Garden Update

My garden is growing like CRAZY. Everything (pretty much) looks lush and healthy. I am excited about a giant butternut squash plant that grew out of the compost I spread on the ground. It is making so many squashes!

An early crookneck I planted is doing great too, and I should have tasty squash within a week or so.

The tomatoes look lovely and Jenny is just starting to ripen. Next year: I will plant some really, really early tomato varieties in the water chamber things. I'm not sure it was worth putting the peppers in those, as the ones that weren't in them are making peppers just as fast now. So, peppers coming soon too!

The bush beans (Festina) look wonderful, are flowering, and making tiny beans.

I have a huge borage bush that looks lovely.

The tomatillos are huge and flowering. I have four this year, and I intend to make salsa, amongst other things with them. Got eggplants both in the ground and in the Earthbox. Will be interested to see how they do.

Got some of my poblano peppers planted. Can't wait for these! Will start them much earlier next year, and not in my regular seed starters--they didn't like them.

Planted my pepino cucumber seeds today, also zucchini (Italiano largo), melon Amy, a watermelon, pattypan squash, and spagghetti squash.

Made a rustic pyramid for my cucumbers.

Got to go eat dinner!

a mid spring summary

So much has happened (gardening-wise). I love, love, love my garden. It is full of plants and lush and beautiful (to me). I'm going to try and summarize by plant what's been going on since the spring.

Asparagus: I talked about that in my last entry. It's growing much taller than last year and hiding my compost bins well. A gorgeous plant.

Kale and collards: Long gone now, the four of each I bought at the garden center were delicous. I can't wait to grow them this cool season and learn to experiment with them.

Mustard: Started this in the fall; overwintered. Delicous. Plan to grow several varieties this fall.

Arugula: Didn't turn out nearly as nice as last year. I think the weather had something to do with it. I didn't plant it as early (cuz the ground was frozen), and I didn't get around to it as soon as I should. Anyway, it was cold for longer and then got really warm.

Radishes: Tasty as ever. I grew a lot more of them. However, we've had these hot spells, and the ones that are coming up now are rather bitter. I'd like to try sauteeing them.

Spinach: Most of these I bought at the garden center, but I managed to grow a few plants from seed! All are delicous. We've had creamed spinach once, and my husband made a couple batches (Emeril's recipe) to freeze last night. Great in salads too. I see why people love it. The tasty greens just keep coming, and we haven't had to buy grocery store greens in weeks!

Lettuce: The speckled lettuce and the buttercrunch I bought at the garden center have thrived! (After I nearly killed them from neglect/lack of water.) I have too much of them. The ones I grew from seed and have going in the self-watering containers (Earth boxes) are delicious as well (and more interesting). I am also growing some iceburg (a first) because I'd like to use it as wraps. I am moving all of my lettuce containers to the back porch, where they will get less afternoon sunlight.

Peas: I grew Maestro and Mr. Big, all mixed together. I was going to grow Mr. Big, but couldn't find it, so I started Maestro from seed, and then when I planted them out and some died (lack o' water), I put in some Mr. Big seeds. Both are garden peas, and they are so delicous. Like candy. The children and I just eat them out in the backyard fresh.

Beans: A few bush beans have been started, and I plan to start my pole beans soon. I'm having to plan around some summer travel.

Cabbages: The red ones from the fall are still not ready to be harvested. Waiting on the white ones I planted this spring too.

Broccoli: First harvest last night! The Packman I bought at the store (same kind I grew from seed last year). I made a broc-cheese soup out of it and froze it. (Emeril's recipe). Hope to get some side shoots.

Squash: Have planted crookneck squash seeds that are coming up now. Got tons of mystery squashes growing throughout the garden. Be interesting to see what they are. (Probably all fall gourds). Going to plant more as the cabbages and spinaches come out.

Melons: Haven't planted any yet!

Cucumbers: Son has some early bush ones planted in his little bed. I plan to plant more to make pickles. (I got a canner!)

Tomatoes: Oh, the tomatoes. The ones I started in the kozy coats (well, 2 of the 3--one died right away) are thriving! They are giant! I need to take pictures. I took the coats off today because it's been so hot. I've got lots of green tomatoes already. It appears that the Early Girl bit the dust, and that I'll soon have delicous Ladybug Hybrid and Jenny tomatoes to eat. I have many other plants, both cherry and beefsteak set out. One of these days I'll do a post just listing the varieties of plants I'm growing. (So that I'll remember!) I haven't set them all out yet, the colors of cherry I'm growing include red grape, red cherry, orange, purple, white, and green!

