June Update - Part 1

Once again a few weeks have gone by and I find myself with lots of garden updates. This is part 1, soon to be followed by part 2. Things have been growing okay this year -- except the weather has now decided to be tough as you will see...

The walking onions have grown are are starting to form little springy tops - new bulblets ready to jump out and walk...perhaps a sunny location will aid the spread of these plants.


I have continued to sample some of the wild edibles in our back-yard. I have sampled wild violets. Below, yellow wood sorrel makes a nice addition to a salad, or an interesting tea....though sources warn to use in moderation due to high amounts of oxalic acid.


Oh yes, the weather...well the past number of days in June have had highs in the 50's F. That's like the average low or something. I don't know the effect this will have on things like broccoli and cauliflower, but it is taxing some plants and looks to have killed others....below is the before and after of a zucchini that was doing well until a night of near frost.


We also lost a pumpkin plant or two, but some did okay. The tomatoes are next to the house and looking fine. Tonight will be cold, so I will cover what has so far survived.


Cool season plants are doing well, the kohlrabi I transplanted looks healthy.


The stems are beginning to swell, so a harvest is soon to come.


Pop-corn looks to be surviving, though I worry what the next nights low temperatures will do.


Cabbages are one of the crops I think is perfectly happy at the moment.


Peas seem to be ahead of last year, even though they got a later start. These early bush shelling and snaps are flowering.


Carrots are in need of thinning...I have a couple varieties here and one that was just sown a few days ago.


Potato plants are getting huge and bush beans are popping up -- I hope the cold doesn't hurt them too much.


Leaf lettuces and radishes are coming up nice. We have harvested some radish, though we tend to just let them flower. The lettuce could probably stand to be thinned. The brick keeps rain gutter water from digging a deep hole in the bed.


Spinach is ready to really produce and the kales are liking this weather I think.


Well that's it for this half. Hopefully I can get the rest up later tonight. [Here is Part 2]

Ten Days

Again I need to find time to make updates on the blog (my written journal is a little more updated). What a difference 10 days can make...here are a few pictures of the garden ten days apart from May 5 and May 16. I know, today is the 21 - so I'm still behind!

[Below] The daffodils have bloomed and now there are seed pods standing in the place of flowers. I never knew how interesting these pods looked.


[Below] You can click to get a little bit larger images...most tulips have been bright and are now fading. Other plants are getting larger to take their place later in the summer.


[Below] On the 5th, peas were just poking up above the soil...not much to see.


[Below] Just over a week later they are very visible. It won't be long before they start putting on a lot more height.


[Below] New raspberry plants are sending up some shoots and starting to fill out some canes from last year...


[Below] A few days of sun and the leaves are really filling out the plants. I am looking forward to harvesting some berries this year.


[Below] Two varieties of rhubarb were just filling out on the 5th...


[Below] Now they are starting to bulk up some stems...won't be long for a harvest.


[Below] Okay this pair is a bit different. These are lettuce seedlings that were direct sown.

[Above: A spinach seedling in the lower left, pea shoots, mixed leaf lettuces, and a few scattered radishes.]

[Below] Here are plants that have been transplanted rather than direct seeded. The lettuce can be harvested now.

[Above: There is butterhead and green ice lettuce, curled kale, kohlrabi, and clover in this picture.]

Ten days can hold quite a bit of growth and activity in a garden!

April and Spring

April is here and Spring is showing some signs of arrival. We have had a wet winter, heavy snow in spring, record river levels, and below average temperatures. Even though the yard is snowier and wetter than last year, things don't seem to be too far behind.

Above is a photo of ladybugs in the south foundation bed -- it was actually taken March 20. It is interesting to see this bed come to life first...the beetles are the first moving insect of the garden! I really must make better use of this early bed with its heat.

No outdoor seeding yet, things are way too wet still. I will try to transplant some lettuce this year and see if we get salads sooner than direct sowing. If that works, then I will repeat again.

(lettuce seedlings, 7 days old on 4/5/2009)

Cool-season transplants are growing nicely...

(early cool-season seedlings on 4/5/2009)

Some are chomping at the bit to be put out. I may start some hardening off so they can go in as soon as the garden is ready. I see some round swiss chard leaves, and the kohlrabi and kale are hard to tell apart at this point (kale is on the end).

(closer view of seedlings on 4/5/2009)

But, as you see - that last 12 inches of snow is holding on still. That is probably good though as the river levels are still falling (they will rise again come this weekend maybe). I do know it is spring...robins are singing, staying in the trees - what is up with all that white?

(snow from late March storm 4/5/2009)

This is the first vegetable showing its green. Walking onions I planted last year. I am hoping they will take off in their second season. I think I will be happy with this perennial giving a yearly supply.

(walking onions 4/5/2009)

In the south bed, day-lilies are sprouting nicely. They are a bit water-logged this spring, but about as tall as last year.

(day-lily in southern bed 4/5/2009)

I think this some kind of crocus I planted last fall. Either way it was planted last fall and it is coming up now.

(bulb in southern bed 4/5/2009)

I'm getting excited to get out and plant and see what is coming back under the snow!

Thursday Rain

We got 1.4 inches of rain in a storm Thursday evening and Friday night. It came down pretty good for a few minutes but was otherwise kind of nice - especially for the garden. During a break I took some wet photos of the garden and also a few this morning.

The strawberry plants where a bit of a muse for a while...


In the morning the circle-like patterns of the rain caught my attention.


The whole world in a rain drop.


Blooms from the chives and the allium bulb in the front of the house are just popping out. The nasturtium leaves gather the water right on the lobe tips. I like the flat leaf profile and the contrast of the red edge. I had the chance to do the classic water dropped tulip picture. Also, the hosta funnels are coming unfurled.


Lots of these guy-gals getting some air.


The garden spot by our strawberry patch.


A "bird bath" and view of the back corner. The rain seems to saturate a lot of the colors in the clouded light.


Closer view of the back corner next to the fence. A couple of butterfly stepping stones and some other pairings of plants.


The raspberry canes busy stretching their roots - I hope.


I had some tomato seedlings left that I decided to plant with the cauliflower and onion barrel. We put some flowers in the top of one of the hanging tomato buckets.


Here's the southern foundation bed and a plant from the east side. I like the leaves on this one (will have to check my records for the name), but they tend to droop down. (Update: Those are Ligularia leaves.)


The vegetable beds (click for details). Earlier I said we had "wild progress" in growth, and I guess that is only going to keep accelerating for the next few weeks. The short peas are starting to twine together and the climbers are - well - climbing.


It's that time we now can get some regular harvests of swiss chard and spinach.


Also some radishes and lettuce. Look at the sparkly salad in the water.