Dear Curiosity Journal,
As the sun started to sink a bit lower in the late summer sky, Rufus and I strolled through the flower tunnel. The climbing vines are just starting to ascend beyond the marigold canopy and we work our way down the line, adjusting vines and training them up the trellis. The poor moon flowers seem to be losing the competition for light and are quite small compared to the cardinal climbers and morning glories, but I think there is still hope for them to catch up, as the marigolds have almost reached their maximum height. The first lesson learned from the flower tunnel experiment is that we need to start the climbers in trays earlier to increase germination and give them time to start scaling the trellis before we transplant the marigolds. All things considered (drought, inexperience, and competing priorities) I believe the experiment is coming along beautifully, and we’ll take what we learn this year to design an improved 2024 flower tunnel. Trial and error are unforgettable teachers in the field.
~Joy