Sweet Peppers: I ended up putting one (Carmen) in the kozy coat for the Early Girl that died, and it is already growing at least one pepper! Has several more flowers too. Plan to grow many colors of pepper! I didn't buy a mix--bought individual packages. I don't know why...

Hot Peppers: I let my seedlings (Ancho 101 and Anaheim) get too cold, and they are really coming along slowly. Right now I have 3 seedlings of one (not sure which--probably Ancho) and none of the other. I even started some more. Couldn't find any poblano or anaheim peppers at the store. Bought a jalapeno and a super chili (don't know what this is), and a friend gave me 2 haberneros. I loved my Ancho 101's, and still have a couple frozen that I am so sad to use up. Hope to store up a lot for the winter and give some away if I have too many.

Huckleberries: Trying to grow these! Looks like one has germinated.

Alpine strawberries: Trying to grow these as well.

Annual herbs: Got dill, cilantro, stevia, parsley, basil, nasturtium, borage all growing.

Perinneal herbs: In my little herb garden: Sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme all doing well. In pots, chives are doing fine. In the front garden, mint is trying to fight off the bermuda grass, joined by it's ally echinacea white swan.

Flowers: Got celosia started. Cannas planted.

Things I've learned:

• If I plant seeds, and it doesn't rain, and I don't water, they won't come up. (I know this should be obvious).
• New transplants need to be watered every day at first, even in cool weather.
• Things that are gross in the grocery store (kale) are often delicous in the garden.
• Garden peas taste like candy.
• I really need an irrigation system. Got spoiled to all the rain we had last season.
• It's okay to buy plants at the garden center instead of starting everything from seed.
• I will not start perinneal flowers from seed again unless they are really, really easy.
• I have to stock up in a major way on my Park's Starts refills. I HATE it when I run out of these. Not all seeds do well in these, but so far, they are my favorite way to start seeds.

Spring spring spring

I haven't been writing in this blog much, but I have been gardening a lot. I have 2 new 8' x 4' beds up and running, and my 3 new Earth Boxes just came today! I know have eight 8' x 4' beds and 4 Earth Boxes total.

Outside, we I have growing: asparagus, 2 tomato plants and 1 pepper plant (in Wall O Waters), radishes, arugula, kale, collards, mustard greens, red cabbage, white cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, and spinach.

Indoors, I have started seeds for prarie sunflowers, bachelor's button, cockscomb, peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplants, more lettuces, plus three butterfly bushes.

We had our first little asparagus harvest tonight, and it was heavenly. Really. Like you imagine vegetables would taste in heaven. The asparagus tasted unbelievable. It was so tender. We all had a piece fresh, and then my husband steamed the rest. We only got a little each, but it was wonderful. My 6-year-old was sad there wasn't more. Hopefully, over the next couple of weeks or so, we'll get a few more side dishes out of our asparagus bed. And next year, six weeks of delicious asparagus!

Both children are obsessed with eating kale. I have 4 kale plants that I planted in the fall, and they love to munch on it. Next year, I'm going to plant a whole lot more of them! They wintered over beautifully. I planted them so late that they hardly grew at all since I planted them. Fresh kale from the garden is delicious.

One big difference this year is that I don't have a problem with buying plants at the garden center (the locally owned one) and plugging them into my garden, although I have been starting quite a few seeds. Not so interested in starting cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower from seed anymore!

Tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce, however, are easy and fun to start from seed. And, of course, there really isn't any other way to grow radishes or carrots. And, then, beans, cucumbers, melons, and squash will all be started from seeds.

Another big difference is that I'm much more product oriented. I expect that the garden this year will provide most of our produce, and I have plans to preserve it, by freezing and canning. (Although I'm a little afraid of canning, and will do only pickling and high acid foods.) I'm very glad that we have a chest freezer--we make good use of it anyway, and I hope to make even better use of it this year in the garden.

I have very much enjoyed the peppers (variety Ancho from Park Seed) that I grew last year. I froze a whole lot of them at the end of the season, just whole, and continue to use them in any recipe that calls for hot pepper seasoning. I put one in a chili that I made on Sunday, and I was very pleased. I've also used them in quesadillas, scrambled eggs, and my pumpkin soup.

Last year, I was all about trying a greater variety of plants. This year, I am probably growing less variety and sticking to the things that will be more useful.

My goals for this season:

• grow most of our produce
• preserve hot peppers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers for winter in various forms
• by fall, construct some sort of cold frame to keep spinach and arugula growing longer
• plant more kale, collards, cabbage in late fall to winter over