Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
Robert Louis Stevenson
I had not anticipated writing a post just about the veg garden, but since it is in full swing with lots happening, it makes perfect sense. And what better day to do this than joining in Garden Bloggers Harvest Day (GBHD)@The Gardening Blog which happens the 5th of every month. Pretty much all my veggies have been grown from seed, many in my basement this past winter and early spring.
June has been busy in the veg garden. I had to harvest some garlic as it was ready a full month ahead of schedule. Isn’t it gorgeous. And with the heat, it has dried and we have used some already.
I have had peas galore growing this year. The soil innoculator has really helped them take off and continue to grow into July. I hope to grow more in early August for fall harvest once these peter out. I can tell you there is nothing so scrumptious as fresh peas eaten right there in the garden.
Along with the peas that I harvested were some radishes. Yes radishes in 90 degree heat and humidity. You see in early June when the radishes were done, the weather turned suddenly cool. Perfect for growing radishes, so I decided to plant some amongst the very small okra, beans and eggplants. And what do you know, but they are growing and producing. They are very shaded which helps, but I was so excited to see they didn’t bolt.
Here are a few more wonderful veggies growing in the garden. Although we have not harvested them yet, we will soon.
Top left are the eggplant that I transplanted into a grow bag. They are doing so much better than the ones in the beds. Warmer in the bag which is what they want. Moving clockwise, next up are the lettuces, radishes, beets and carrots all growing in part shade and doing well. I have had to battle ants in this bed that move the seed or bury it too deep. Next are the okra I planted for the first time, and below them is the first zucchini from Renee’s Garden seeds, “Astia”, a container variety. Then we have the trellis with peas and beans. Beans are growing nicely but no harvest yet.
Those blue flowers are from the blue potatoes I grew for the first time. Hoping for a good harvest. In the black grow bag, bottom right, are my Hatch green chiles doing well. Someone ate the leaves of 3 plants but they are growing back. I will be featuring these yummy delights in my next post with the Garden Book Review on Monday.
Next on the bottom row are my pumpkins. They are huge and about to flower. I will be looking for male and female flowers soon so I can hand pollinate to ensure a crop. In the next orange grow bag are the sweet potatoes that were almost killed by the delivery person who put them in the hot mailbox. Half survived and grew back, but the growing season is so long, I am never sure if we will get any real harvest before the first killing frost. Last are my cherry tomatoes grown from seed. They are huge and flowering (as you can see in the picture at the start of the post). I should get fruit in a week or 2 which is also early. The container tomatoes fared better than the ones in the bed (pictured left) with the cold beginning to June. They are recovering after a shot of epsom salts (1 teaspoon per gallon of water) and a good organic fertilizer. The epsom salts helps any yellowing crops that are magnesium deficient especially peppers and tomatoes.
The herbs are growing well too especially the basil which is perfect for the onslaught of cherry tomatoes that is about to begin. On 4 plants I counted over 50 flowers and they are just beginning. Dill, cilantro, rosemary and parsley are also growing. Except for rosemary all these herbs are seed grown.
Blueberries are ripening as are raspberries and blackberries on my 2 year old plant. Actually the blackberry seeded itself and I found a second plant this year. The grape vine is also doing fine and I hope it grows in more next year. I think it may take 2 more years before we get fruit.
Well I already have plans for changing up the beds for next year to have a better harvest. It is amazing how much you can squeeze in and grow with a little tweaking. I’ll share in a future post. For now I have to get back out in the garden. I am sure there is something growing in the veg beds that needs tending-or eating.
In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
William Blake
_____________________________________________________________________
The One Lovely Blog Award
I had a wonderful surprise last week from Helene@Graphicality-UK. She thought my blog was lovely and wanted to nominate me for this award. I like Helene’s philosophy that it is “nice to receive recognition for the work you do”. I wanted to thank Helene for her thoughtfulness, and I am very honored.
I will be breaking the rules a bit since I think much of what you read in my posts gives you a good idea about me, and all the blogs that I have listed on my sidebar are all equally worthy of this “lovely” award. So thanks again Helene, and if you have not visited Helen’s blog please do…she really has One Lovely Blog.
