Preserving

Friday, May 4, 2012

The Home Garden at the beginning of May

I haven't posted much about the Home Garden lately since I've been so busy with the Community Garden move. The garden is growing well...but it's pretty messy around here!

This is the Left Cold Frame Bed
All of the overwintered Kale & Collards have been removed in the back of the bed. I planted some Celery and Baby Choi in their place. Do you think that we have enough lettuce growing???? Maybe somebody needs to harvest some!

This is the Right Cold Frame Bed
The overwintered Kale in the back of this bed is still doing well. It does look a bit funny since I just harvested most of the leaves. There is also some lettuce in the back that definitely needs to be harvested. Maybe Miss Banana will take care of that for me today! The mid section of this bed has carrots growing in it. I am keeping the bird netting on to deter those darn squirrels and birds!

Look at all those little carrots!

The Garlic is growing like crazy!

And so are the Snow Peas behind it! 
I know that they are not supposed to be friends....but, I have growing peas and garlic next to each other for years and they do just fine. Look at those boards just laying there....what a mess!

There are 4 Early Tomatoes growing in Kozy Koats in this bed with carrots in between. The pill bugs were so bad under the boards that I had to remove them. I decided to put the shade cloth over them for awhile so they could get a little bigger.

This is Bed #1
There are two different varieties of Snap Peas growing on each end and Shelling Peas along the long side.

Bed #1
Garlic growing at one end.

Bed #1
Some Pak Choi, Lettuce and Spinach at the other end

Bed #1
I also planted a few Broccoli Plants, Chinese Cabbage and I think a couple of regular Cabbage plants in the middle

One end of the messy deck. The cushions and table tops need to be brought out of the basement and put on the furniture. Someone also needs to replace 4 boards on the deck and then power wash and stain it!

My new little Dwarf Carmine Jewel Cherry Tree is in it's pot.

The Herb Garden definitely needs a little cleaning up!

This is the part of the Herb Garden behind the messy patio furniture.
That's a bunch of self seeded Cilantro, weeds and greens from the daffodils!

There is one flower pot that is looking good!
I planted perennials in some of the pots last year and this one doesn't need a thing added to it!

My new Dwarf Tophat Blueberry bush and some weeds in the stone pathway in the background.

The Carrots that I started in this pot in the basement were very happy until I took them outside. I'm sure they will perk up and green up once they get used to being outside. I also have three more large pots that need carrots planted in. That will have to wait until after vacation. And there's that dirty deck again!

Not the best color in this pic.
Here are the Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants and some herbs hardening off on the back porch waiting to to planted......

Here!! Yes, the beds at the plots are finished!!! Yippee!!

Well, it's going to be a busy week! Today I will be baking for the graduation picnic tomorrow. "The Italian's" daughter is graduating from college tomorrow. We will be leaving early in the AM. Then her graduation dinner here (not at our house) on Sunday....then the plots must be planted before vacation next week!




49 comments:

  1. Looks great! Funny I just got a dwarf carmine jewel and 2 dwarf top hat blueberries (from Gurney's)...I also got a red currant bush. Do you bring the perennial flower pot inside during the winter or leave it out?

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    1. Thanks, I bought mine from Gurney's too. I leave the perennials in the flower pots outside all winter.

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  2. You know I hate all of the clean up part but it looks so great when it is done. Have a great weekend.
    Lisa

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    1. Thanks Lisa, The clean up will only take me a day or two, with the exception of the deck.

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  3. Your "messy" looks pretty darn nice to me. :D

    Garden is growing along nicely and that pot with the perennials really is just about picture perfect. The plot beds look spectacular. You have been very hard at work.

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    1. Thanks Laura, I think the messy looks worse in the pictures. Yes, I've been a little busy. It's all worth it in the end though.

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  4. Just like Tomato Thymes said, I too hate that "Spring cleanup", but we know it has to be done and when it's over, it's SO nice and looks so good, it always inspires me to want to do more! You've got an awesome garden as it is! Great job!!

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    1. Thanks 1st Man, We had such a dry spring and everything was looking good until the much needed rain arrived. When we get back from vacation, I will get everything cleaned up.

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  5. Awesome garden! and I love your community garden layout too! What is that purple and yellow flower in the container? it's very pretty looking plant.

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    1. Thanks Jenny, The plant on the right is a Euphorbia Bonfire and the Coral Bells on the left are Blackout.

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  6. There's lots going on in your garden. Do you get carrot fly as I notice your carrots aren't covered?

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  7. It looks great despite the mess. You've spent so much time at the community gardens, you can't do everything!

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    1. It will all get cleaned up when we get home from vacation. The most important thing is to get the plots planted before we leave.

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  8. My goodness, girl....you sure have a lot going on! Are you sure there is only one of you? LOL

    The community plot is looking marvelous! It's hard to believe that such a short time ago it was a rough plowed field. You done good :-)

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    1. Thanks Granny, You should have seen how much I could get done when I was younger.....just about as much as you!

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  9. Wow! Your garden plot looks amazing! And so do all your plants that you started. Great work. I love that you even shared what needs cleaning up. Makes me feel better about the cleaning up I still must do around here.

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    1. Thanks, We can always show all the nice nice pics....but, the reality is that there is always something that needs cleaning up!

