Composting

Today I started my first compost heap.  I bought a compost bin, that spins and has duel compartments so that I can have one side with completed compost and the other side to create new compost.  I had difficulty finding "brown" stuff, but after a lot of reading, used some garden leaves etc. shredded newspaper, toilet paper and paper towel cartons, and paper bags, towels and napkins.  I layered with lawn clippings and kitchen greens and used a compost starter.  I watered the heap and that is it!  Now I let it "cook" hopefully and spin it regularly.  After 10 years of thinking about this, I have finally taken the big step.  I have overcome my fear of the chemistry and am just trying it.  I hope nature does its thing. 

Bit by Bit

You gotta' love the radish - it sprouts within days and confirms success almost immediately.  No deferred compensation there. 

Under the protection of chicken wire, the radishes are bursting through.  If you look very carefully between to two plantings you can see the delicate sprouts of some beets - which take there own sweet time.

Radishes with cage removed.

 The slow and steady course of the beet plant requires patience, confidence that things will turn out, and a calmness of spirit.  I, of course, prefer the radish -- lets get a move on!  But, radishes are bitter and spicy, whereas beets are sweet and silky.  Time, patience and perseverance must be learned over and over.  Radishes and beets are like the tortoise and the hare. 

What to do about the interlopers dead set on interfering with, destroying or delaying your goals?  You take precautions, you plan, you anticipate the disruption.  Alas, the interlopers appear and begin to undo your good efforts and destroy your confidence.  Simply backing off and letting them take over is an option.  It would certainly be easier, less effort, give over the field to the interveners.  But, that is simply not in your nature.  You work hard to achieve your goals, to be the best that you can, and to fight to accomplish what you set out to achieve.  So you don't walk away or let them take over.  You are the tortoise and with time and patience, you will persevere.  Time to create some cayenne pepper spray!

Cantalope chomped on by mice, perhaps?

Honeydew Melon almost entirely decimated.

 But, there are also new starts for as yet undetermined outcomes.  The seeds of success provide encouragement to continue your efforts and to always look forward toward what can be achieved.

The lovely start of the Bok Choy

The cucumbers are slow but you can see the new growth in the light green centers.

Cilantro

The wispy delicate start of the carrots

The sweet peppers are taking off.

The first round of lettuce is off to a good start.

The zucchini is spreading out.

 

So I will battle the drought and the interlopers, and forge ahead as ever. 

From Fallow to Fruitful?

The ground is dusty, barren and untended.  While laying fallow is important to the garden cycle, sometimes we let things go too long.  Finding the motivation to restart, revamp, get your head back in the game, can be challenging. Digging up the dirt, laying down soil amendment, pulling out the weeds, adding compost, reimagining your path all requires sweat equity.  It is far easier to let things stay as they are, go unchallenged, take the well-worn course.  But somehow, each spring this barrier of malaise is overcome and we start anew.  Where do we find the motivation? Sometimes it is just a baby step - find a small seed of inspiration -- to kick us into gear and encourage us to stop accepting that things are easier if they stay the same.  Change creates excitement, fear, opportunity and hope for new successes and challenges.  This is the essence of life.  Let's start again and see where it takes us.

Main garden.  Yellow Peppers, Leeks, Eggplant, Cilantro, Carrots, Bok Choy, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Thai Peppers, Cucumbers 

Back Forty - Sweet Corn, Radishes

The Artichoke that keeps on giving!

Cantalope and Honeydew

Radishes and Beets

Zucchini



Basil and Tomato and of course, Marigold throughout as the natural pesticide

Basil with two  Tomato plants

Lettuce, several types.  The spot behind the wood barrier is left open for succession planting of lettuce.

The fuller picture of the main plot.

Leeks, with open plot for later plantings.

Carrots and Bok Choy

Three tomato plants

Cucumbers in the trough, but grapefruit tree is so large that shade may inhibit successful growth

The Back Forty.  Starting with corn, radish, open plot, thyme, beets, radishes and artichoke.

Progress

Planning, preparing, sowing, organizing, protecting, watering and feeding to promote growth and health, and then waiting and hoping for advancement and progress.  This process is repeated every year with varying results.  There are always joyful days, with great returns, but there are also long periods of disappointment. We repeat this process year after year, hopefully applying what we have learned the year before, modifying our expectations to curb disappointment, and still remaining hopeful, working hard to accomplish our desired goals, and enjoying the harvest when it comes.  This year is slower than hoped, but there are true glimmers of what will come with continued effort -- and a lot of luck.  I enjoy the progress to enjoy as many moments as I can.

Carrots planted in front of artichoke

Cherry Tomato

Supposed to be another Cherry Tomato but tomatoes are too large already, so who knows.

Zucchini plant spreading its wings

Corn plants with silks showing, looking good!

Flat Leaf Parsley, so tempting to use but so little growing. 

Two more tomatoes that were supposed to be Cherry tomatoes but you can see the large fruit.

 

Sweet peppers, jalapeno pepper and eggplants

Marigolds guarding the leeks in front of the leaf lettuce that has already been harvested.  Beyond that is the succession planting of lettuce and carrots

 

This one shows very little progress.  Beet shoots in one row but nothing in the second row.  Apparently, I should have planted in winter, so if these survive, I may see fruit at Christmas time.

