American Dwarf Yellow Marigolds

Someone gave me these marigolds to help keep pests away. It was too late for my basil plant, which was devoured by aphids and other mean insects, but I have been enjoying their colorful blooms, even if the leaves look a little sad at times. They don't smell as funny as I expected, given their reputation.

You can also see my tiny sage plants here, which have been growing a little better lately. They are still much smaller than they should be, though. I have yet to have a sage plant grow large enough to produce leaves I can cook with. Also, there are some pigeons that frequent the balcony and either they or something else munched on several of my sage leaves. Boo to that. I may get one of those ugly owl statues to keep the pigeons away. They were not out there today, though, for the first time in weeks. Maybe they've found another gardener to pester.

My Leek

This is the leek that I planted over a year ago. It seems to be thickening, finally. I have to wonder if it will actually taste good when it is finally big enough to eat. Also, I don't really use leeks in cooking. But hey, anything that stays alive in my garden makes me happy, so I'm not complaining.

I had to pick some garlic prematurely last week because the top had turned brown, dried out, and fallen over. Oh well.

New Garden Setup

I got these two wire shelves at Target for $30 each. My new balcony doesn't get any light to plants if you put them on the ground, but by raising the pots with the shelves, my plants get quite a bit of light. However, I still haven't had any luck with seeds germinating. Maybe I need to start them in small pots like I used to and then transplant them. Why can't they germinate in big pots with plenty of sun and water, though? That doesn't make sense to me.