April Garden Update 2021

in Natural Medicine3 years ago

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Hello friends! Things are still busy around here, but luckily the last few days have been absolutely gorgeous, giving me an opportunity to snap some pics from the garden. Though there is not a whole lot new, it is still always fun to track the progress and watch how quickly things start to pop once the weather truly warms up.

We had a dip in temps last week with a few nights hitting the freezing mark or just below. Of course that's not out of character for Mother Nature in the springtime, but I was a bit worried about our wee little sprouts in the garden. Luckily most everything fared well, and the only plant that seemed hit hard should bounce back just fine given time. The fig tree had started sprouting new leaves and branches, but they wilted in the freezing air. We wouldn't get any fruit until the fall anyway, so I think little figgy should bounce back fine now that we should be done with freezing temperatures.

The rest of the garden is still just showing signs of life, but here's what we've got going on so far...

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Lots, and lots, and lots of strawberry blossoms at this point! Some wee little babies coming along, so hopefully soon we'll get our first berry to try. At least my farmers have started bringing strawberries to the market as of last week (many grow some in hoop houses so they have a head start) to tide me over. Although our small backyard patch is nowhere near big enough to satisfy my appetite for fresh spring berries. I'm closely watching updates for U-pick to start locally to be able to really restock the freezer again! But they sure are pretty to watch grow.

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Our one patch of lettuce is looking about big enough to start plucking some tender leaves. I forget what the red leaves are, but the green are Komatsuna mustard. A very mild and tasty type of greens packed with nutrients. We really do need to start planting more greens, but it can be hit or miss with the bugs and weather. Hopefully we can harvest a good bit of this before the bugs start eating it all since they're coming out of their winter slumber.

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The kohlrabi and perhaps broccoli or cauliflower (can't remember what got planted where) is slowly coming along, but still not sure if it will mature enough to bear fruit before the heat zaps it. If nothing else, we can also eat the greens from these. You can never have too many leafies to munch on. 😉


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On the seedling front, the beans are coming on strong. We have a mix of string beans, cowpeas and possibly edamame. I think the edamame was the slow grower last year, but we're ready to support the other beans as they quickly start reaching up tall. Hoping for a good harvest of all this year because beans are another favorite in the P2P household.

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Squash is, of course, another classic here in the South. Patty pan and a more traditional type of zucchini are in the raised bed @dksart made a few years ago. I love the patty pan, so I'm happy to have a few more plants this year. If we get a good harvest I have plenty of people who would happily take some of a bumper crop! Still a ways to go before we get to taste any, but we've had a good sprouting rate on all our squash seeds so far.

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Some teeny weeny watermelon plants are also coming along. Since going 85% or so plant-based last year, my dad has developed a voracious appetite for watermelon. As much as I would love some juicy sweet fruit, it would be fun to be able to share some with him if we can. I opted for a Georgia variety, so hopefully it does as well as the Candy Roaster heirloom squash that I also bought to represent on the local seed front.

The tomatoes are sprouting, too, but they're still so small it's hardly worth sharing a photo of--especially since I don't want you all getting tired of seeing pictures of essentially dirt. 😂


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On to the herbs! It still amazes me how quickly the oregano and other herbs bounce back after the winter. This patch has probably at least tripled in fresh leaves since I last shared a photo. Given that we were almost out of the tincture I made around this time last year, it was time to cut some back for the same purpose again.

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A whole colander full (plus a few clippings of lemon balm and mint for infused water) hardly made a dent! But it did net me three jars to steep in 100 proof vodka for a month or so to extract and preserve some of the healing benefits attributed to the herb. I still only dabble in the easiest of herbal remedies, but it is nice to have a few regulars in our homemade stock. The BF swears that between the oregano tincture and the pine catkin tincture his allergies are much less noticeable this year. Luckily I just jarred up 4 batches of catkins last week, too!

Oregano
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Pine Catkins
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The other herbs we planted this year are also starting to sprout. Before long we'll have fresh basil, dill, cilantro and hopefully rosemary and lavender. We're also still waiting for the eggplant and cucumber seeds to sprout, and have just a few more things to plant.

