After the Ice

 During the week that our power was out, following an ice storm, I started more seeds. I planted celery, leeks, and onions. 

Out in the garden I sowed lettuce, arugula, Ethiopian kale, spinach, two kinds of chard, and three kinds of peas. 

The first lettuce and chard are in the greenhouse and doing well. The onions and leeks are now ready to put out there. 

More Fall Planting

I sowed a patch of snap peas (bush type) in the squash bed. I also sowed a row of kohlrabi and a row of beets, one on each side of the asparagus bed. And I sowed the last two rows of carrots.

I've harvested the last of the cabbage. One head had split, but the rest are fine. I made three more jars of sauerkraut, plus I left some for cole slaw and stir fries.

The weather has become very summerlike, with highs mostly in the 80s. The cherry tomatoes are ripening, but so far no other tomatoes. There's one cucumber about three inches long and an aubergine about two inches long. And I found the first tiny green bean. I've had to extend the bean trellis with some string. I hope it's enough.

We're getting lots of zucchini now, and the Delicata squash is finally being pollinated.

Late June Garden Status

After a rather cool spring, things are finally warming up. There are small green tomatoes on all the plants. No peppers or aubergines yet. After the snap peas fell over in a strong wind, I removed them yesterday. There were lots that were huge and fat, so I shelled them and froze them. Next year I think I'll try short ones. And now the cucumbers will be happy because they've been living in the shadow of the peas.

The potatoes are blooming. We've had some strawberries, but now they're taking a break. We've been picking blueberries for about two weeks, but most of them are still coming. I guess they liked the fertilizer I gave them, because they're huge. Even the new one that I just planted this spring to replace the Chandler has a nice crop. After we found a couple of stink bugs on the raspberries, I've pulled them all out. We haven't seen any since. In their place I planted some melons. They should like the heat against the house.

Both pear trees have a modest crop. The peaches are a washout again. Maybe it's time to give up on it.

The broccoli and cauliflower were a disappointment, but the cabbage is nice. I've cut one head and will cut another soon for sauerkraut. I will try them all again in the fall.

I've been doing a lot of interplanting. I've planted lots of dry beans among the roses and tomatoes, and lettuce as well. I've also just sowed some bok choi in shady spots to see if they'll work in the summer.

I pulled most of the chard, since I was spending a lot of time patrolling them for leaf miners. I have one of each color, much more manageable.

Strawberries!

Today I picked our first Seascape strawberries. They sure are good. Tomorrow we'll have some on our oatmeal.Our first raspberry looked ripe yesterday and today it has disappeared. A bird perhaps? Let's hope they leave some for us. The blueberries are showing some color, so it won't be long before we'll be picking them. I've put netting on both the blueberries and strawberries.

In the last few days I've planted lots of dry beans - cranberry, cannellini and navy beans. I've pulled up the last of the bok choi, as it was bolting. The broccoli was disappointing. I think it didn't like the recent heat. But the cauliflower and cabbage are still looking good. We've started picking snap peas.

The tomatoes all have flower buds except the San Marzanos. And both the zucchini and delicata squash have female flower buds.

Most of the pears on the trees have fallen off, but there are still a few on each one. The mandarin is just finishing blooming. If a tenth of the flowers produce fruit, we'll be inundated.

First Frost

We had our first frost two nights ago. Nothing was totally killed, but I took out the basil and peas, both of which looked pretty sad.

The celery experiment is amazing. New leaves emerged within a couple of days, and they are now several inches tall.

When I took out the tomatoes, I saved about six of them to use as green tomatoes. I still haven't cooked them, but one by one they have ripened on the counter, even though they were totally green with no color showing.

Starting Fall Cleanup

The weather has turned very fall-like with no prospects for any more warm weather. Today may be our last day in the 70s. So I pulled out the tomatoes, after picking any that were close to being ripe. I also pulled the aubergine, the cucumbers, and the peppers except for the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter peppers are still green, so I'm going to give them a little longer in the ground before I pull the plant up and hang it upside down in the garage. I'd really like to get some to turn red.

Last week I pulled up the melons and dug up the rhubarb. We just don't use enough of it to justify the space it takes. We've also pulled out all the strawberry plants. I'll start new ones next year in a different bed.

