Early August Update - Hive Community Garden Journal Challenge

in Natural Medicine3 years ago

Partial Overview of New Garden Plot

overview of front garden by raspberries.JPG

I'm so happy with the way my new garden plot is producing - the soil amendments I did are starting to pay off. It is quite a big plot and I didn't have enough compost for it so I'm trying biochar this year along with the well aged manure that comes up with clover (makes for a double manure as the clover is a nitrogen fixer), peat moss and wood ash.

I'm getting loads of cucumbers and got 12 jars of pickles done up plus lots of fresh eating and I've been sharing bagfuls with my neighbors.

Cucumber Harvest Turned Into Dill Pickles

cucumbers in ice and pickled in jars.JPG

The other thing I'm excited about is that the cauliflower is producing big beautiful heads. I just about didn't put any in for I didn't have much luck with them in other years. I'm happy I did grow some for they seem to like this garden.

The other big crop I'm happy with is the garlic which I put a lot of effort into producing. I had to rescue it after the neighbor's boy who plows our lane in the winter thought he was doing us a favor by removing the snow off the open area that usually drifts onto the lane. Usually I'd be happy he did that but not only did he remove the snow but he removed the mulch and some garlic bulbs and pushed them into a pile. I was just sick when I saw what he had done once the snow melted in Spring but then I saw the garlic bulbs beginning to sprout in the pile so I dug them out and placed them back into their plot and they grew into beautiful big garlic heads.

Fresh Pulled Garlic By Flowering Caster Bean

caster bean with red flowers garlic behind.JPG

Partial Harvest of Garlic Curing on Rack

1st part of garlic harvest on rack.JPG

I love how the wildflowers came up along with some perennial flowers I had by the garden which had the place just buzzing with bees and other pollinators! I love the purple fireweed and the Valerian and delphinium combination.

Wild flowers Blooming Behind Brassica Plants Under Row Cover

side view of new garden looking from spruce towards cucumbers and wildflowers.JPG

The beans were a little slow getting going for I planted them when it was cool and wet and some seeds rotted - lesson learned - I don't gain anything by planting the warm weather crops to early, I'm better to wait until the warmer weather arrives. I did get my first picking of beans though and there are lots of blooms with promises of more to come.

Bean Plants in Full Bloom

bean plants full of blooms.JPG

Out of my hoop house/covered garden, I've been picking cucumbers (yes I have more cucumbers in there which I thought would be my main crop - the field cucumber were an afterthought when I saw the quack grass coming up.I had some black plastic to cover it with and cut some holes in it to plant cucumbers - they loved it there) and a few cherry tomatoes. My main crop of tomatoes in the hoop house were a disaster. I had bought some seed starting mix which I continued using as I potted up my seedlings. I don't know what they did to the soil but the plants did not do well at all, totally stressed them out so they are not producing at all. Luckily I had some other tomatoes growing in big pots down by my new garden which are producing really well - in fact I'll be making my first harvest of vine ripened tomatoes today. I've been picking the celery there too.

First Batch of Tomatoes to Ripen on the Vine

ripe tomatoes on potted plants.JPG

We've had some nice feed of the snow peas but I didn't get the water to them soon enough when we had the real hot dry spell so I think they are pretty much done for the season.

That's pretty much it for the veggies besides my salad and pesto pickings and my other herbs which are doing well.

Bruno Watching Over Pots of Basil and Lemon Verbena

Bruno by basil and lemon verbena on deck.JPG

JJ Snoozing in the Shade of My Rosemary Plants

JJ lying behind pots of rosemary.JPG

Surprise Poppy Blossom - Self Seeded in My Container Garden

blooming poppy in pot.JPG

This is my entry to what use to be @simplymike 's Hive Community Garden Journal Challenge which has been taken over by @riverflows (so glad you took this on Rivers for I love seeing all the different gardens from around the world!) Find the details here

All photos were taken with my Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Thanks for stopping by!


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 3 years ago  

Amazing! I can't believe how fast your garden grows in season - it's boom or bust, right? And Bruno looks so happy. You got in just at the last minute - just came on to wrap this up now! Thanks for sharing!

What a wonderful bounty my friend, well deserved. Beautifully scrumptious photography as always Porters!

Seed starting mix typically doesn't have nutrients for more than 2 weeks of growth. It has to be heavily fed weekly beyond that time. That's why the tomatoes, a VERY heavy feeder, didn't do well.

Why row covers?

 3 years ago  

The row cover is an organic way to keep the cabbage butterflies from eating them also the flea beetles in the early spring. It also gives some frost protection in the early spring so I can plant them out earlier and not worry about frost.

I did have to use row cover for the same reason prior to 2010. Once I started testing the soil and amending by what I found, I no longer needed the row covers. But they aren't much help against wood chucks. The only other time I had a chuck in the garden was back when I was using them. He made his home under them and what a mess that was. This year the chuck has eaten the broccoli, row coverless, and is using the comfrey for his home. I found the dirt pile this morning under the comfrey.

 3 years ago  

Ya row cover doesn't do much for rodents. I lost most of my crop to moles one year. I'm into building up my soil for healthy plant but I didn't think that would stop cabbage butterflies from laying their eggs on the brassicas. I should have my soil tested too.

It doesn't stop them. But when the plants reach the 3rd level of health (which most people have never seen) the plant changes from mostly carbohydrate structure to more protein and when the pests eat it, it ferments in their guts and kills them. That's why I no longer have bean beetles or potato bugs.

The brassicas have been the lone holdout, something I'm not yet doing hasn't brought them to this level. Flea beetles are far less now but the tiger moths and white butterflies still take a toll. I'm getting there...

 3 years ago  

Interesting and good to know! I'm into trying to build really healthy soil to have good healthy plants, bit by bit.

I tried the guess method for many years. Once I started comprehensive soil testing, I found out I'd actually been making the problem worse. Once I started putting down what it really needed, many problems started to disappear. I could only do it bit by bit, as there wasn't much money through that period.

What a gorgeous garden! And an even more gorgeous Bruno! 😃

So tell me, what is the Lemon Verbena? I've never heard of it but I love Lemon Basil...

 3 years ago  

You must try lemon verbena - it is a a very lemony scented herb that I use for in tea and rice dishes plus just to smell - it is lovely!

Mmhh yummm, I love lemony smells.
I even use lemon myrtle and lemon grass soap cause it makes me feel and smell so fresh and alive...

I'll have to see what it is over here (Australia) and see if I can get some to grow.

It's not lemon Thyme is it?

 3 years ago  

No not lemon time it is very different from that. Look up lemon verbena

 3 years ago  

Your garden is amazing, I really hope to move somewhere that has more water, as it is struggle here in the summer. Everything looks so lush where you are, where as mine is so wilted during the day. Thanks for the tag as well I just got mine in xxx

 3 years ago  

Did you ever think about using wicker beds like @riverflows uses which conserves water. Mulching is very important and building up my soil here for it is very sandy and without doing that nothing much grows very well.
I'm off to check out your post.

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What an amazing garden you have! The cukes and pickles look amazing. One of these years I'm going to build a greenhouse so I can grow cukes and tomatoes up here in the mountains. I have a few tomato plants, but they're taking their time ripening. Probably don't like the cool nights we get, but that's okay, 'cause I love the fresh breeze that comes down the hill every evening.

Thanks for sharing pics of your pets enjoying the garden, too! I'd be with the kitty. I love rosemary. 💖