The Veggie Files – I have Veggies!

It’s true… look!!

BEANS! Actual … beans!!  I don’t believe it!  I grew a real and honest to goodness vegetable!  I am the queen of gardening!

Seriously, if you could have seen the little dance I did around the balcony when I saw these babies.  It went a little something like…  I have beans, baby beans, Go Tammy…shake yer booty, beans baby beans, UH UH, BAM, oh yeah I got beans!!

It’s so weird, one day they weren’t there, the next they were.. just POW, bean city!

Now the only problem is that I have no idea when they are done.  Like, when do I pick them?  How do I know when the bean is ready to come off the plant and into MAH BELLEH?!  I tried to Google it but even with all the info I still don’t know what to do.  I’m not sure how big they get or how long to wait.  I’m so excited and confused!

My other veggies are coming along nicely too!

I have loads of these yellow flowers on my cucumber plants.  Judging by the plants that were on my bean plants before the beans arrived, I can only assume that the cucumbers are not very far off now.  I am watching them like a hawk.  They also growing  very quickly, and even though I only replanted them a week ago I think I may have to replant them again in even bigger pots just to be on the safe side.

My “little gem” lettuce has gone from green to purple and is starting to look a little stronger.  Not sure if this is going to go very well but I’m hoping.  I will replant them again soon anyway, then I just have to wait and see.

All of the plants now have stokjes (the sticks) in them to help keep them upright.  Some of my cucumber plants have weird little squiggly bits growing and reaching out all over the place trying to grab onto something.  I get the feeling they are going to grow pretty high.  I really must get out the packages and see what I am in for…

So here’s my current dilemma.  We are leaving to go on holiday on Thursday and I have to leave my veggie plants behind.  Just the thought of it has me breathing into a paper bag.

The neighbour will be coming in to water them and keep an eye on the cat and turtles, but… I’m not going to be able to excitedly run out to the balcony every morning to see what has changed!   The separation anxiety has already begun!  I might miss something!  I mean, what if the cucumbers start to grow and I miss it?

I considered calling off our holiday so I can stay home and watch my veggies grow, but I didn’t think my in-laws would appreciate it. Although, it was my stepmom-in-law (Jenny) who introduced me to gardening in the first place, so I could attempt to blame her.  I mean, this is all her fault after all!  I also plan on blaming her when I break the news to Xander that we have to move so I can have a bigger balcony for my plants next summer.

Anyway, perhaps I could pack them in the car and take them with me.  I’m sure they’d fit in the car, I could stop at rest stops to water them and they could sleep next to us in our hotel.   Then Jenny could see my plants firsthand and be there to tell me when it’s time to pick the beans!

… or maybe my neighbour would agree to take daily photos and email them to me.

Oh, I know!  I can get Xander to make a waterproof robot that sits on the balcony, takes photos each morning and then emails it to me.  Finally I can put his robotics skills to good household use!

Too much?

Maybe I’ll just call for daily veggie updates, and bake something delicious to leave behind.

I am not above bribery.