Gardens - part 2 - Vegetables

When it comes to flowers, the two boxes out front and the low-lying brown bed in back were completely new. We had been using the two boxes  for veggies, so we lost a little space, but we made up for some of it with some strategic planning.

This is the "bad bed". It's in a weird location with poor soil that is awkwardly shaded. We can't do much with it. The peonies are perennials. The bleeding hearts started in another location but sent out runners and now sprout wherever they want. We are trying to move the perennial ferns over so they surround the cedar and provide ground cover to make it look a little nicer, but we obviously missed some that will get moved in the fall. In the gap, I planted an echinacea (cone flower) that we grew from seed this spring. If it roots well, it will be another perennial in that garden. The tall, thin green plants are garlic; I planted them late last October and they all came up. If they are successful, I might use that area as my annual garlic bed. 

 

I plant herbs in our other two deck beds. I have not yet had any luck overwintering oregano or thyme, but I keep trying. In the first are chives (perennial), sage, rosemary, and lavender. I hear lavender can be a perennial, so we'll see. In the other I have basil, thyme, and oregano. And more garlic. I didn't know if the garlic would sprout, but both locations came up. If it works, we'll have eleven bulbs. The brown planters at the side have tomatoes in them - we are trying container tomatoes for the first time.

These yellow boxes are all about our peppers and cherry tomatoes. The first box has five bell peppers and the Numex Orange Suave hot pepper that we overwintered in the house. The centre box has three red cherry and two yellow cherry tomatoes, and the banana pepper we planted on a whim. The right hand box has three jalapeƱo peppers, and three different hot peppers that we bought from a nursery to try some new varieties. We planted the peppers in 2-gallon pails as an experiment. Cross your fingers for us.

This roughly modified potato box was our last-minute box. We had two peppers that we started from seed that did not look very healthy. One Numex Orange Suave, and a Cajun Belle. We've harvested seeds from our Cajun Belle peppers for four years. This year, we had one sprout from about eight attempts. And I think it died the day after we planted it. (At least it made it into the box, unlike last year's lavender seedling.) This box also has two parsleys that I started from seed. Honestly, I don't think it's worth it to try to do herbs from seed unless you have a full garden/grow room set up. The small box on the ground is a different matter. It's a dill box. Dill is another perennial herb, so once it takes off, it will be a permanent fixture. Ross's pickle-loving heart will be delighted if it works.

And now, the main event!

We planted potatoes in mid-May, twelve of them, and they are all up. Then we have twenty corn, then a variety of tomatoes ( three Pruden's Giant Staking tomatoes, and two Superfantastics), then six zucchinis. At the end of the row, we have a watermelon seedling and two planted Sugar Baby watermelon seeds, two butternut squashes, and two spaghetti squashes. The hope is that the vines will trail out of the garden into the walkway behind the garden and the fence. Then we have three field cucumbers, four pickling cucumbers, and thirty-six purple beans planted in the various frames and trellises. In front of those are fifty yellow onions, then the rhubarb (which will need picking and processing next week already.) Then we have two short rows of beets and carrots, half a row of leaf lettuce, and three celery plants.

As you can see, we had a busy May. Now we wait and we weed. Then, we eat!

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