Category: In the garden

Plot Cleanup

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Calendula, October 29

Yesterday was a gorgeous warm fall day, and I spent a few hours in the afternoon clearing my plot. I weeded, took out old plant material and covered the rhubarb with a little hay. I left much of the calendula as they add such a cheerful pop of fall color.

Swiss chard

Still growing in my plot are kale, chard, cilantro, parsley, chives, sage and leeks.

Tuscan kale

Now, I only need to harvest the chard, kale, cilantro, parsley; take out the calendula and dig up the dahlia tubers. I will overwinter the leeks. Sage, lavender and rhubarb with be mulched with hay, as will most of the plot. I will spread some compost and plant (and mulch) garlic. Ready for winter.

Mostly cleaned plot

Fall Bulbs

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Botanical tulips and grape hyacinths, October 22

This week, I planted fall bulbs in both my back porch flower container and my garden plot. In the container, I planted 25 Little Princess botanical tulips and 25 blue grape hyacinths.

In my plot, I took out all the flowers towards the fence and replanted the irises and lily of the valley (and the strawberries). In the center, I planted an Eden’s Perfume peony, surrounded by 21 Mixed Triumph tulips and 25 mixed botanical crocuses. I then surrounded the bulbs with chicken wire to protect them from nibbling rabbits. I felt it was better to do this now when I know where I planted the bulbs. In the spring, I will readjust the “fence”.

Freshly planted peony, tulips and crocuses (rabbit-proofed), October 24

Next week, I will plant the remaining bulbs (28 large tulips, 25 botanical tulips, 75 crocuses and 25 grape hyacinths) in my front and back yard.

Early September Plot in Pictures

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Grizzly Bear pumpkin (I was hoping for more warts)
Kale and calendula, a match made in heaven apparently because I have no aphids this year!
Wire mesh bag-encased tomatoes – a “mixed bag”. It is helping quite a bit, but there is still some nibbling, though I suspect by birds.
Zinnia
Thai pepper
Today’s harvest (Thai basil, which was promptly turned into more Thai pesto), kale, tomatoes, flowers

First Tomatoes

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Finally, my first vine-ripened tomatoes of the season! I already picked two blushing, green ones to ripen on the counter, but these two are the real deal. One Mountain Sunrise and one Caiman. These are the first two that I harvested after covering whatever the rats left on the vines with those wire mesh bags. It seems to be working. I hope to get at least a few handfuls from my 12 plants.

Mountain Sunrise tomato in her wire cover on August 8

Eggplant

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Today, I also harvested two Asian eggplants. This deserves a separate post and needs to be celebrated, as I have not had much luck with eggplants in my plot in the past. I did not grow this particular plant from seed but rather purchased it from Neighborhood Farms back in May. It did exceptionally well in my plot, and today, I harvested the first two eggplants.

Super happy eggplant

Late June

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Calendula and garlic

I love late June in the garden. Everything is starting to take off, and typically, there are no major pest issues yet. Apart from the rabbits, rats and birds perhaps, but no mildew, blight or aphids etc.

I harvested the garlic scapes and lettuces. The rhubarb is still producing. I also harvested mint, which I hung to dry in my pantry, and I picked some flowers, herbs and seed heads to make small bouquets. The tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers and squash are starting to flower. Everything looks fresh and green and full of promise 🙂

Cucumbers
Eggplant flower

Tomatoes (12 plants total)

Lettuce Harvest

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Last night, I harvested the remaining lettuce from the garden plot. About five heads total. I cleaned them all and stored them in the fridge. Just in time for the big heat wave that is supposed to start the day after tomorrow, Wednesday. We are expecting temperatures of 100F (feeling like 113F), so I will not be turning on the stove. Salad it will be for dinner.

Just before the harvest