This spring, I have been doing a weekly official walk-through of the garden and taking pictures of each plant. It seems repetitive at times, but what I love is comparing the photographs and seeing how much each thing has grown in only a week or so. The last set I posted was the walk-through from
June 4. And these are from this morning:
Dill and chives. Although we aren't growing any cucumbers, they will soon be in abundance at the farmers' market, and I plan to can some dill pickles!
I have to show the gaps in my gardening skills as well as the successes, because I wouldn't want anyone reading to think that everything comes out perfect every time. This is my red raspberry plant, which I bought from a yard sale last month. I planted it hastily in a less than ideal soil mixture because I was out of the mix we used in the raised beds. The soil that the cutting had come from was very clay-like, so I thought it would be okay, but we've gotten a lot of rain and even with a layer of rocks at the bottom of my planter, it was holding a lot of water, hence the leaves that turned yellow. I made some more Mel's Mix, the recommended planting mixture for square foot gardening, and repotted it yesterday. I think it will be able to recover, and I hope it doesn't hold as much water after this, since Mel's Mix is light and drains well.
Oregano! I actually got this oregano plant for a photo shoot last October, and kept it inside all winter. It's going crazy out in the sun.
The basil is doing well. I used some in a batch of risotto I made for dinner last night. Mmm!
The chocolate mint is loving its terrarium, which it's almost outgrown (but I'll just start cutting it back--not a big deal for mint!). I put the lid over it on colder days (we've had some highs only in the low 70s recently!), and take it off when it's sunny out.
My back step. Love the yellow. It's so cheery!
Thumbelina zinnias. I can't wait for them to flower.
The cilantro is growing slowly but surely.
The tomatoes are in need of pruning. I've been doing some additional research on growing tomatoes in square foot gardens, and if they are staked, they need to be pruned quite a bit. Caging works as well and does not have to be pruned but each plant takes at least 4 square feet with cages, whereas with stakes they can be planted 1 per square foot. We'll have to see how this turns out, but for this year at least, the stakes are in the ground and the pruning will have to suffice. Here's hoping the tomato crop is large!
White cherry tomatoes are emerging. I can't wait!
Barbecue grill next to the second bed, which holds eggplant, peas, chard, and salad greens.
Hey, peppers!
Purple beauty eggplant is about to flower! Gretel eggplant is close behind it.
Something is enjoying the arugula, but the rest of the mesclun mix is untouched.
The peas have raced to the top of their trellis, and I suspect they'll start flowering any time now.
Swiss chard is looking amazing!
I may have gotten a little ahead of myself when I bought some cabbage seedlings on a whim and confused them with lettuce and spinach, which can be planted in large quantities of 4-9 plants per square foot, depending on the variety. Of course, cabbage is very different than spinach and lettuce, and I should have realized it was going to be a problem. I'm now looking for somewhere to transplant half of these cabbages to! Oops. But, at least they are doing well at the moment.
Impatiently waiting on the spinach to dry out so I can save the seeds! I love learning new gardening skills/processes.
This spring, I have been doing a weekly official walk-through of the garden and taking pictures of each plant. It seems repetitive at times, but what I love is comparing the photographs and seeing how much each thing has grown in only a week or so. The last set I posted was the walk-through from June 4. And these are from this morning:
Dill and chives. Although we aren't growing any cucumbers, they will soon be in abundance at the farmers' market, and I plan to can some dill pickles!
I have to show the gaps in my gardening skills as well as the successes, because I wouldn't want anyone reading to think that everything comes out perfect every time. This is my red raspberry plant, which I bought from a yard sale last month. I planted it hastily in a less than ideal soil mixture because I was out of the mix we used in the raised beds. The soil that the cutting had come from was very clay-like, so I thought it would be okay, but we've gotten a lot of rain and even with a layer of rocks at the bottom of my planter, it was holding a lot of water, hence the leaves that turned yellow. I made some more Mel's Mix, the recommended planting mixture for square foot gardening, and repotted it yesterday. I think it will be able to recover, and I hope it doesn't hold as much water after this, since Mel's Mix is light and drains well.
Oregano! I actually got this oregano plant for a photo shoot last October, and kept it inside all winter. It's going crazy out in the sun.
The basil is doing well. I used some in a batch of risotto I made for dinner last night. Mmm!
The chocolate mint is loving its terrarium, which it's almost outgrown (but I'll just start cutting it back--not a big deal for mint!). I put the lid over it on colder days (we've had some highs only in the low 70s recently!), and take it off when it's sunny out.
My back step. Love the yellow. It's so cheery!
Thumbelina zinnias. I can't wait for them to flower.
The cilantro is growing slowly but surely.
The tomatoes are in need of pruning. I've been doing some additional research on growing tomatoes in square foot gardens, and if they are staked, they need to be pruned quite a bit. Caging works as well and does not have to be pruned but each plant takes at least 4 square feet with cages, whereas with stakes they can be planted 1 per square foot. We'll have to see how this turns out, but for this year at least, the stakes are in the ground and the pruning will have to suffice. Here's hoping the tomato crop is large!
White cherry tomatoes are emerging. I can't wait!
Barbecue grill next to the second bed, which holds eggplant, peas, chard, and salad greens.
Hey, peppers!
Purple beauty eggplant is about to flower! Gretel eggplant is close behind it.
Something is enjoying the arugula, but the rest of the mesclun mix is untouched.
The peas have raced to the top of their trellis, and I suspect they'll start flowering any time now.
Swiss chard is looking amazing!
I may have gotten a little ahead of myself when I bought some cabbage seedlings on a whim and confused them with lettuce and spinach, which can be planted in large quantities of 4-9 plants per square foot, depending on the variety. Of course, cabbage is very different than spinach and lettuce, and I should have realized it was going to be a problem. I'm now looking for somewhere to transplant half of these cabbages to! Oops. But, at least they are doing well at the moment.
Impatiently waiting on the spinach to dry out so I can save the seeds! I love learning new gardening skills/processes.
1 comment:
those are caterpillars enjoying that arugula! look for yellow & black little guys around the base of plants with large holes in the leaves :) beautiful garden walk! :)
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