Am I correct in assuming that a handful of hastily snapped photos of the garden with poor composition and not-great light are better than a garden post with no photos at all? See, Thumper is napping and I get nervous about going out to photograph the garden while he’s asleep inside (I don’t like to be out of earshot of him). But his nap is also when I have a moment to blog, so… Outside I ran, snapped a few bad photos, and now here I stand at the kitchen counter, ready to tell you about the garden.
So, uh…lame photos ahead. You’ve been warned.
We’ve been eating spinach from the garden for quite some time now, but tonight will be the first time we’ll be able to eat kale as well. Here’s a view of the spinach and beyond it the kale:
Here’s more kale in the other bed:
Weird thing is, there are four kale plants there. The two on the left are doing great and the two on the right have pretty much just died. Same amount of sun, same soil. I have no idea what’s stunted those plants. I’m going to rip the failed plants out and stick something else there instead.
The broccoli seems to be coming along nicely, but since this is my first year gardening, I could be wrong about that:
All of the strawberry plants have started to produce sweet little green berries.
I can’t wait until these are ripe. I’m hoping there will be enough to eat and to preserve. These plants are June-bearing, but I think they’re a little behind schedule due to the weirdly cold weather we’ve been having. In fact, I think the whole garden is running a little late because of that.
I’ve got six tomato plants going of various types: five in pots and one planted across the yard, fitted in where the strawberries and blueberries live.
A neighbor started way more tomato seeds than she needed, expecting 25% germination. She got 100% germination, and so needed to find homes for the extra tomato starts. We took four from her, which is why we ended up with many more tomatoes than I’d planned and one pot short. The one in the ground on the other side of the yard is doing equally well, so I’m thinking of it as a test to see if I can use more of the yard for gardening next year. I’ve lost all interest in ornamental gardening. If it doesn’t produce food, I don’t care how pretty it looks. Except in the front yard. We’re going to plant some fruit trees out there, but I still mostly prefer my hydrangeas and the like in the front. Which is to say that the hydrangeas now living in the backyard may find themselves shifted to the front to make room for more vegetables next year.
Here’s what the garden looks like from the deck.
I wish I could shoehorn in a couple more raised beds somehow. I think I might squeeze in at least some more containers. I’m regretting not planting pole beans, so maybe some of those in pots.
I forgot to take a photo of the asparagus bed. It looks like a Dr Suess landscape now, with all the asparagus crowns having sent up tall spindly stalks that have then shot out ferns, and some of them (the females, I presume) going to seed. This is the first year of the asparagus bed, which is why we’re letting it go to seed rather than harvest. Next year we’ll get to start eating it.
Growing the stuff doesn’t seem to be all that hard, since I’ve got raised beds and so don’t have to work very hard on the soil, no tilling or fertilizing (because we used compost from the neighborhood communal bins), and no weeding. Okay, some weeding, but it’s removal of volunteer plants from the compost. We must eat a lot of squash in this neighborhood, because everywhere I’ve used the compost, I’m getting volunteer squash plants. Rather than just pluck them out, I’ve transplanted them to my test garden on the other side of the yard. Since they’re space hogs, I don’t want to try to fit more of them into the beds–I already sowed squash there. But if they can make it in the native soil (also amended with compost) then I will happily eat that squash.
So the growing isn’t all that hard, but I’m seeing now how the planning can be. Seeing already things I will be doing differently in the summer and fall sowings, and in the planning for next spring’s garden. I didn’t have a good sense, when I planned this spring garden, of yields. With almost half a bed dedicated to spinach, we’re barely getting enough to feed the three of us at a meal, because spinach cooks down so much. And then I look at the eight beet plants in the two square feet I allotted them and I’m thinking, “Eight beets? Why do I need eight beets?” Twenty or forty, great. But eight? We love beets, and we love spinach. But we don’t need to eat beets when so many delicious spring and summer vegetables will be available. I wish I had planted more spinach where the beets and carrots are, and saved beets and carrots to just be grown as a fall/winter crop.
