy acoustic guitar)
They love the umbel flowers.
You see how all the little flowers
contribute, it becomes like an umbrella?
That's called an umbel.
And....
bees love those for some reason.
They can just kind of walk across
all those flowers and
just forage very quickly.
Some of you asked
for an update on my worm towers.
and the early results are in
and I'm very impressed.
And my peppers in pots
were the beneficiaries.
Check it out.
So, all this came out of the worm bin?
The worm tower?
It's definitely working.
(Eric) Si. Good. Eh? See?
Ha! Okay, I want you to put one worm
in each pepper plant.
Okay, so put it in the pepper...
Alright,...wow! That's a lot!
Yeah, I think that Caribbean Red Habanero
needs it.
Yeah, put it in there.
(Eric) Oooo! Beautiful!
Then, we watered with fish fertilizer
all the worms into the pepper pots,
and refilled the worm towers
with more kitchen scraps
and used paper towel.
Okay, that's probably enough water,
don't you think?
(Eric) Oh, no, we need water for working.
Alright. (Eric) Okay. That's it.
For good measure,
I sprayed all the pepper plants
with Epsom salt spray.
This has become my
absolute favorite flower
in the garden.
It's Mexican Marigold...
and we're going to do a scratch and sniff.
Smell that.
(Spanish guitar picking)
Right? Ha, ha, ha.
Mmmm. And it's not just the flowers,
you just bump up against it and, ah!
Wow! Ha, ha, ha.
I just want to point this out.
This is a radish.
This is what happens to a radish
if you let it bolt.
And, look at all the flowers it provides
for the bees.
(soft guitar picking)
(bees buzzing)
And look at these radish seed pods.
I used netting over my sunflowers
to deter the local wild parrots,
but that seemed to wilt the blooms.
This may be my last year
to grow tall sunflowers.
(parrot shriek)
The parrots are up there
wanting my,...that's a parrot right there...
wanting my sunflowers.
There they go. (parrots shrieking)
I'm trying some new varieties of squash,
like this Cocozelle,
sort of like a striped zucchini.
I don't remember buying these seeds,
and I don't remember anyone
sending me these seeds,
but I absolutely love these little squash.
I hope this is the way they are
supposed to look, all bumpy.
Actually, this is a gourd
I'd forgotten I'd planted.
My friend, Joe, sent me the seeds.
There are ten episodes left
in Season Five.
If you have a special request
for something that you'd like to see
on Late Bloomer,
that I've missed
or, that, you'd like to see more of,
please let me know.
I will definitely have an update
on how my 40 peppers in pots
and 16 tomatoes growing in wood chips
did this year.
Also, I have a plan
to have a kids episode.
I want to feature all of my
young Late Bloomer fans.
So, if you have a young one,
that watches Late Bloomer with you,
and loves it,
please contact me.
And I'll arrange to get a clip from you.
Ha, ha, ha. Don't you think that would be fun?
(blowing kisses as they listen to Late Bloomer)
I blowed a kiss to her.
Awww.
If you enjoyed this episode,
please give me a thumbs up,
and share with a friend.
And, if you haven't checked out my vlog,
I hope you will.
I share inspiring stories of
gardens and gardeners.
I'm Kaye, I'm a late bloomer,
thanks for watching,
and I'll see you next time.
(whistle logo)
(bloopers begin)
Happy Memorial Day...
course, by the time you see this, it'll be like...
ha, ha, ha.
Ummm!
Um!
Oh, right, ha, ha.
(whistle logo)
(high-pitched duck quack)
(peppy, jazzy guitar picking)
(bees buzzing)