An exercise in hope.

Before we left for the trip, I went on another planting frenzy to see if anything would pop up.  A sacrifice of wine to Demeter, benign neglect, automatic drip-system watering, cooler temps, and the lack of a digging puppy should be enough, right?  I mean, it works for growing hair.

Unfortunately I have not had the best of luck with sprouting seeds or keeping baby seedlings alive, which I am totally blaming on the unpredictability of the weather (seriously, it's been 107 one day, then down to the 50's at night!).  The only things doing well are half the tomatoes, and the beans.  I didn't actually plant beans, they're volunteers from last year, but I let them grow because the cukes have not been successful under the trellis.

Here's the run-down of what I planted (most of which is a re-planting after failed seedlings).

• Tomato cuttings/seedlings
• Dragon egg cuke
• Lemon cuke
• Lemon squash
• Lakota squash
• Culinary sage
• Genovese basil
• Marigold
• Calendula
• Nasturtium
• Mammoth sunflower
• Malabar spinach
• Toscano kale 
• Chard
• Turnip
• Radish
• TONS of cilantro (this herb was my husband's only request, I gotta make it work!)

Please, please, please let some of these be alive when we return.  My gardening luck has been frustrating thus far.