A few years ago, I began reclaiming lawn space, building raised boxes, and blogging about my adventures in gardening. I think this is year 6 of the ever-growing garden that officially launches late May every year. The community that @GardenHive has become is for us green thumbs and I think you should check out the intro post here https://hive.blog/hive-140635/@gardenhive/the-garden-selfie-collection-happy-christmas-to-all-the-amazing-hive-gardeners if you haven't yet. My friends @sanjeevm @thebigsweed @farm-mom and @plantstoplanks are among many in the thriving community and showcasing how they get their gardens to thrive.
This week, I return home after 10 days overseas to see how things fared without my green thumb.
How We Doin'?
.jpg)
It was a dry 10 days while I was away. The lawns were yellow and didn't even need a mow when I returned. Totally drought town and the rain barrel I had filled up lasted 2 days. I had a friend keeping an eye on things, watering with the rain barrel, and harvesting what he could. With a lettuce bed, you need to stay on top of that so that it doesn't grow too much, go to seed and get bitter. That's what the lettuce growers tell me at least.
Anyhow, it was not left to grow wild, but it was not the best of times. There is even evidence that Sir Digs Alot found a way through the fence into the strawberry patch.
Weeds
After a session with the gloves on, I ripped and tore a bale of weeds out of all the beds. They didn't seem to have any problem growing with little rain and were everywhere. Not only that, but some mice had eaten all of the bean sprouts and had their way with the carrots and radishes. I scattered some bone meal and blood meal mix to try and fertilize what is left and repel the varmints.
Enough Bitchin' What's Growin'?
My Basil, proudly grown from last year's seeds, is growing! I poached a couple of the bigger premature leaves so include in a sauce. Later on, I will score a pile of bocconcini and fine red wine vinaigrette for a delicious snack that wins me Wifepoints© every time.
Swiss Chard is again flourishing. this year, we know you can pretty much substitute it for spinach in many salads and other recipes.
My cute little Beefsteak tomatoes are blooming. Perhaps too much green on the plants from lack of pruning as they are tall but not many sprouts yet. I dumped a handful of fertilizer on the soil above each plant and am watering them every second day so hopefully this will mean many more.
The cherry tomatoes are also starting to take form. Still a week or so from red colour but I love the yellow veins up into the green. May turn out to be pretty and delicious.
Even the Roma tomatoes are starting to form. They are a little oddly-shaped for the inconsistent rain but will hopefully take the fertilization and regular watering well.
One of the most interesting things is that my raised pepper box of goodness, while growing well, are not showing too many pepper sprouts or even pre-emptive yellow blooms. Plants are doing well but it may be premature to expect peppers. The one that is doing the best is this jalapeno, which was extra, so I planted it in a box with some flowers. I have already had one of these babies and it was hot! At least 7 more of these bad boys almost ready and that may last me 'til the real plants start producing.
Kale is not only a dream for vegans. It is the same for gardeners as it is so easy to grow and hardy. Hearty? Either way, fresh kale should be easily growable anywhere and I would suggest everyone try even if it is in patio boxes. Cool texture for photos too!
The only other thing showing fruit is the raspberry! This thing has grown and spread 3 full years with no more than a handful or 2 of berries. I can see a few dozen early this year and this red on will probably be the first one eaten...hopefully by a human!
Here is what else is blooming
Hydrangeas
Lillies
Lavender and annuals
Portulacas from seed!
Celery
Hopefully more strawberries
Best of all, my cage tactic has seemingly made for a few uneaten cucumber plants! I forget which I planted where but hopefully there will be English cucumbers, and some pickles. What kinda Pickleman could I be if I can't grow pickles again this year?
Mom started me along my path of growing stuff when I was a kid. Motivated by so many blockchain blogging gardeners, I figured I would plant and share and learn as I reclaim as much grass space as I can. It has turned out to be a fruitful experience and I hope to inspire others to sow and grow no matter what your location or experience level is.
Then, blog about it using #gardenhive tags as we network and curate the journals of other green thumbs, outdoor enthusiasts and fresh whole foodies.
Wherever you are...JUST GROW!
JOIN US ON DISCORD
SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIFESTYLE LOUNGE COMMUNITY HERE
JOIN US ON TWITTER
I am honoured to curate for:
Most of your things seemed to have survived the 10 days ok, and some look really good!
Yes I had someone pop over a couple times and sprinkle what was left in the rain barrel. Still pretty dry and in need of a fertilizing and weeding but we might be good! I keep forgetting we are just in July and most stuff doesn't go nuts til mid august.
Fingers crossed for more rain!
Quick bit of weeding back under control garden looks healthy with produce showing, perhaps the ten days without intervention has done the plants well.
!BEER
I wish the critters hadn’t eaten the bean sprouts but a couple good soaking will hopefully have it back to flourishing!