These are pole beans.  I've eaten two beans that have grown to full size but these plants are not growing very quickly.

On the upper photo is a very nicely growing cilantro and next to it shown in the lower picture is the fledgling basil next to a nicely growing romaine.

The one cucumber plant that survived has a tiny fruit growing.

This is the Thai pepper plant that keeps growing back every year, unexpectedly. 

In Memory of My Father

Dad, you were my best fan.  You diligently read my blogs, told me how smart and clever I was, and repeatedly told me to "publish a book".  You took great joy in reading my armchair philosophy as reflected in my organic gardening blog. You laughed, you critiqued, you tasted, but most of all you encouraged me.  Though you passed away on February 22, 2014, you remain in my heart and soul.

As I drank in the sun-drenched, softly windy day, I felt it must be time to begin the planting season.  There is little forecast for rain or more winter, so even though I know better than to start planting this early, I did it anyway.  I had planted beets and leeks on February 17th and they had sprouted very nicely.

Although you can't see them, the beet sprouts are in front of the wind ornament.

The leek sprouts are in the wells next to the wind ornament.
 

Today, I planted one zucchini plant, which I forgot to plant last year.  I am hoping to get enough for some killer zucchini bread again this year.



This is the zucchini planting.

I also planted some Italian flat leaf parsley on March 17th and it is sprouting too.  Then today I planted some Thyme.

Parsley sprouts up front by sprinkler; Thyme is behind it adjacent to the second stone.



 

My dear husband hacked away at the strawberry patch that grew like crazy but did not have many strawberries, so I have a newly cleared area for other plantings.  A fresh start, crop rotation, nicely turned soil, all good.  I planted Cilantro, Basil and Romaine lettuce in the back row against the wall.

 

I also went to Sperling Garden supply and purchased some seedlings.  Still no peppers, but got some bush beans and marigolds - the natural pest repellant.

 

 
Here we have the leeks next to the circle wind ornament; behind that I planted leaf lettuce; in the left front are the beets; behind that is the arugula, then the group of bush beans and another arugula behind that.  I forgot to take a picture of the cucumbers that are planted in the trench in the rear by the grapefruit tree.  The tree has grown large and bushy so that it shades the area a bit too much.  The cucumbers like sun, but not heat, so if I am lucky, they will still be able to grow and thrive.

 This is the leaf lettuce up close and personal

So, we are off to a fairly conservative start.  I plan to add tomatoes, corn, eggplant, sweet peppers, carrots and more lettuce.  I will wait until April/May to do the rest of the planting so that it is more in accord with the "usual" weather patterns.

 

So while I remember with sadness that I cannot share this garden, my new discoveries, and these random thoughts, philosophies and simple garden journaling, with my beloved father, I treasure the gift and joy of life even more strongly.  Thank you Daddy for teaching me to be strong and to follow my passion in all aspects of life. 



 

Recharging and Rejoicing

Vacation is a time for recharging energy, getting a new perspective on situations, and preparing for moving forward again.  My short staycation on the beach with my family did all these things and more.  I return to the garden to find that what once a worry, a slow start, a problem, now looks like a beautiful thriving accomplishment. 

BEETS

Beets are really starting to grow!

CARROTS

Carrot tops are strong and healthy on the left, although the beets on the right did not make it.

LETTUCE

Lettuce in the back is past its prime, but tastes strong and zesty still.  Arugula in the front is perfectly tender and delicious.

BASIL

Basil on the top picture was planted from seedling and is doing fine.  The tomato plant on the right is heavy with fruit.  The marigolds have regenerated and continue to prove natural pest control.  The bottom photo is my basil planted from seeds.  It is one hearty stalk with beautiful vibrant leaves.

HOT PEPPERS

These pepper plants continue to amaze.  All are plants that went dormant in the winter and blossomed again this season.   I'll have to make some fresh salsa soon!

 

CUCUMBER

 

 

Cucumber plant, the sole survivor puts out the first fruit of the season.  The pests look like they are determined to feed off these leaves, but the plant soldiers on.  What a testament to perseverance.

 

STRAWBERRIES

 

 

Strawberries continue to fruit, but I am still convinced that I need to remove this crop because the plants should be on mounded dirt that allows the fruit to hang over the side, rather than wallow in the shade of its leaves.  But, the fruit I do get is sweet.

 

 

 CHIVES

 

 These chives have been with me since the beginning, five years now!

 

TOMATOS

 

 

The orange cherry tomatoes are the sweetest, but the red cherry are vast.

 

 

 These are plum tomatoes used for sauces.  I peel and cook tomatoes with garlic and use with homemade pasta.  What could be better?

 

ARTICHOKE

 

 This artichoke gave use about 8 chokes.  A new volunteer is sprouting beneath these old leaves so I am hopeful that another plant will produce another crop, how unexpected!

 

CORN

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first year of successful corn crop.  Tonight we eat the first four corn cobs picked just now and put into the hot water for cooking.  These were the best sweetest and tender corn every, yummy.

THE PROOF OF A PROSPEROUS HARVEST!

 Tomatoes, arugula, strawberries, chives, hot peppers and lettuce.

 

 Plum tomatoes and shallots, with a side of peppers.

 

I can only sum up by expressing joy and satisfaction with this most excellent summer harvest.