I hope this time next month to have a bit more abundance to share! Perhaps not much of a harvest until June, but I just enjoy when the tiny little baby fruits start emerging from the blooms so I can cheer them on as they grow. Every day I can't help but go out and see the changes, however slight. A few moments of joy even on the busiest of days.

This post is in response to the latest Garden Journal prompt from @riverflows, carrying the torch for @simplymike who started the fun challenge a number of years ago.




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 3 years ago (edited) 

I am always impressed by how punctual and fulfilled Mother Earth is with all of us. After cold days, I see that life in your garden has resurfaced with force, it is really beautiful. Greetings.


Siempre me impresiona cuán puntual y cumplida es Madre Tierra con todos nosotros. Luego de días fríos, veo que ha resurgido con fuerza la vida en tu jardín, está realmente precioso. Saludos.

 3 years ago  

She does provide in time, doesn't she? I do always think of what a task farmers have with such temperature fluctuations, making me appreciate the locally grown produce that much more. Just since yesterday more seedlings have popped up, as well! Such a gift!

 3 years ago  

Abundance is on it's way. Nice use of the cardboard in the garden, not pretty but very effective and free. Keep us posted, and of course you know I'm most interested in what you're going to cook with what you've grown.


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 3 years ago  

I'm going to keep on manifesting a good harvest. Yes, the cardboard definitely helps with not having to weed constantly and keep some of the moisture in during the hot Georgia summer, so we don't mind if it's not aesthetically pleasing. It's all about the end result! And of course I'll be sharing up some yummy meals as soon as we get our first harvest. :)

Nice

 3 years ago  

Good job yourself, haha!

Spring is coming

 3 years ago  

Spring has sprung! 🌷🌻🌼

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 3 years ago  

can't remember what got planted where

Haha that's the story of my life.

What a joyful post. Everything is looking awesome. Good reminder 're doing something about my allergies this year before spring. Is the oregano tinctured in vodka?

Tending my own strawberries more carefully this year as they get scorched in summer! Plus bugs.. 🤨

I love growing enough to give away.. I'll be watching those watermelon closely!

 3 years ago  

Can't help but find joy with so much life around. The garden is always a wonder, no matter how many years we keep growing. I know you agree!

Even better when we get enough to share. I'm like a proud mama pushing my extras on all my friends and family telling them how good they are. 😂

Gotcha answered on the tincture on the lotus chat. But for anyone else wondering, yes, just plain 100 proof vodka.

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wao a lot of strawberries come, I love them. It's good that you have all kinds of aromatics, you don't need anything for an infusion. Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden @plantstoplanks

 3 years ago  

Hoping for lots of strawberries. I just love the little blossoms. It really is a joy to step outside and just breathe it all in.

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Glad to see the cold didn't cause any issues (and yes, I almost said "cold" after our convo the other day about Georgia versus New Hampshire weather...lol). Thanks for sharing the sunshiny beauty of your early spring yard!

 3 years ago  

Haha, at least I don't think I moaned about the cold in my post. 😂 Though I know I did elsewhere. Rain here the next few days, but hopefully that means everything will really pop with a good drink after three or four really warm sunny days. Sending some sunshine your way!

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Love your corner of oregano. :)) And the jars of pine catkins.

 3 years ago  

Thanks @goldenoakfarm! That oregano just pops every year! I think an oregano pesto might be on the menu this week since I have so much. :)

I'm jealous!!! Thanks for the reminder about the catkins. I'd forgotten to keep an eye out for them. Will do that tomorrow.

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You garden is growing nicely this year Katie! So beautiful! But, I never saw these Pine Catkins before. Although my grandmother was pickling all kinds of evergreens and mixing them with alcohol,We even have traditional Slovakian Juniper brandy call Borovicka, lol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borovi%C4%8Dka My grandmother was claiming it is a remedy for almost everything, lol.

 3 years ago  

Thank you Lena! The bugs are already starting to munch on all our goodies, but we'll do our best to share, haha. And grandmother's always know best, don't they? ;)

Bugs are part nature, what can we do, lol. And yes, grandma's know the best. Always a pleasure Katie 💚🌿💚