In planning the upcoming summer sowing, and into fall and winter, I’m going to try to keep in mind what grows best in that season, and sow more seeds of fewer plants, so we’ll get enough of each type to actually feed us and put some up, rather than just a few mouthfuls here and there of a wide variety. If we need variety, we can hit the farmer’s market. If the garden is truly going to feed us, it needs to produce enough of each vegetable. I’d love to just plant a full bed of beets, a full bed of spinach, a full bed of broccoli, etc, but we have a small yard and I do want to defend Thumper’s play area from my growing vegetable obsession.
Learning how much of what to plant is one of the hardest parts of gardening. In a year or so you will have more of an idea of how to use your space. I think your broccoli looks great!
Learning how much of what to plant is one of the hardest parts of gardening. In a year or so you will have more of an idea of how to use your space. I think your broccoli looks great!
Your garden is looking great. Are you keeping a notebook? Do they have community gardens close to where you live? Maybe as you get more of a gardening expert and Thumper gets older you can rent a little plot. Gardening and especially eating food you have grown yourself can get to be a real passion!
Your garden is looking great. Are you keeping a notebook? Do they have community gardens close to where you live? Maybe as you get more of a gardening expert and Thumper gets older you can rent a little plot. Gardening and especially eating food you have grown yourself can get to be a real passion!
Gardening is always a learning experience. Over the years I keep finding better ways of doing things and the garden is always changing or evolving. Its looking good, and its great to follow you on your garden adventure.
For Thumper you could look at making him a special garden with little ornaments etc and food plants just for him like raspberries, strawberries, peas etc that he can pick and eat.
Gardening is always a learning experience. Over the years I keep finding better ways of doing things and the garden is always changing or evolving. Its looking good, and its great to follow you on your garden adventure.
For Thumper you could look at making him a special garden with little ornaments etc and food plants just for him like raspberries, strawberries, peas etc that he can pick and eat.
I recommend the U-pick berry farms on Sauvie Island if you don’t produce enough of your own to preserve. A pound of berries costs about the same as a tiny pint of them at the market, and you get superior varieties. It’s (mostly) pleasant and easy to get to by bike.
I recommend the U-pick berry farms on Sauvie Island if you don’t produce enough of your own to preserve. A pound of berries costs about the same as a tiny pint of them at the market, and you get superior varieties. It’s (mostly) pleasant and easy to get to by bike.
Your garden is looking really good! I’m jealous of your spinach. I try to take notes from year to year about our garden. I find that looking back at pictures on my blog is really helpful too. That reminds me – I haven’t done any garden posts this year.
Your garden is looking really good! I’m jealous of your spinach. I try to take notes from year to year about our garden. I find that looking back at pictures on my blog is really helpful too. That reminds me – I haven’t done any garden posts this year.
I’m eyeing a tomato-in-pot. Perhaps I could keep that alive!
I’m eyeing a tomato-in-pot. Perhaps I could keep that alive!
Your garden looks good with all the veggies coming in .. and strawberries. And it’s great that you have so much sunlight for the garden. We tried tomatoes when we still lived in a house, but there was so little light we were only slightly successful with some cherry tomatoes. I think it’s trickier here in the northwest, finding sunlight clear of the trees. But then, that’s what makes it so pretty too!
I don’t even know if it’s too late (though there was a handy chart in the paper yesterday) but we’ve discussed trying tomatoes again and peppers as pot plants. We can’t put them in the ground where we are now.
Your garden looks good with all the veggies coming in .. and strawberries. And it’s great that you have so much sunlight for the garden. We tried tomatoes when we still lived in a house, but there was so little light we were only slightly successful with some cherry tomatoes. I think it’s trickier here in the northwest, finding sunlight clear of the trees. But then, that’s what makes it so pretty too!
I don’t even know if it’s too late (though there was a handy chart in the paper yesterday) but we’ve discussed trying tomatoes again and peppers as pot plants. We can’t put them in the ground where we are now.
