Bamboo Stakes

Nothing terribly exciting to report today. I stopped by the garden center and picked up some bamboo stakes which I posted in the plot for the vines to grab onto. I also broke one of the stakes into a few pieces and stuck them next to my pea plants. The whole thing is going to look like such a hodge podge of plants and supports pretty soon. Ah, well, as long as it all tastes good.

Two of the pea plants are also growing these white little blossoms. It seems a little early for the plants to be putting off flowers and fruits, but I'm not going to interfere. I will let Mother Nature do her thing.

Peas

These are my pea plants. The third from the right is actually the same one that was harmed in the initial mint attack. I didn't think it would recover, but just look at it. As these plants grow the leaves just unfold in the most mystifying patterns, like green origami. Beautiful. The support that they're attaching their vines to is just a bent out of shape clothes hanger. (Click the photo for a closer look.)


I've been to Home Depot, I've been to Lowe's, I've been to independent garden shops, and no where can I find adequate support systems for my plants! They are always sold out of what I need for my tomatoes and other plants that are growing so rapidly they can't hold themselves up. So, pliers in hand, I've turned to hangers and for now I think it's working. For my other plants I've used wooden stakes and tied the plants to them using strips of nylon hosiery. A handy trick I picked up from my parents' neighbor. The nylon has enough elasticity that it doesn't harm the stalk of the plant, but it it study enough to secure it upright.