____________________________________________________________________________
Next up on the blog: Monday it will be time for another Garden Book Review. I have found another great book to share with you. If you love vegetable gardening and cooking then you will love this book. And before we know it GBBD will be upon us too.
I hope you will join me for my posts, every other Tuesday, at Beautiful Wildlife Garden.
Please remember, to comment click on the title of the post and the page will reload with the comments section.
Thanks for the reminder about harvest day; I’ll try to post later today or tomorrow. You have some wonderful healthy looking vegetables. Your peas make me very envious, mine were all eaten by pigeons as they emerged from the soil! The blueberries are also somethign I can’t grow so enjoy yours! Christina
I have to cover all my veg gardens or I would lose them too. Peas are just about done. More room for the beans to start growing. Blueberries are a favorite of mine and the birds. I hope to get some of our native fruit soon. Thx for the visit Christina. Looking forward to seeing your harvest.
It is not summer without the fresh vegetables and your garden looks lovely. This is the first year ever that I did not plant veggies, even potted tomatoes. I always tend them like a mother hen and being away so much this year makes it not possible. I miss it and seeing your garden is nice. My garden is like you mentioned, packed very tight (out of necessity). It makes for a prettier veggie patch I think too.
I know what you mean Donna. I am tethered to my veg beds and containers. Without me they would not get the care they need so in order to travel I would have to not plant any…I am trying to figure out how I am going to travel once I retire…it will mean careful planning or no containers and veggies…hmmmm….hope you have a lovely trip…can’t wait to hear all about it in upcoming posts.
Your vegetables all look very healthy. Do you have problems with mildew on zucchini plants? And are your potatoes in the ground or a container? (I’d like to try growing some next year, so any tips are really welcome!) Thanks for posting – I love to see what other people are growing! Happy gardening – and harvesting!
Thank you Cathy. No problem so far with mildew on zukes but I have them in containers. My potatoes are in grow bags. I am pleased with how they are growing. My soil is too much clay to put them in the ground, and I only have a few small raised beds. Using the bags gives me more room. I make sure the soil is organic and sandy. I have also heard people growing them in plastic bins or trash cans with holes drilled in the bottom. I’ll keep you posted as to how it all turns out.
Thanks Donna!
I love your blackberries! It’s pity I can’t post to Harvest Day because the veges are not ready to harvest yet and the radish we have eaten in June. What to do?
Thank you….you can post what you already harvested ir what is growing and not harvested yet…its fun to see how everyone’s garden is progressing…of course by August 5th I bet you will have some harvest to post…
All from seed–impressive!
Thank you Jeannine. I pinch myself daily thinking wow I did this…
Good luck with your pumpkins. I hope hand pollinating does the trick. Your blueberries and peas look great, too. It has amazed me how much attention and time my vegetable garden is taking! It seems that everything came ‘due’ all at the same time! So, I know what you mean about the garden needing tending – or something needing eating! LOL
I am still waiting for flowers but they should come in about a week…my squash is half pollinated…the male flowers come out after the females and you have to be fast…geesshh! The garden is like raising children….needs lots of care…harvesting the last of the cooler veggies tomorrow…first tomatoes forming….yummy
My mouth is watering looking at all your veggies! I have never tried grow bags but it sounds like they work very well for some plants. I am growing eggplant for the first time this year. It will be an interesting experiment. I still have carrots growing from winter. They seem to take forever to grow! By the way the tomato seeds you sent me are growing well. I staggered planting them so I would have a long harvest. They grow well into fall here.
They have grow bags now for everything. I use them for peppers, beans, eggplant, potatoes and sweet potatoes. For the plants that require lots of warmth like eggplant and peppers they grow best. I have a very funky eggplant I will be featuring soon and some Italian variety. I was unsuccessful last year because my bed did not have enough warmth and sun. Carrots grow for me in a couple of months but I like mine small. I cannot wait to see the tomatoes. How wonderful you have such a long growing season. My cherries are flowering like mad and I have my first small tomatoes developing.
There is a lot going on in your garden! I’m growing Astia zucchini too, and it has been a great producer for me so far. I’m also a bit envious of your blueberries. We have blueberries too, but the birds and squirrels seem to find their way around all our nets and barricades before we ever get to enjoy them. I hope you get to enjoy yours!