Oh, it looks great! I got a late start, and it’s so cold here, things are not growing. Some beans that are a little too shaded have succumbed to the slugs, the others are holding their own better. All the squashes, which are in full “sun”, look exactly the same as they did 3 weeks ago. None of my asparagus is poking through yet, I hope it makes it.
Most of my vegies are in the back yard, but I’m tucking things in the front around the ornamentals and the blueberries.
I love hearing about people’s gardens. And your photos are fine – you’re right to be nervous about being out of earshot, as they get more mobile things can happen quickly.
Oh, it looks great! I got a late start, and it’s so cold here, things are not growing. Some beans that are a little too shaded have succumbed to the slugs, the others are holding their own better. All the squashes, which are in full “sun”, look exactly the same as they did 3 weeks ago. None of my asparagus is poking through yet, I hope it makes it.
Most of my vegies are in the back yard, but I’m tucking things in the front around the ornamentals and the blueberries.
I love hearing about people’s gardens. And your photos are fine – you’re right to be nervous about being out of earshot, as they get more mobile things can happen quickly.
Not much of an expert here, but we’ve had a bit of luck with strawberries. I don’t know how it goes in your area, but here in the midwest-if you cover them with straw over the winter- your strawberries will expand the next few years and get much better! Your broccoli looks great, by the way. Just watch for the little green worms that like to munch on them! (Maybe that’s just a midwest thing, too?!)
Not much of an expert here, but we’ve had a bit of luck with strawberries. I don’t know how it goes in your area, but here in the midwest-if you cover them with straw over the winter- your strawberries will expand the next few years and get much better! Your broccoli looks great, by the way. Just watch for the little green worms that like to munch on them! (Maybe that’s just a midwest thing, too?!)
Tack some netting onto your fence, and grow pole beans. Apparently (though I haven’t tried this myself) anything that has a vine (like squash) can be trained up a trellis. Theoretically the stems become strong enough to support the veggie. Maybe with zucchini, but I can’t imagine a butternut squash hanging there.
Tack some netting onto your fence, and grow pole beans. Apparently (though I haven’t tried this myself) anything that has a vine (like squash) can be trained up a trellis. Theoretically the stems become strong enough to support the veggie. Maybe with zucchini, but I can’t imagine a butternut squash hanging there.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, is as tasty as a carrot straight out the ground – no relation to the store-bought at all. Although I have heard others say the exact same thing about their cucumbers or tomatoes. Squash are squash no matter where they come from.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, is as tasty as a carrot straight out the ground – no relation to the store-bought at all. Although I have heard others say the exact same thing about their cucumbers or tomatoes. Squash are squash no matter where they come from.
i am intrigued by the broccoli and the asparagus. we planted seven bean seeds and 5 of them have come up, so when we have a surplus of beans… 🙂
i am intrigued by the broccoli and the asparagus. we planted seven bean seeds and 5 of them have come up, so when we have a surplus of beans… 🙂
Lurker here coming in out of the dark for a quick comment – Great garden – veggies straight out of the ground are sooo much better — and really, grow more beets! Beet tops are wonderful in salad, like lettuce but so much better for you! Just sayin’ , don’t give up on the beets!
Lurker here coming in out of the dark for a quick comment – Great garden – veggies straight out of the ground are sooo much better — and really, grow more beets! Beet tops are wonderful in salad, like lettuce but so much better for you! Just sayin’ , don’t give up on the beets!
Nice work! I am so jealous. Its so cold and wet up here in Seattle that my peas and bean seeds keep rotting in the ground. I have given up on the cucumbers and winter squash and am trying to focus on the overwintering brassicas and root crops. harumph!
Nice work! I am so jealous. Its so cold and wet up here in Seattle that my peas and bean seeds keep rotting in the ground. I have given up on the cucumbers and winter squash and am trying to focus on the overwintering brassicas and root crops. harumph!
