It's been about three months since I put the Taj Mahal to work, and the results, I'm happy to say, have exceeded my wildest expectations! Here's what's happened during that time.

February 2nd: Peas are sprouting nicely, and the germinating carrots are just visible to the right of the peas. There's also a short row of beans, and some started seeds in trays. The dash of color in the background is a pot of cyclamen (not of my own production, alas!).

March 2nd: The view from the door. The peas seem happy, and there are a few other things growing.

A closer view of the far end of the raised bed, showing (left to right) salad greens, tomato plants, beans, dill and a cucumber vine.

End of March:

Here's the same area as in the picture above. All the tomatoes have fruit set, the largest about the size of a golf ball. This is particularly gratifying, since I was worried about my pollination skills; however, tapping the blossom clusters with a knitting needle at least once a day seems to do the job. I'm trying four varieties of tomatoes: Abigail, Boa, Dombito, and Green Grape.

And here's my most exciting development --- a baby avocado! Yes, it's tiny (black arrow), but it's there. This is a 'Don Gillogly' dwarf, self-fertile avocado from Wayside. I've read that it takes many months for the fruit to mature, so I'm not holding my breath.

I'm making slow progress on the outside of the building. Since I hope to start an asparagus bed this spring, along one side of the greenhouse, I need to install the stone veneer along this side, and it is slow work. The photo below shows the result of six hours' work by three people. The railroad ties enclose the asparagus bed-to-be; I intend to plant Jersey King and Purple Sweet, if we can finish putting up the veneer before it gets too warm.