Feeding the critters not such a bad loss, hope the beans sprout back and give you a sizeable harvest a little later in the season.
Oh man, you are so lucky that you've had the opportunity to have a garden at your home! Looks very beautiful tbh! Great work!
Ah much appreciated!
It has been a great adventure for learning and I encourage everything to grow something!
Garden is looking so awesome. The basil is so fresh, cherry tomatoes I like. These will ripen when it's bigger, few days it turns red so quickly !
Yes we should be sampling them in short order hopefully. The plants themselves are getting big and I hope my little mice leave us plenty of cherry tomatoes to eat.
Despite not being around for 10m days, things are looking pretty good. We have never grown Kale and with you saying how hardy it is we may have to try it next year.
You're right about the need to grow pickles otherwise you my have to change your name to Kaleman and that just would not make it.
We're headed out of town for a few days, leaving in about an hour. The temps are going to be in the 90's and I hope everything doesn't wilt without being watered.
In a recent reply you made on a post of mine you said something about doing what ever you could to stay home. I was not sure what you meant by that, but I got the picture now.
Our daughter just returned from a vacation in Greece. She had a great time , but getting back to the states was a nightmare. She got stuck in Montreal for 48 hours in the airport when her flight was canceled. In order to get home she had to take a Greyhound bus across the boarder and make her way to Parksville NY. From there she and her husband were picked up by her in-laws. The trip back to Pennsylvania was aa ten hour excursion.
So much for flying, it doesn't seem worth the aggravation.
Thanks for the mention my friend, water away.
Yah the airports are a mess.
We had a 10-day vacation without our checked luggage…arrived home 3 days after we did. We also got bumped off a connecting flight in Heathrow which we had paid for months ago.
Apparently the labour shortage is causing this but so is a very low give-a-shit factor when you can blame it all on the economy which proper all airlines up quicker than home owners.
I don’t like airlines
That sounds like a nightmare, it's no wonder you want to stay put.
The don't give a shit factor seems to be all too common these days.
We were thinking about heading to Aruba this winter for a few weeks, but after our daughters experience and the other stories we are hearing people flying, we've canned that idea.
You would think that after the lack of business that the airlines experienced after covid, they would be on top of their game, trying to make up for lost revenue.
I guess the airlines figure the government will bail them out again.
Life gets a littler crazier every day.
Yah they should pay more and maybe not hand the government bailouts to their executives as bonuses!
I am more into supporting the new discount airlines aggressive for business.
My daughter finally got back to the states after vacationing in Greece.
She flew Air Canada and it was a total nightmare. She was stuck in the airport in Montreal for 48 hours after several flights were canceled. She finally took a Greyhound bus across the boarder to Plattsburg NY. #78 miles later we picked her up and then drove almost another 400 miles to get her home.
Fucking dog.
Oh man you know it. Hopefully he doesn’t have a taste for weed when I finally grow. I will be one less dog then.
That dog and I would've already had the talk.. the 2 leave and 1 comes back kinda talk..
Good morning @zekepickleman your garden looks pretty darn good for your ten days away. We just noticed our green beans being eaten by rabbits, or that's what we think has gotten them, little buggers, time to get some more chicken wire.
The flowers are beautiful and oh boy the basil, I love that stuff, I am just now finishing off last season's pesto. Do you make pesto? We love it on paninis.
Enjoy the growing season, getting ready to munch on some "real" tomatoes.
Happy growing!
Ah yes the pesto! I have a friend who makes it and will have to get him to show me his secrets.
Real tomatoes are so much better than the ones that bounce down the highway and sit on shelves for weeks! Can’t wait.
Looking good up there! I was worried after 4 days away, but nature seems to do her thing regardless. Sorry some of your sprouts got munched on. Hopefully you have enough time to get some more going!
Basil and tomatoes--doesn't get much better! I always find those homegrown or farmers market jalapenos hit or miss. You can get one that is mild as can be, then the next one will light your tongue on fire! Always a good crop to have, though. Our cukes are still climbing away with hardly a fruit in sight, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more pickles myself.
Hope you get some rain to refill the barrel!
Oh yes!
I an not too upset about the sprouts as the garden has to be part of the ecosystem too right? They would have had much more to eat had they let the sprouts grow!
My soil has been fantastic for hot peppers. I make sure to churn up the soil from last year, add compost and topsoil and chicken manure to it. Makes for potentially a little more acidic soil and even my jalapenos are fire!
It really all starts with the soil! I think we need to do a little work amending ours for next year after the season is over. After so many years planting in the same beds, they could probably use a little extra TLC even though we try to rotate crops. :)
View or trade
BEER.Hey @zekepickleman, here is a little bit of
BEERfrom @joanstewart for you. Enjoy it!Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your
BEER.