Year end summary

December 14, 2014

As we approach 2015 the garden has slowly moved into the cold frames, or into the garage.  All in all the year was a success.  The additional sunlight (due to the clearing of trees in the utility right of ways) definitely increased the productivity this year.  The most substantial increase was in peppers and squash.  After the final harvest we had nearly 30 acorn and butternut squash (yes, we are still eating them!).  We finally finished the peppers last week--several times I was able to pick nearly five pounds of various peppers of several varieties.  One disappointment was the zucchini squash--while we had some,  it was not enough to suit me!   Part of the problem was the timing of vacations--we returned several times to find football sized squash that were good only for zucchini bread.

The tuber garden was interesting, but not terribly successful.  The sweet potatoes and Oca were grown in large pots.  One lesson learned was that clay pots don't work well with sweet potatoes. When we returned from a week long trip I found the pot cracked--the sweet potatoes had grown too large for the container!  The potatoes that I stared in the straw were a real mix.  Some were usable, but most were too small.  The OCA ended up being the most interesting of the tubers.  They are small colorful and irregularly shaped. I can certainly say that if we had to exist on these, we would probably stave to death!

If you compare the Oca plant to the left with the image from May 2 update you can see that the plant really took off!  I did follow the instructions and put in the garage to avoid frost after the fall equinox.  I may try again next year, but only because the plant is interesting, not terribly productive!

The photo below shows the "final" gasps of this years garden.  The pole beans are still growing, but most of the tomatoes are gone and only a few peppers remain.

I will probably start getting seeds ready in about one month for next years garden!

August update

August 12, 2014

As fall approaches, the garden is certainly abundant!  Keeping ahead of the weeds has proven challenging.  While this has been a fantastic year for growing veggies (adequate rain, moderate temperatures, few hungry creatures, etc.), it also means that the weeds are just as vigorous!

If you look in the corner of the garden you can see my neighbors gourds taking over the fence--they are actually climbing the tree in his back yard as well!

 While I don't really need the gourds, you can also see some of the acorn squash that have really taken off this year!

I also like the cute little lizard that likes to live next to the barn.  It has been some time since I have seen any of them in my back yard.

The eggplants and other potted plants on the picnic table continue to produce an abundant crop, and the Oca (located under the picnic table on the right side) seems to like the location.  The small pots are all starts from cuttings in the garden.

Going strong!

July 19, 2014

This is what one always hopes for in the middle of July!  About the only vegetables that are slow coming are the peppers.  We have had enough tomatoes, beans, Swiss chard, and summer squash that we had to make a trip to the local food pantry!

The yard-long beans (growing on the trellis's along the fence) are perhaps my favorite since I love to stir-fry.  We are actually still eating from the kale and spinach that were the winter crop!

The flowers are also starting to look nice, and the marigolds and nasturtiums are especially prolific.  The spider flowers are actually volunteers from last year.  The obedience flower (right) is just starting to produce.  They have been growing in the garden for years, but it was only last year that I realized they were not weeds!

My pollinators

July 11, 2014

I was enjoying my coffee this morning when I noticed a "cloud" over the garden.  The top photo shows what I was seeing--a large swarm of honeybees!  One of my neighbor's hobbies is raising bees, and occasionally they swarm to form a new hive (quite a show).  In the bottom photo you can see the mass of bees hanging from his plum tree.  In spite of having the hives only a few feet from where I work in the garden, they never bother me (so far!).

Harvest time!

July 1, 2014

This is what makes it all worthwhile!  We have an abundance of nearly everything (but no tomatoes yet except for a few cherry tomatoes).  The cucumbers and beans have been prolific, and the squash are growing faster than we can find them!  I like the purple Royal Burgundy beans as well as the normal Kentucky wonder and Top Crop beans.  The zucchini are starting to come on strong, and the kohlrabi are all ready for harvest.

Overflow gardens....

June 20, 2014

One of the few good things about the gas and electric utility companies clearing out the trees in the back yard is that I now have several new areas that can be planted in garden!  Since my fencing does not protect these areas, I have to either put the plants in hardware cloth "cages" or declare them sacrificial plants!  The following two photos show some of this area.

 

Watercress update!  Although it is looking a bit wilted, the watercress I picked up at the farmers market in May is still doing well in my little 3-tier fountain.  I will admit that I don't think I would want to eat this (too many birds use this as a bird bath), it is kind of fun seeing if I could grow it.

June 12, 2014

  
The garden still looks good!  The potatoes are growing rapidly (at least the greens), and most of the other plants are looking healthy.  Warm days and plentiful rain certainly help!

My favorite flowers (to eat anyway), the nasturtiums are doing well--I probably have more "nasties" than any other flower.
The picnic table garden is also doing well.  While there are no eggplant fruit yet, there are blossoms, and the Swiss chard is growing well.