Monday, May 17, 2010

Ready for Summer

I chose the same tomato varieties as last year: 2 rose, 2 gold cherry, and 1 black; two eggplant varieties, and three peppers: 1 red bell, 1 yellow bull horn and 1 red bull horn.
In the largest bed, I have staggered the tomatoes, so they have more room than it appears from this angle. Two peppers flank the front, lettuce throughout, and fava beans in the back (They like cool weather, so won't be around for long).
The next bed holds cauliflower, carrots, radishes, plus a pepper and the two eggplants. The radishes go quickly, so they'll be out of the way before the cauliflower gets mature.
Cucumber seeds are now planted on the fence, where the bags sit in this photo:
Next month, okra and lima bean seeds go in, replacing whatever is harvested or fails in the heat.

What a difference a coat of paint makes


Greens!

This bed contains lettuce, arugula, and tatsoi, with fava beans and kale in the center row. It's the first time I've made the effort to grow in neat little blocks. Because it will be too hot for the greens soon, I planted cauliflower in the center of them--we'll see how that turns out. This bed gets a bit of shade, so I may try growing lettuce here all season.
Fava beans have neat black and white spotted flowers, and they are really magnets for black aphids. The ants seem to be having a feast, and when I pull the plants the aphids will leave with them, so they are a good trap plant before the nasturtiums get going.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

dianthus smells really good!

not crazy about those fake looking dahlias though.

Rhubarb

I can't wait until next spring to harvest this!
The rhubarb sits below the native honeysuckle, next to the strawberries--a fitting partner.

My Berry Obsession

a new bed for strawberries--surely another bird feeder.
black raspberries!
the blueberry--now in a net, continues to muddle along
the blackberries will be the winner of the bunch for sure--jam for you all!

Drinky Do...or Dinky Brew

Our new hobby, a red ale

Spring harvest




Radishes, lettuce, arugula--tatsoi, fava beans, and fennel to come

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Parsnips!

I harvested the bunch of parsnips last weekend. They were good roasted. I really need a bigger garden and lots of practice with plant succession so I can actually grow enough and on a schedule.