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  10. Oh stop, everything looks lovely and neat and tidy. You want to see messy, come on over, lol.

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    1. I am just such a fuss budget at times. There was a time when I would have not been able to stand half this mess!

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  11. Just looking at that picture of your tomatoes makes my mouth water. Recently I have been smelling my plants whenever no one is looking... I can't help it! They smell like summer, and I just cannot wait.

    Also, a question for you! This is my first year growing garlic, and some of my leaf tips are yellowing. I notice that yours are, too. Is this a normal thing for garlic to do, or does it mean that something is wrong?

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    1. I just love the smell of tomato plants too! The garlic looks better now that we have been having rain. A little yellowing is nothing to worry about.

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  12. Your garlic and peas are growing like crazy. I think mine are much bigger than they were last year at this time.

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    1. Daphne, I really think mine are much bigger too. They grew like crazy from all this recent rain. Those peas are more then 2' tall already.

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  13. Robin, I'm going to call you the Bionic Woman!!! You just keep going, going and going. You sure have alot on your plate there girl! I have to say, your personal garden and community garden look fabulous. Looks like you have all kinds of lettuce to harvest too. I ended up giving several bags of my lettuce away to the church ladies. Have you had any problems with the birds and squirrels with the spinach? I know you talked about other vegetables being targeted. The little rascals targeted my spinach, broccoli rabe, bok choy, celery and all of my herbs. I've replanted items and placed netting over the top. I will fix the little monsters!!! Congratulations to your Daughter on graduating college. What did she major in? Is she excited to be graduating? Have a wonderful weekend and don't work to hard.

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    1. Sandy, I'm going to keep going until I get on that airplane next Friday. Then it's rest, relaxation, lots of food and music for one week!

      She is graduating with a degree in Elementary Education. Yes, she is very excited and so are we....no more tuition, car insurance and cell phone bills!!

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  14. Our tomatoes and peppers are outside hardening too! I can't believe you put that plot together in the time you had. It looks like 3 years worth of work has been done on it. I liked seeing your deck and herb gardens. They are right there near the house for easy picking. The perennials in that one pot sure look great. Happy graduations and vacation. We look forward to seeing you after things settle down a bit!

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    1. I am surprised how well the plots came together. There is still lots of work to do. But that work is easy in comparison to what has been done.

      Everything will be neat and tidy by the time you and the gang come over in June. We are really looking forward to it too!

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  15. I'm with Laura, your 'mess' looks much better than our mess!!! That is some great looking garlic. It seems like it and the peas are doing quite well together! I love that blue pot too.

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    1. Dave, I'm real big on companion planting. But, I always seem to have to plant the garlic and peas together. I guess that they can be friends after all!

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  16. Wow! You sure have a lot of things to care for. And this time of year always seems super busy. I posted a picture of my carrots on my blog today. They are about the size of yours I think. Wore a t-shirt this morning to garden and a winter jacket outdoors this afternoon. Wish weather man would make up his mind and that it would be nice weather constantly! Nancy at Cozy Thyme Cottage

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    1. It sure is a busy time of the year for us gardeners! Our weather has been crazy too!

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  17. I'm hearing Twilight zone music while reading your post because so many weird gardening quirks of mine are in your garden! I have an almost IDENTICAL garlic bed with peas at the back (snow peas no less) and my neighbors think I'm nuts for only planting carrots in buckets (never had root fly either). I had no idea that garlic and peas don't mix as I'm much newer to gardening than you are, but I am glad to know that it can work :) We're even in the same state (I'm in Pittsburgh).

    We differ in that your garden is MUCH neater than mine right now though. My beds are not all raised and well defined so we have serious weed and grass creepings going on. Ugh.

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    1. That's too funny! I have a lot of relatives in Pittsburgh. I was just out there about a month ago.

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  18. Good to know garlic and peas get along, I'll definitely give it a go next season, it's quite challenging to rotate crops in a small urban garden. Your community plot looks great.

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    1. Thanks Mac, They do seem to get along in my garden. I know the challenges of gardening in a small urban garden. This is only the second year having plots.

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  19. How do you do it all? Where is the vacation this time?

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    1. Marcia, I really haven't been over doing it at the plots. I go over for about 2-3 hours 4-5 days a week.

      We are taking the graduate and her boyfriend to New Orleans.

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  20. Congrats on the beds being finished!

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    1. Thanks Vanessa, I am so happy that the hard work is done at the plots.

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  21. I have a garden strewn with bits of half made chicken house, kids toys and used pots so I know what you mean about needing to tidy up. Both your gardens are looking fabulous - I think a little untidiness is a small price to pay.

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    1. Yes, the untidiness is a small price to pay for growing almost all of your own veggies. I'm going to have some time to tidy up a bit before we go away.

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  22. Looks wonderful! I grow garlic with my peas too LOL!

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    1. Thanks Erin, So, I guess that they are friends!

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  23. glad I found your blog...think I can learn alot from you!!

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    1. Hi Kathryn, Thanks for stopping by! It's always nice to hear that someone enjoys my blog and they think they can learn something from it!

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  24. Your garden growth is way ahead of mine! I've been so busy chasing that rabbit...

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    1. Dang Rabbit!! The snow and snap peas have grown at least another foot since I took this pic.

      Happy Rabbit Hunting!

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