Garden/Summer update

Somehow we missed posting about Jude's 4th birthday. He wanted a baseball cake, so that is what he got, although certain other children, who shall remain nameless, could not keep their little fingers out of the frosting. I am not very good at patching up cakes.



This lego boat was his birthday present. Daddy helped put it together.These are the kids I've been watching for the last couple months (now over). 8 kids made for some very busy days during the week. But the kids sure had a lot of fun.

And now for a garden update:


We have several thriving eggplants this year. Some started from seed. I'd never been able to keep them alive before so it's an accomplishment. This is an eggplant flower.
I must've thrown out some bad tomatoes over the winter, because these little plants popped up in the flower beds around the deck, and in the grass. They are even producing fruit. So, apparently, sometimes in Iowa, tomatoes can self seed!
If anyone knows what this weed is I'd appreciate the help identifying it. It's spiky on the very top, but otherwise has a long and smooth stem, and when it flowers it's orange on the top and bright yellow like a dandelion on the bottom. I've only seen a couple of them in my flower bed. They don't seem to spread or become invasive, so maybe it's even a flower?
Our red/green lettuce.
Corn patch.
Kale.
This tomato is beginning to be one of my favorites. The foliage is silver grey and fuzzy, and it produces nice size cherry tomatoes. It's called "Velvet Red". Which is a fitting name.
I didn't realize hollyhocks would spread themselves all over the place, but they definitely have. They are popping up all over the yard and garden. Sadie helped start and plant their parents almost three years ago, and we haven't purposefully planted new ones since.
All kinds of colors of bachelor's buttons along our split rail.
And finally, we have some fruitful grape vines. Unfortunately the japanese beetles seem to like them almost as much as we do.