I am hoping the Astia gets moving more…it seems the male and female flowers just aren’t opening at the same time….hoping that changes so we get some zukes….I have to be fast to catch some ripe berries in the garden. I don’t bother to net them as it does no good. I enjoyed a few blueberries today!
How amazing all your plants are looking!! So vibrant and healthy! The blueberries caught my eye and the peas look delicious!! Happy harvesting!
Barbie the peas were amazing and so sweet and delicious. I pulled them finally so the beans could get more sun as they are setting beans and need the sun to grow more. I will plant peas later this month again t=for a fall harvest. The blueberries are a native treat when I can beat the birds to them. Glad you enjoyed the harvest. it was even bigger today with carrots, radishes, lettuces, garlic, onions, peas, collards and zucchini…Tomatoes are setting fruit so they will ripen fast…this is so early for us but the heat has helped.
Beautiful photos, Donna — the garlic and peas look especially enticing! Did you know that you can eat the leaves of sweet potatoes, too? (Only sweet potatoes! Not regular potatoes!) They’re best blanched first and then cooked however you like. They’re incredibly nutritious. If the end of season comes before tubers have begun to form, at least you can get some sort of harvest from them. I’ve had the “burned in the mail-box” experience with mail-order, too. :/
Thanks, I did not know that Stacy. I will be sure to eat them this year. They are especially lush right now with all the heat…they love it now 🙂
Hi Donna,
I’m glad to see someone at least is managing to harvest something!
Mmm, fresh peas are gorgeous; even if ours NEVER make it into the house 😉 Sat on the grass eating the peas is one of my favourite times of year… Shame this year will not happen.
I eat handfuls of peas right there as well. I am sorry that you will not have peas. I hope to plant some again later this month for a fall harvest. Wishing better weather for you.
Great harvest! I have had to add epsom salts to my tomatoes this year….they aren’t doing very well. I envy your crops. 🙂
The epsom salts and fish fertilizer helped the tomatoes, but I also added organic potting soil to the bed which has made all the difference. The sweet peppers still are iffy. I think another shot of epsom and fertilizer. Sorry to hear yours are not doing well.
Yummy! Your Basil and Peas look especially healthy. Gosh, I would love to have Blueberries. And fresh ones from the garden must be even better. Enjoy!
I grow the smaller varieties of blueberries since the high bush get so big. The smaller ones are supposed to get 3 feet high, but so far they only are about a foot high and putting out lots of fruit. I do have to beat the birds to them but they are yummy. I am pleased with the basil I have grown from seed as it loves heat.
Having a good harvest so far due to the hot sun…
All those put together in a pot would make a heavenly, garlicy vegetable stew.
Oh that would be nice…but with our 97 degree weather we opted for salad and roasted carrots with chicken…I ate the peas raw 🙂 But I am planting more carrots and peas for fall and then they will go into a yummy veggie stew. Hope your weather is improving. We really need rain and a break from the heat.
What a lovely harvest! I like that garlic and was wondering what type it is. Mine has white skin and no pink so I think they must be different. It’s very pretty and looks good! Your peas are great too!
Thx Tina. The garlic is Tuscan a hard necked variety. It has incredible flavor. I do love the way it looks too!
You have made such a lovely vegetable garden with your space. My mouth was watering as I read your post and viewed the photos. I do love this time of year when harvesting all these fine veggies is such a joy. Happy gardening and stay cool!
Thx Michelle…I harvested more this weekend…carrots, peas, onions, garlic, lettuces, collards and radishes. Beans and tomatoes soon…We got a bit of rain today and a cool off but the heat will be back. Hope you are staying cool and that your veggies are plentiful!
Donna, your garden is splendid! All that hard work with seed starting has really paid off. I’m glad you have begun to enjoy the harvest! I had my first lettuce harvest and need to get moving and plant a second round in my small little patch.
Elaine
I started my second planting of lettuce and radish….and will do some more carrots soon. Then there is the second planting of peas…mmmm….wishing you a bountiful harvest Elaine!