Gardening 2013- Take 4

Oh goodness.  I have been lacking in the garden posting.  I didn't realize how long it's been since I've updated you.  21 days to be exact.  I didn't think things had grown too much, until I looked at the pictures from the last take. Encouraging to see-things ARE growing.  Good good.

You know, this gardening thing is always a mix of emotions for me.  This certainly is not my first time gardening, I have years of experience under my belt.  But what I forget is that this is my *first* time gardening this plot of land.  There's so much to be learned-soil composition, water collection areas, weed control...just how this piece of land works.  I want everything to be big and bountiful and sometimes can be a little frustrated when things don't go perfectly.  There's lacking seeds-all of one kind of bean grew, but none of the other (not sure if it's green or yellow that's growing-must label next year!).  One seed packet isn't growing at all, and I think it's zucchini (although again, I didn't label at all).  I think my corn washed away, very sparse.  Deer have been enjoying cabbage and cauliflower.  We had company during that hot spell and I didn't get out to water the broccoli as much as I should have and it looks quite sad. The potatoes hate the soil and are doing a whole lot of nothing.  Little feet have stepped where they don't belong and there's been some trampling by the bigger feet in this house as well.  Sometimes I feel a little defeated.  But, you know....no matter how experienced you are as a gardener, there's always something that doesn't make it.  I am giving myself permission to relax a little-this is the first time we've gardened here...there's bound to be some mishaps.  It's also not that we're depending on this food to survive-we do have access to a grocery store.  And garden keeping isn't work, it's fun for us.  There's no time wasted when it's spent together with family getting dirty.

Okay, so if you made it through all that...you'd think my garden looked pretty pathetic.  But you know what? When I look at what is growing, there's quite a lot.  And it actually is quite fantastic.  Yes, there's been some loss...but most of it is thriving!!!  The apple trees, blueberry bushes and grapevines all have new leaves.  The strawberries are producing.  Tomatoes, carrots, garlic, swisschard, peas, spinach, pumpkin, squash, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, kale, herbs, onions-and I could go on and on.  I've used oodles of rhubarb and it's still coming. If you were to come and look at this garden, you would not even know that we lost anything.  It really is turning out quite well.

Peas are growing.

Carrots need thinning.

Some of the broccoli is coming along.

We have been eating lots of green onions-my son picks and eats them while he's in the garden.

I have no idea what this is.  I am a failure at labeling.

The raspberry harvest will happen next year.

Fresh basil...mmm.

It's hard to believe I grew this from seed.

The deer haven't eaten all the cauliflower.

Grapevines starting to settle into their new 'home'.

Strawberry Love

 There's new flowers blooming on a regular basis here.  Sooo fun!!!  It's my real live secret garden.

 

 And I didn't tell you about this yet, did I?  A ginormous overgrown perennial garden.  I cleared it out (HUGE job) and I'm hoping to get it back in check.  Perhaps make a little kid tea party zone?  Hmmm...

 Not that I don't have enough to do with all this....

Anyway, fact of the matter is, the gardens here aren't a 100% success, but I'd say 90% of what I've been up to is thriving indeed.

The goal really is to eat fresh through the summer months, having a little to preserve if possible.  I think we're getting there.

For the third time, I've filled up my antique strainer with my bounty, came inside and made dinner.  (In case you're wondering-two types of kale, swisschard, green onions, baby spinach and basil.)




Add all that to a pizza with pineapple and sun dried tomatoes-even my kids gobble it up.  Can't beat that.

This gardening thing, it's quite good.

In case you haven't had enough, here's the reports from:

Week 1

Week 2

Take 3 

How is your garden doing?