I love hearing about your garden. I wish I had put in a larger garden, but we rent and I just did not want to invest the money or effort. I do have a few plants – tomatoes, peppers, peas, herbs, spinach – growing in a couple of small beds and in pots.
Now I am hungry.
I love hearing about your garden. I wish I had put in a larger garden, but we rent and I just did not want to invest the money or effort. I do have a few plants – tomatoes, peppers, peas, herbs, spinach – growing in a couple of small beds and in pots.
Now I am hungry.
hi cari,
great garden! i just wanted to say that i think that food-bearing gardens can also be very decorative and ornamental. one of the best decorative gardens i ever saw was all cabbages and pumpkin vines and other veggies planted together. maybe not so good for planning a meal around but i just mean that ornamental gardening can also bear fruit (so to speak). i’ve noticed here in seattle that a lot of gardens have really impressive artichoke plants growing in them. they look fantastic.
regards, Amelia
hi cari,
great garden! i just wanted to say that i think that food-bearing gardens can also be very decorative and ornamental. one of the best decorative gardens i ever saw was all cabbages and pumpkin vines and other veggies planted together. maybe not so good for planning a meal around but i just mean that ornamental gardening can also bear fruit (so to speak). i’ve noticed here in seattle that a lot of gardens have really impressive artichoke plants growing in them. they look fantastic.
regards, Amelia
Good heavens, you’re giving me some serious garden envy! Oh, how I long for a yard of my own….
Someday when you get around to fruit trees in the front yard – consider a fig tree, I have family out your way and their thriving fig tree was one of the highlights of my last visit.
Good heavens, you’re giving me some serious garden envy! Oh, how I long for a yard of my own….
Someday when you get around to fruit trees in the front yard – consider a fig tree, I have family out your way and their thriving fig tree was one of the highlights of my last visit.
I was just catching up on your blog after being on vacation, so I don’t know if you’ll see this comment, but we love our baby monitor for outside things when our son naps. It gives us a lot of freedom. You can always lock the door if you want, but you can hear them quite well if they cry. Our son trails yours by like 2 months, and I love seeing pictures of your little guy.
I was just catching up on your blog after being on vacation, so I don’t know if you’ll see this comment, but we love our baby monitor for outside things when our son naps. It gives us a lot of freedom. You can always lock the door if you want, but you can hear them quite well if they cry. Our son trails yours by like 2 months, and I love seeing pictures of your little guy.
Good luck with all that (the planning, I mean). I’ve been gardening all my life and still make mistakes EVERY year. But the learning does help, and I am making fewer. The addition of the raised beds and mulch between the rows — I just can’t place a price for the premium that has added to both my yields and my pleasure in the garden. And I was just saying to David: Remember when I first started? My first garden at this house was 2 feet by 4 feet. And look at it now! I just brought in a huge basket of spinach, from 9 inches by 3 feet in one of my raised beds. I just can’t believe it. I’ve never had that much luck with spinach, and I never thought I’d get that much from that space. This was my second planting of it this spring, after I learned about the best planting temps., and it just went crazy (in a good way, without bolting) this four-day weekend I was away. I planted it intensively, every one inch in every direction (maybe a bit more than an inch), and it worked incredibly well. See? Still learning. But it’s all good.
Good luck with all that (the planning, I mean). I’ve been gardening all my life and still make mistakes EVERY year. But the learning does help, and I am making fewer. The addition of the raised beds and mulch between the rows — I just can’t place a price for the premium that has added to both my yields and my pleasure in the garden. And I was just saying to David: Remember when I first started? My first garden at this house was 2 feet by 4 feet. And look at it now! I just brought in a huge basket of spinach, from 9 inches by 3 feet in one of my raised beds. I just can’t believe it. I’ve never had that much luck with spinach, and I never thought I’d get that much from that space. This was my second planting of it this spring, after I learned about the best planting temps., and it just went crazy (in a good way, without bolting) this four-day weekend I was away. I planted it intensively, every one inch in every direction (maybe a bit more than an inch), and it worked incredibly well. See? Still learning. But it’s all good.