In keeping with the last post’s theme, I’m talking about the weather again today.

The crazy record heat wave is killing my poor plants. Those little babies don’t stand a chance and I’m beginning to feel like I failed.

This year I’m growing tomatoes, cauliflower, bell peppers and cucumbers – yes all on my small balcony; it does make for a pretty and calming atmosphere.

I guess I’m inherently predisposed to grow things, I come from a long line of farmers and I technically spent a fair bit of my childhood on a farm.

My mom said they tried to grow grapes on the ‘farm’ one year, they were very hopeful until it grew into an overgrown bush that hardly bore any fruit and then it dried up and died a few years later. Her excuse is that they didn’t have Google back then, they may have gotten the soil’s PH wrong, the climate didn’t help and there may have been some over pruning issues.

I sometimes feel like my parents when I try my hand at gardening, it’s as if I’m supposed to do it but I may not be necessarily good at it. The good thing is I know my limitations enough not to want to quit my day job to become a farmer.

I have a beautiful coleus plant that thrives in spite of everything, and a cypress plant that would probably outlive me.

Last year, I had a got a few tomatoes for my troubles. This year I’m hoping the heat would let up and I get a few more exciting crops.

I’d hate to have to give up.

The Nelson Park community garden is awesome and I’ve been thinking about putting my name on a waitlist for a plot.

Here are a few pictures from the lovely garden – enjoy!