Thanks to my parents we had a wonderful selection of Heirloom Seeds from Eden Brothers to start our garden. It has been one month since the last frost for this area, and the garden is growing strong. The Laird has been working so hard since before the snow fully melted to get the garden going. Here are some photos of what we've got growing in the nicely fenced garden- the fence seems to be keeping most pests out. As of this week, have been enjoying fresh picked salad greens, kale & of course rhubarb.
TOMATOS- The Laird started his Beefsteak and Cherry tomato seeds inside back in mid-April. After the last frost date in March, he transplanted his seedlings into the garden. Unfortunately a whole crop of tomato seedlings got toasted by a single cold night. Thankfully, he had extra plants and was able to plant the rest in place of what had been lost, and we have both varieties growing strong.
Every year the Laird grew tomatoes at our old house, blight would rock our tomato plants and diminish the fruit production. I have read that sprinkling crushed egg shells on the soil/ mixing it into the soil helps replenish the calcium and prevent "blossom end rot" of the fruit. I didn't do a lot of research about how to go about sprinkling the egg shells into the soil, as it was somewhat of an afterthought, and just placed a few crumbles at the base of some of the tomato plants. Next year I hope to sow the egg shell into the soil with the tomato seeds/ seedlings. From what I read, it sounds like each plant needs 8-10 egg shells. The egg shells/ calcium seem to help the plant regulate water absorption.
PEAS-
You can plant peas up to 6 weeks before the last frost date. We did not know this, and got a slightly delayed start with our peas. We found this old metal contraption in our woods and it works great as a pea trellis! As can be seen, the peas are growing like crazy. Had we started them earlier, I imagine they would be even taller. We may have to come up with a taller trellis system next year. The flowers that turn into the pea pods have yet to appear on our plants.
BUSH BEANS/POLE BEANS-
The bean seeds are directly sown into the ground. The Laird planted a plot of bush beans and a handful of pole beans around the garden. From past experience growing both types of beans, we learned that the Bush varieties start bearing fruit earlier in the summer. The pole beans spend a lot more time establishing the plant and bear fruit much later. But the size of the plant has much greater potential for bearing a ton more fruit.
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PEPPERS-
The Laird started 2 varieties of peppers inside back in April- Jalepeno Early (hot) & California Wonder (sweet). They transplanted into the garden well and are slowly getting bigger. In comparison to every other plant in our garden, these are the snails of the bunch. The pepper sprouts were at least a couple weeks behind the tomato seed sprouts back while we were starting them inside. The plants appear healthy thus far.
SQUASH & ZUCCHINI & CUCUMBERS-
The Laird sowed squash, zucchini, & cucumber seeds intermixed in the same section of the garden. He does not remember which seeds he planted where, so we will be surprised until they begin to bear fruit.
Kale is another early plant where the seeds can be planted a number of weeks before the last frost. We've never grown kale before, and are really excited about how well it has grown. We've been picking kale each day for salads, muffins and cooking for the past week. It's so tender & tasty, and so full of nutritious goodness. Kale is so versatile. It holds so well after being picked and washed- unlike garden lettuces that wilt quickly.
CORN-The Laird has been eager to try and grow corn for some time. In the past we did not have the space or sun to attempt it. But Redwoodshire has both- and the corn is growing! Something special about this corn is that it is the Laird's attempt to grow "The 3 Sisters". The Native Americans grew the "3 Sisters- Corn, beans, & running squash" together. Corn grows into a pole that the beans can climb, and then the squash/ pumpkins grow around the base and shade the soil to preserve moisture. The Laird is growing a combination of sweet corn, pole beans, and cucumber/ zucchini.
CABBAGE-
This cabbage was a Father's Day gift for the Laird. He didn't think to grow cabbage this year, and put it on his list for next year. We picked up a 6 pack of Late Cabbage at Gro-Moore Farm/ Market.
RASPBERRIES-
Though not very big, a few of the raspberry plants have produced their first flowers and are on their way to producing little berries. We have been battling the deer, as they have been eating the new growth and stunting our plants. The new growth are the stems that will bear fruit next year- so unfortunately we may have limited fruit for a couple years. We are working to build a trellis, to drape netting over and protect our raspberry hedge from further damage. In addition to this domestic raspberry row, we also have some well established wild black raspberries growing near the barn. We expect they will be highly productive by the number of flowers/ berries already growing.
We also have 3 different varieties of salad greens growing- though I must have missed taking a photo. The carrots have failed to sprout or are taking a very long time to show themselves. The cantaloupe has also been slow in sprouting- so we are unsure what their outcome will be. The blueberries and rhubarb have been highlighted in prior posts.
We are enjoying some of the sweetness of our labor, and look forward to the next round of fruit to ripen. As our "pilot" gardening year, we are learning a lot and keeping a journal of the process to remember everything for next year. A number of months ago, I found an old book called, "The Garden Song". A cute children's book about the classic "Garden Song". Enjoy this video of Pete Seeger singing, "The Garden Song".
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