how my garden is doing.

Well here goes to anyone that is interested:
 
First I would like to thank everyone that helped me with information, it is because of you I feel compelled to write how I am doing.
 
I'm new to this and this past year moved to into an apt/cottage style building in Jerusalem, Israel that has lots of porches with large long/deep window boxes built in. Some of the porches have pine needles falling on them from a near by trees. I'm just learning the needles fall twice a year. Now and in the winter with the rain and wind.
 
But I have some beautiful vegetables growing despite that.
I had already Red Cabbage,  Dill, and sweetpeas.The sweetpeas were delicious right off the vine and sautéed. I planted to many at the same time, but my two year old daughter and I had fun picking them and eating them every morning till the plants were covered with a white /gray  fuss of some sort (disease) and I knew I should not eat them.
 
With the cabbage I made soup and salad. I was thrilled.
From seeds I planted spinach, but only one plant came up strong and healthy.
 
I went to the nursery and bought what I thought was a  dill plant ( first time it was seeds) but because of a language problem I bought 6 fennel plants.( I did not know it for a while) After I got over the fact I did that, I enjoyed making baked salmon using the fennel leaves. The rest got covered in aphids, I have just let grow and even flower, but I do not know how to collect the seeds, so I just continue to water them. I planted strawberries next to the fennel plants. The leaves look fine and I even had a handful of strawberries that were very sweet but that has stopped and now they come out very small and thin.
 
After planting them I read most plants to not like fennel or cabbage which is where I planted my strawberries. Is this my problem?
 
I bought two lettuce plants that both grew very tall and flowered quickly, so I did not eat them.
 
I have a few tomato plants I received as a gift. they are doing great. My daughter and I again ate all the cherry tomatoes from this one plant that does not get sun anymore, because of the fennel and another tomato (plump size) that are shading it. Oh well, but the tomato plump size plant have already given me 5 tomatoes. I planted a few scallions, but forgot to take them out of the ground, so when I did they were round!
 
I planted a few radishes, not much to talk about, I'm trying again.
I'm also waiting for my Swiss chard to sprout. I have this soup I love to make with it. I read the cool weather of Sept is no problem. 
 
And at the moment I have two cantaloupe (from seeds) plants taking over the porch, with two melons on one starting to grow. But what is really taking over is two pumpkin plants(from seeds).
At the moment I only have big beautiful leaves and big flowers, but I hope anyday soon that will change. My older boys are excited about them.
I also have a Lemon tree in a big pot. It was doing ok till it lost every leaf. I started watering it less and now threw the bark I can see green leaves pushing threw. I hope it makes it.
 
My plants are on a drip system, that I'm still trying to understand which plants need more or less water. but it does work. I still have two areas I have to hand water and in the hot sun here it is a miracle I did not loose more plants.(mostly flowers there).
 
I think what helped me get started is the book" Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew I did not read it cover to cover, but I think I got the idea.
 
When I reread what I have done this past spring, it sounds like a farm. But it is just a little of this and of that.
 
I tried to save some of the peas from the sweetpeas to replant them next year. But doing this project with a two year old a few rolled back in the dirt and my second crop,of sweet peas are growing. I picked five one for each of us today. I was told by a friend it would not work, but it has and I have a quarter of what I planted the first time.but that is fine.
 
The front of the building came with a Almond tree,(it had beautiful flowers,) with only two almonds this year growing green and fuzzy. The leaves are getting eaten, but I don't know by what.
 
I plan to try the beer in a container to get rid of my slugs.unless someone knows of another way. I also have cats that jump from a tree to my porch and the birds to share with.
 
Well that is it. I hope you enjoyed it or learned something from me or you can tell me what I can do better for my little family farm.
 
 
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