This has been a busy but productive summer! This is our third year of gardening, and by far the best. Every year we have learned a little more and gotten better. We also try a new vegetable every year. Despite the lack of rain, our garden is doing remarkably well. Here is a summary:
We have always done well with green beans. Looks like this summer will be another bumper crop! Last year I tried planting waxed beans in a cardboard box set in my flower garden, but just as they started blooming nicely, a rabbit ate those plants right down to the bottom of the stems. What a disappointment. They were doing well in a box, too. That was an experiment. This year we planted them in the main vegetable garden which has fencing all around to keep out all critters. The green beans and the waxed beans are all growing nicely and we have some ready to be picked!
Last year was the first year we tried carrots. We got quite a few, but they were small. I think I started them too late in the season. It was almost July before I planted them! This year they were in before the end of May, and they are doing very well. Looks like it will be a good year for the carrots.
This is the third year for lettuce. The first year it was planted in my flower garden and did okay. The leaves grew, but weren't very big. Last year was a little better, but there wasn't as much lettuce as I thought there would be. This year we are having a wonderful crop! We can hardly eat it fast enough. I love leaf lettuce, and it is so good on a sandwhich.
This is also our third year for planting peppers. The first year we planted them in containers. That didn't work at all. Nothing grew. Last year they went in the garden , but we only got three or four small peppers out of about 15 plants. This year, we started the peppers from seeds in February, and they seem to be doing quite good so far. We have already eaten about 4 of them.
Our first year of gardening we planted zucchini in containers. That didn't work out so good. We got one teeny tiny zucchini. Last year I planted them in the flower garden, but not one zucchini grew. This year they are in the vegetable garden, and we have more than we know what to do with!!! I'm seeing many zucchini dishes in my future! I cut them in chunks and freeze them for use in soups during the winter. I also use the chunks to make zucchini bread in the winter. I pop the chunks in the blender. No grating required!
This also seems to be the best year for our tomatoes. The first year, every single tomato plant we bought got the blight. Last year we started plants from seeds indoors in March. However, they didn't grow too well. They were small and had many black spots, which I am told was due to a rainy season. This year we started the seeds in February and they are doing well. They are still green, but getting bigger every day. I am most anxious for these to grow. I love fresh tomatoes! In the mean time, I am buying them at our farmer's markets.
This is my second year for acorn squash. Last year I planted it in a kiddie pool, and it did surprisingly well, although the squashes were small. I think that's because I planted them late in the season. This year they were planted in the ground in May. The leaves are growing like weeds! There are only two or three squashes on them, though. I am hoping that's because it is still early. They will continue to grow right into October. My husband and I enjoy squash all winter. I sure hope these grow. If so, to preserve them, I will cook them and then freeze.
Last year I tried cucumbers in a container, but they didn't grow. I think I put too many seeds in one pot. This year I put just a couple of seeds in each pot, and they are doing great. I have already eaten one, and just picked another tonight. I placed the pots on a bench by a trellis as I am told they like to climb. Here is one of them:
There are four new items on the agenda this year! I planted a strawberry patch in the early spring. We had a problem with voles eating them, but my husband set some mouse traps and it seems to have helped. Strawberries have been growing, but not like I envisioned. I get one or two here and there. How am I supposed to make all those jars of jam that way? It has been kind of a disappointment, but I will read up on it and try again next year! They do look good, though, don't they?
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Peas have also made their debut. I love fresh peas as a snack. They are growing , but there are only about four plants. I KNOW I planted more than that!!
Both my husband and I love broccoli, so that just had to go in the garden this year. I planted it in the flower garden next to some marigolds, and it is doing great. We had some in a salad last week, and boy, does it taste better than store bought! The first bunch that grew, I apparently waited too long to pick. I thought about picking it one day, but decided to wait. The next day that bunch of broccoli was a bouquet of little yellow flowers! Who knew they turned into flowers if you waited too long to pick it?! Now I pick it as soon as it looks good. This weekend I will be planting another row of broccoli, as it , too, will grow into October.
Last but not least, we decided to try potatoes this year. A friend gave us many of his last year, and we liked them so much we knew we had to try to grow our own. The leaves are growing great. I am told that when all the leaves start drying up and looking like they're dying, then the potatoes are ready to be picked. They are still pretty green, so we will see what happens!
I have a wonderful feeling about growing my own food. It is so satisfying, and when the freezer starts filling up, a feeling of contentment comes with it. What new item can I add next year?