I've left the zucchini for now, as it still has some squash coming. But without much heat they may not make it. The plant really looks ugly, covered with mildew.

I still have snap peas, lettuce, and bok choi, which has been a great success.

Spring!

Well for one day at least.  Tomorrow we have 100% chance of rain  But today it was in the upper 50s and sunny.  I planted my new Seascape strawberries. 

I also sowed some 'Cascadia' snap peas and lettuce.  And I started 'Talon' onions in a 6" pot.

As I was pulling weeds in the pea bed, I discovered a row of carrots that I had forgotten about.  These were planted late last summer and overwintered.  The tops were completely gone, but the carrots are fine.

Oh, and we had lunch on the deck.  We had to get a sandwich at Roth's because the electrician was working in the kitchen. David was actually happier than he looks.

Peas and Carrots

Today I planted the snap peas that I pre-sprouted.  I also made a seed tape with Nectar carrot seeds.  I'll try one row of them and compare them to the normally seeded row.

A couple of days ago we set the rain barrels up.  They're already full.

Garlic Out, Rutabagas In

The garlic has pretty much died, so I pulled it out.  There were 32 heads, most of them huge.  I have 18 of last year's left, exactly half of what I planted, so I think 24 might be the magic number next year. The garlic is now drying in the garage.  Then I added some fertilizer and compost to the empty spot and planted rutabagas in about two thirds of the row.  I'm hoping to find some parsnip seeds and plant them in the rest of the row. 

I've also planted a row of snap peas, in the same place as the spring crop. 

I'm hoping to find some kohlrabi starts.  It's a bit late to start them from seeds.

Peas and Potatoes

Today I pulled out the snap peas.  We've had so much hot weather, with more to come in the next few days, that they looked as if they were finished. 

After a visit to Randy's this past weekend, and having some of his early potatoes for supper, I thought I'd fish around in my potato bed and see if I could find anything. David and I easily found five very large Yukon Golds.  I can't wait for the real harvest in a few months. 

There are some summer squash coming soon, and the tomatoes have yet to ripen.  The bush beans have flowers, as do the cucumbers.  I've picked a couple of peppers, one bell and one Gypsy.

Off and Running

Yesterday and today were sunny and warm, so I got lots done in the vegetable garden.

I sowed peas, carrots, kale, chard, lettuce, and beets.  I also started some parsley in a six pack.

I did some weeding as well, although things don't look bad. 

I decided to try a new way of growing the raspberries.  I split each plant into two sets of canes and tied half on each side of the wire.  My hope is that this will make them easier to pick.

I learned an expensive lesson about seed storage.  When I dug the gloriosa and sweet potato tubers last fall, I thought they were dry after a short time and put them in paper bags in the bucket with all my seeds.  Today I opened the bucket and found that not only had the tubers molded ( I think I can save the gloriosas) but all my new seeds, in just their paper packets instead of in ziploc bags, were also moldy.  So I had to reorder nine or ten new seed packets.  Fortunately, nothing needs to be planted right away, so I have time to wait for the replacements to come.  Rats!!

State of the Garden

Here's what the garden looks like today.  Not seen is the bed behind the asparagus, which is now empty.  I've pulled out the snap peas and kale, and dug the garlic.  It's now on a screen in the garage.  I have 36 heads again, which is probably too much, as I still have quite a few left over from last year.

In the past I've always had two plants of each squash variety, planted together.  I'm already being overwhelmed by summer squash, so I've pulled one of each out.  I think we'll have plenty, and I won't have to feel guilty composting squash we don't eat.  And maybe the air circulation will help keep the mildew at bay.

I've also pulled the bush cucumber, which wasn't looking very bush-like, and one of the climbers, so now I have just two.  I think that will be plenty.  Lots of tiny fruit on them.

The bush bean rows are still too close together.  We've started picking them, and there seem to be lots, so just two rows of each planting should be fine.  And maybe just three plantings instead of four, spaced wider.

 The aubergines and peppers are doing really well. 

The golden bell is looking golden, and the 'Pinot Noir' has been purple almost from the start.

Peas

The snap peas are producing nicely.  The plants on the small metal trellis are just enough for the two of us.

Spring Planting

Today I got the first of the spring crops in.  I planted snap peas, carrots, beets, lettuce, chard, and kale. I also planted onion starts and started some leeks in a pot. It really felt good to get out there in the dirt.

