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Pre-food Pics!

JAileen

Veteran

The vegetable garden isn't much different from last year, except we have a late start on the beans, squash, and peppers, due to our trip to Minnesota. I also seem to be losing the battle against weeds. Some of you have been bemoaning your cool summer. It's been so hot here I can't believe the garden is doing as well as it is. It was 104 yesterday.

1. Tomatoes
2. Beans - just up today!
3. Raspberries
4. Straight-neck yellow squash - never tried these before
5. Peaches

Please share your garden pictures.

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14 replies

Latest reply was from JAileen

Meredith

Veteran

Yay, it's pre-food season!

I am trying straw bale gardening in addition to my raised beds this year. I thought they would be a good solution for a variety of reasons including the assumption the bales would be tall enough to keep the dogs out. Wrong! I had to install fencing after they mowed down my arugula, beets, and radishes. We've had some small harvests of baby carrots and a ton of Swiss chard. I am eagerly awaiting a more substantial harvest, especially of cucs, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos-they are looking good in the bales.

Your garden is looking great, JAileen. I planted my squash and beans late too.

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JAileen

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Meredith, your garden looks wonderful! I'm not familiar with the straw bale technique at all. Do you plant directly in a bale? A very good friend has a dachshund, and not only is he smart, he's also very agile. I'm not surprised your dogs got into your garden!

Although we have the basics planted, because of two trips we took at inopportune times, I didn't get any cool crops planted. No lettuce, spinach, carrots, or radishes. The only thing I've harvested is rhubarb.

One of our biggest weeds in the vegetable garden is...arugula! It's some wild kind. It may have reverted from a cultivated variety.

L'Abeille

Veteran

JAileen we planted that yellow straight summer squash the first year we were married. DH really liked it. It's like zucchini (which he detests) but without the bitterness; the taste is almost reminiscent of sweet corn.

It's not been easy to find though. In our years in South Africa the nearest equivalent was patty pan squash, which is short and bumpy. This year I found seeds at the nursery and the plants have come up, but no blossoms yet.

I put small plants in early June (tomatoes mostly) and my seeds a week or two later. I've started harvesting my baby lettuce leaves. But I shudder to admit I haven't planted my bean seeds yet. They've done so poorly other years that I thought I'd try soaking the seeds first, but that hasn't happened yet and now I worry it's too late, because our growing season is so short.

JAileen

Veteran

L'Abeille, that's interesting about the squash. I assumed it would be like a crook neck squash. I'm glad you thought it was tasty!

I only planted my beans about a week ago. I usually plant them mid June. Our season is short too, but I usually plant three beds in succession, so these were planted about a week later than the third bed would have been planted. Hopefully we'll get some beans!

Meredith

Veteran

Yes, you plant directly in the bales! They require "conditioning" with a high nitrogen fertilizer and water about two weeks before planting. They are basically composting on the inside. It's been an interesting experiment.

I can send Georgia and Heinrich over to help you with that invasive arugula! They are also good with moles and rabbits.

JAileen

Veteran

I have two terriers, so rabbits are afraid of my yard. I often have three dachshunds in my yard. Yours would have fun exploring with them. Imagine having five at once!

Meredith

Veteran

That would be a sight!

Carla

Veteran

I thought I had it tough gardening in zone 2b! Now in zone 5 but backing on a ravine/conservation area - so planting veg is like opening a resto for varmints! I grew zukes in pots last year and the rabbits left them alone in favour of munching on the new roses... I'm jealous of your veg crops!

Anyway, I do have a herb garden and also pots of herbs on the deck where they are easy access from the kitchen. Oregano has gotten into the yard. DH says it smells like Italian cooking when he mows. The basil has really taken off in the past 2 weeks - time to make pesto!

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JAileen

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Mmm...pesto. I love pesto. Your pots look gorgeous, Carla. Several years ago I made a huge mistake and started some greek oregano in the garden. It got away and is now everywhere. We have pots of herbs on our deck, too. It's so convenient to pick a few leaves. We had bison burgers last weekend, and I picked a few basil leaves and they were delicious on the burgers. i'm so sorry rabbits decimated your garden. Our terriers try to keep our yard a rabbit and rodent free zone. Rabbits come in from time to time, but then regret it.

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

Most of my garden is ornamental, but I do have quite a bit of fruit (especially for a small, urban lot). These are apples on the columnar apple trees and white table grapes. We also have raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and hardy kiwi. I also like to grow basil, stevia, mint, and thyme or oregano.

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JAileen

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Emily, your garden sounds really nice. I've never seen a columnar apple. It's really smart for a small space, though. My parents had kiwis in the SF Bay Area. I think it's too cold here.

How do you use your stevia?

L'Abeille

Veteran

Not Emily, but I use my stevia to sweeten my tea. At the end of last summer I dried the leaves and I add 2 or 3 when I'm steeping a teabag. I also used a handful when I stewed my rhubarb

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

Hi JAileen--sorry I got distracted for a minute. I wouldn't say I "use" it at all. I know that it can be used as L'Abeille suggests. I initially planted it because I knew that the sweetness would surprise and delight my son. We all walk by and pick a leaf off, now and then, to chew on. Unfortunately, we do not harvest and use the garden produce as diligently as we should, but we all enjoy a little grazing when we pass by.

JAileen--Look up info for the hardy Kiwi--mine is "Issai"--to see if it might be hardy for you. I think "Issai" is is a little special in that it is self fertile. With hardy kiwis, the fruit is small like a grape and not furry and you eat the skin. They are fantastic--the single best thing I've ever produced in the garden. The taste, when really ripe, is sweet and honeyed and aromatic. The vines of the hardy kinds, also, are not rambunctious monsters like the fuzzy kiwis.

JAileen

Veteran

L'Abeille, thank you! I have a couple pots of it on the deck, but haven't used any yet. Using it with rhubarb sounds like a fantastic idea.

Emily, hardy kiwi sounds very intriguing. My son wants us to plant a pomegranate, too. I thought it was too cold here, but I found a hardy variety.