Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Around the Garden










The magic continues this week around the garden. Bits of green peeking out here and there from seeds planted last week, those that were peeking out last week are growing strong and all the beds are now growing something. There are a few empty spaces here and there for a little more seeding of kale, Swiss chard, beets, salad greens and carrots.

The potato beds went in towards the end of last week. We are sticking with the no dig method that we tried last year. It worked like a charm and required very little up keep. Some planter boxes were added to the chicken coop so we could take advantage of the sun in this spot. Strawberries, calendula and parsley are growing in them. The raspberries underneath are doing very well, and I am hoping to add a second row of canes in the next week or so.

The herb garden is doing well, and I have already harvested some comfrey and have it infusing in oil. We have been harvesting and enjoying the nettles at meal time, and some of it has been dehydrated for tea.

Reece was inspired this weekend and asked to do a little work on his garden. Together we weeded it, planted some seeds he had started in the house a few weeks ago, put some green beans in the ground and planted a tomato plant. On Friday we will head to the garden center to pick him up a few eggplant starts. Last week he made a garden stone, and has yet to decide where in his garden it will go.

Some of you have asked exactly what we have planted and have growing around the garden, here goes: Swiss chard, kale, tomatoes, beets, salad greens, carrots, strawberries, raspberries, green and yellow beans, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, pumpkins and garlic. In the herb garden we have: lemon balm, motherwort, comfrey, beragmot, echinacea, St. John's wort, chamomile, lavender, peppermint, nettles, calendula, allheal, catnip and yarrow. We also have culinary herbs growing as well: basil, sage, parsley, rosemary, dill, orgegano and chives.

The herbs all came from Richters Herbs, a lovely herb greenhouse not far from where we live. The seeds for most of our vegetables are heirloom seeds from The Cottage Gardener, also pretty close to where we live. And sometimes I pick up packets of seeds here and there at different garden centers, you can never have too many seeds, right?

It feels good to be at the point we are at now, just a little more planting to be done, and then moving onto the tend and nurture stage, as Meghann put it yesterday. Tend and nurture, I like that part, and the other part I like is the eating part, which will be happening a little more with each passing day.

How are things around your garden?

27 comments:

  1. Lovely, Kim!
    Those planter boxes on the coop are great.
    Nice to see your garden taking off and Reece getting involved. Dylan usually picks some flowers to plant for his birthday. He is looking forward to going to the garden shop.
    Starting from zero here, things are going slow but progressing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dawn. I love those planter boxes too, wish I had done it sooner :) It is kinda fun to start from scratch, you can do what you want, how you want to do it. Have fun!

      Delete
  2. Your garden looks wonderful. You'll have to tell me about the "no dig" method for the potatoes. We did cages this year (http://www.goodshomedesign.com/grow-100-pounds-potatoes-4-sq-feet/) So far it's working like a charm, we already have 3 rows built up and we will need an extra row soon as the vines have reached the top again.

    As I mentioned to you last night, the unexpected freeze the last few days have gotten the better of a few squash and cucumber plants. The wind got the better of a few tomatoes as well. *sighs* Looks like we'll be buying plants for the first time in a long time this year.

    So glad everything your way is doing so well! Have a great day. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. We love the no dig method, super easy, and no work at all. Here's a link to the video that got me hooked :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1OShZZUt0k

      The only thing we did a little differently was to add an extra layer of straw and manure as the plants grew up. Other than that, we just let it grow and then harvested the potatoes. And then this spring all that decomposed straw and manure became a new raised bed :)

      So sorry about your plants. I guess in these circumstances it is great to have a garden center as back up :)

      Delete
  3. We will be tending our garden in a week, and I for one am excited. We have a tiny garden but just growing tomatoes, basil and cucumbers (sometimes peppers) is satisfying. I love seeing the progress :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, your gardens are so lovely, Kim. And tidy! All those neat little rows. I did so much interplanting this year that my beds are chaotic in comparison. (Also, they need to be thinned, a bit. But some of it is just now getting big enough that I can tell what it is...they all look the same to me when they're first sprouting...) xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awe, thanks Meghann. I am a little type A, okay, maybe a lot type A :)

      Delete
  5. Your garden is looking great! Isn't it crazy how fast things change in the garden? I notice new things each day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Taryn. And yes, every day something new is emerging. I love it!

      Delete
  6. Wonderful photos, peaceful garden and plants making there way into the sunlight. Summer. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely! I think about all that grass just naturally growing... we planted a tiny patch of grass like 5x7 feet and we couldn't keep it alive. Not with the amount of water it needed. I'd rather have that go to edible plants! I'm so excited that at our new house we'll have all the space to put in big beds like yours! I plan on putting in a medicine garden as well. I also want to plant lots of flowers that will help out the bees and monarch butterflies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks KC! I am looking forward to watching you create the gardens in your new space, so exciting!

      We have a butterfly/bee garden, I started it two years ago at the very front of the house for the day when we finally get some bees :) I should share it one of these days.

      Delete
  8. Oh my goodness your garden is gorgeous!!! Is that your chicken coop too? Oh, how I long for more outdoor space like yours!! Thank you for sharing and inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Summer. And yes, that is the chicken coop, the ladies live in style :)

      Delete
  9. My herbs and peppers are doing great, everything else is so so, we need rain bad!
    I love that Reece has his own little garden, Emerson does too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get some rain soon Tracey. And yes, Reece has had his garden for three years now, each year is a little different on how he approaches it. Always fun to watch and see what happens with it.

      Delete
  10. So much happening here in such a short time. Well done Kim. xxoo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Julie. I won't lie, it has been a lot of work, but I have enjoyed every single minute :) xo

      Delete
  11. Your garden looks amazing. I only have a few herbs and some flowers this year. But I am tending and nurturing nonetheless :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! That is the great thing about gardening, you don't much, just a little and you get to tend and nurture all you want :)

      Delete
  12. Its looking so wonderful, and so beautifully tidy and green and thriving. You have such a magical space

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I think it is pretty magical too :)

      Delete
  13. I love your garden, so spacious and full of goodness

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your garden is gorgeous! Paradise. it is full of love!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awe, you are too kind, thank you. It is my happy place, and I do love tending it. xo

      Delete