We're getting an estimate on having the irrigation lines repaired.  Several of them broke during the extreme cold in January.

Mache

After several years of trying, I've finally achieved a successful mache crop.  And we love it!  Mache, or corn salad, is a small leafy plant that has a mild flavor and is wonderful in salads.  It's extremely cold tolerant.  My September 20 planting has survived single-digit temperatures with no protection.

I'll need to plant a lot, because it's harvested by cutting off the whole plant.  But it's definitely a great replacement for winter lettuce, which always gets brown and mushy, no matter what I do.

It's a little early, but I decided to plant my 'Cascadia' snap peas now.  I planted a short row along a trellis.  I saved some seeds last year from one plant that kept blooming long after the others had given up in the warm weather.  I've planted six of those seeds on the end closest to the house.  It will be interesting to see if they last longer.

And lastly, my rhubarb is starting to sprout!  It seems early.

Pea Harvest

Today I picked the first snap pea.  Singular.  I guess I should have planted more.  I put in just six plants because I wasn't sure how they would do.  Obviously, they do fine.  I'm hoping we'll get enough for a meal at some point.

I picked a bunch of peppers, most of them red.  No need to plant 'Red Bell' because they all turn red, some before 'Red Bell.'

First Romaine

Yesterday I picked the first head of romaine lettuce.  It's done very well.  The heads are huge.

Today I pulled the snap peas.  They've stopped blooming, and we're getting tired of eating them .

Since Bill and Shauna left at the end of April the house next door has been vacant and looking really terrible.  The lawn had not been mowed and the weeds had taken over.  David went over with a weed wacker and at least cut down the worst ones to keep them from going to seed.  We've also had our eye on the berry bushes, so this morning we went over and dug up three blueberry plants.  They're now planted along the fence in our front yard.

This afternoon a couple of guys arrived and spent several hours mowing and cleaning up the yard.  It looks much better.  Let's hope it continues to be maintained.

A Week Away

We've been away for a week, on a trip to California, and things have really changed.  The tomatoes look really good.

The pea trellis blew over, so we've reinforced it with some rebar.   We have tons of snap peas.

The potatoes have gotten really big, but no flowers yet.

The beds with greens are doing well, under cover to protect the beets and chard from the pine siskins.

The pole beans are still not very tall, but the nasturtiums with them are starting to bloom.

The blueberries are looking good.  The Bluecrop has tons of fruit, but the Chandler has none.

The biggest disappointment is the sweet potatoes.  I had planted them before we left on our trip, hoping they'd take hold.  But they all died. 

More Things Planted

Today I planted the peppers in the tomato bed.  I also planted the small basil plants at the edge of the same bed.  The bigger plants, the ones I got at the MG plant sale, are now in pots, three plants in each pot.

I planted a couple of butternut squash starts in the front yard.  I'll need to keep them under control by pruning them back.

After several days of light rain, things are really looking good.  The beans are up and the potatoes have been hilled.

 We've eaten some of the spinach, and the chard and kale are coming along.

The new salad crops are up, and the pea pods are forming.

 The artichokes have settled in and appear to be thriving.

 The first planting of carrots and beets are doing well, and the second planting is up.

Lost of Firsts

Today the first rose, Lillian Austin, opened.

 Also first blossoms on the peas.

 The lemon daylily opened today.

And all the cistus in the front yard are in bloom.

 The salad greens that I planted on May 7 are all up, as are the beans.

Today I added compost, all-purpose fertilizer and 5 cups of fish bone meal to the sweet potato bed.  I then dug a trench down the center and put IRT plastic over the top.  I received the plants yesterday, but they are a bit bedraggled, so I put them in a glass of water to recover.

The tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are all in pots in the cold frame.  They're ready to go in but we're due for a couple of cool days with rain, so I think I'll keep them under cover for now.  I planted the squash in two large pots on the deck, also four cucumber plants with a cage around them.  The melon starts are just about setting-out size. 

Oh, and the parsnips have finally come up.  But alas, no asparagus yet.

The older lemon cypress has died suddenly, maybe from drying out when it was hot.  We've decided to find a home somewhere else for the newer one.  Too fussy. 

The pots on the deck are starting to look really nice.