This month certainly feels like it’s been one rain storm after another. Ok. Maybe it feels that way because it has been that way. We’ve had so few opportunities to get outside and enjoy our yard and work on creating more edible areas. But when we have had the opportunity, we’ve capitalized on it – whether that means a game of chase with the kids or weeding a little area that desperately needs it. I don’t know about you all, but I am ready for some serious summer weather.
Tomatoes! Tomatoes! There are real, albeit tiny, tomatoes on our vines! And tons of blossoms just waiting to burst into more tomatoes. The funny thing is that it’s the sungold cherry tomatoes that are growing at lightning speed, while the early tomatoes I planted are ho-humming along. Go figure.
The broccoli is flowering big now, so I am going to pick some to put into a bouquet with daisies and other flowers from around the yard. I am so not a flower arranger, but I will do my best. And of course, I will share a photo soon.
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We harvested and ate most of the broccoli. But, being novices, we failed to harvest this head in time. Did you ever wonder what happens to broccoli left to grow too long? It becomes a beautiful mass of yellow flowers … who knew?
I also trimmed away some of the larger leaves on the spinach plant (foreground), which we happily ate in a salad. What happened to the spinach? It grew much, much, much larger this week. I cannot wait to harvest some more. I am still waiting to see the Brussels sprouts start to grow.
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We’ve been sort of counting down until we could happily pluck the fresh heads of broccoli from our garden … today, we did just that — while making dinner. There was something amazing about running outside, plucking a few of the heads and then washing and preparing it. The broccoli literally went from garden plot to plate in 30 minutes. (I will share the recipe for the Broccoli Rice with Lemon Herb Vinaigrette that I made with it in a few days.)
Meanwhile the catmint has sprouted some vibrant and beautiful purple flowers. Last year, I planted it in the garden late into the season and it didn’t do much. But this year, it’s big and beautiful. Read the rest of this entry…
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Between rain and a nasty virus going around our house most of the week, I’ve barely looked outside — let alone ventured beyond my front door. Seriously. It’s been brutal. But today, the rain finally subsided and the sunlight started to stream through the clouds again … so out we went. (What you can’t see in the above photo is that Paige is harboring a bit of the cabbage leaf in her tightly clenched hand … Silly girl)
We’re growing impatient for something to produce an edible food for us. The cabbage is growing wider than I imagined it would, but isn’t yet curling into that tight, familiar ball that we expect. Hopefully it will soon. Have I mentioned how impatient we are for these plants to become our food?
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As someone who hasn’t had much luck in the past with gardening, I am constantly amazed and wowed when I look out my office window. Greeted with a large ball of catmint, yellow and fuchsia (when I tried to think of the word for the color, all I could think was magenta … I think it technically is) flowers and blossoming lilacs, it’s not only beautiful, but it makes me feel accomplished. I did that. Those flowers out there are blooming because of me.
We didn’t really do much in the way of new plantings this week, instead getting some much-needed weeding done. Will however did plant his flowers, little blue perennials that are a pretty addition to the garden. I love how they mound slightly.
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Can you see that? That tiny little beginning of broccoli stopped me dead in my tracks today. I had already written this post and just needed the photos to go with it … then I saw that little spurt of broccoli and I couldn’t contain myself. Ooooh. I am so unspeakably excited. It’s really growing!!!
Back to the planned post.
It’s been a busy gardening week here. Although the last few days have been rainy, we still managed to make some major headway. Last Sunday, we finally installed and filled the last raised garden bed with soil and on Monday, I planted our first tomato plants — some cherry tomatoes and some early-season tomatoes. Read the rest of this entry…
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Rain, rain, rain. Sun. Rain, rain, rain. Sun. That’s been the weather pattern here for the majority of the last week or so. And what does weather like that mean for the foliage? It means lots of growth (yay!) and lots of very tall weeds (boo!). If the weather can hold off for long enough, this weekend will be all about extracting the weeds from the garden. I can’t have a space this pretty with this much … unprettiness.
Meanwhile, the broccoli has really spring up. I am waiting, impatiently, to see the beginnings of the familiar broccoli shape. The red cabbage, which isn’t looking as red as I anticipated, is really getting big too.
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Each Friday, I let you have a peek into my garden. This is the first year that my garden has been progressing in such clear and certain order, and I am so excited to share it.
This week, I really wanted to show you the beginnings of blueberries that appeared on the blueberry bushes, promise of berries to come. I wanted to show you the leaves on the apple trees, which suddenly appeared last weekend. And the broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and spinach have been maturing. I wanted to show you the new addition to the garden: a small pepper plant that hasn’t yet distinguished itself. And my very big rosemary plant that I’ve already clipped from to season a roast … I wanted you to see that too.
But it rained today. Not all day, but just enough that every time I went to take more photos, I feared for my camera. So I didn’t. Instead. I snapped just the one photo you see, of my herb container garden on the back porch. Inside is thyme, basil and sage … I can’t wait to eat those too.
As for the crate? Snapple used it in a press kit they sent me. And I loved that I could so easily repurpose it. I would hate for all that wood to go to waste.
Next week? More photos. Lots. I promise.
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Will talked all last week about eating outside. We have our table and chairs set up by our newly appointed flower garden and he just couldn’t wait to use it. So, when Sunday evening rolled around, Shawn started up the grill and I got everything we needed onto a tray to carry outside. It was a little chilly at dusk, but totally worth it. I can’t wait until we can eat all of our meals outside.
The word for this week is progress and boy, did we manage to make a lot of progress in a short time.
In terms of planting, the kids and I filled three of our vegetable garden boxes. We have one box with broccoli that is growing quite quickly. I cannot wait to see the familiar vegetable appear.
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