Around The Garden

(May)

(July)

I thought we would spend a little time walking around our garden today. You might remember a few years back when we first put in these raised beds. Since then we have added a few more and started growing lots of things we never would have dreamed we would have sprouting right outside our back door. And, for the first time ever, I have actually been remembering to take photos of the growth every month right around the same time!! We are into our second month of the growing season and things are bursting at the seams.

(brussel sprouts in May)

(brussel sprouts in July)

Those cute little baby lettuce heads, aka brussel sprouts, are one of my favorite veggies. This is our first attempt at growing them. I can't wait to harvest the first batch, but I think we are still a few weeks out and these. Sliced in half, tossed in Italian dressing, and roasted in the oven is heavenly.

(swiss chard in May)

(swiss chard in July)

Okay, okay, admittedly, this isn't an impressive shot of the swiss chard. That's because we have been eating it like mad. And the awesome thing about chard, you can cut it to the ground and it just keeps growing!! But next week, those center stalks will be steamed in chicken stock with a bit of garlic and on my dinner plate.

(broccoli & blueberries in May)

(broccoli & blueberries in July)

I think I planted too many broccoli plants... and I think I am going to have Ron buy a freezer for the basement so we can freeze this for many a sauce pan full of broccoli soup this fall/winter. Yeah. That's the plan. I know they are hard to see, buried among the broccoli leaves, but there are two blueberry bushes in this bed as well. Something is up with them... they never flowered. So I have been researching what I need to do. The branches are covered in healthy leaves, but not a berry in sight. Turns out the soil may not be acidic enough. So, every morning hence forth, I shall be dumping my coffee grounds around the bush's base to better the soil for next year.

(tomatoes in May)

(tomatoes in July)

We had a bit of a scare with the 20 plus tomato plants recently. We started to notice the leaves at the bottom start to yellow, covered in brown spots. We worried that they may have become infected the blight (a tomato killing disease). We took some of the leaves to a local garden store and we informed they actually have septoria. We left with organic Copper Fungicide in hand and are doing everything we can to save the crop. We are very hopeful.

I do have to confess, this garden wouldn't be as beautiful as it is without Ron's hard work. I am much more a garden manager than a gardener per say. I decide which plants we grow, I plant them, I weed once in a blue moon, then I leave the watering to Ron, only taking the reins back when it is time to pick the bounty he has brought to life. And with the weather we have had this year, he has had to water every single day. They said on the news the other day that this is shaping up to be the driest June-July on record... ever.  So far we have only had .05in of rain in July and there is no rain in site. So, Ron has been a watering fool.

It is so worth all his effort!!