Category: Garden

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

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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.