I had to go back to work at the end of May – after 4 months off for medical leave.
I’ve had few days off – although I have been fortunate enough to be able to work first half-time, and most recently, about 3/4ths of a typical work day.
On an average day I’m at work by 7 am, get home by 1:15 pm – and pretty much crash. Getting over this lengthy illness will take a concerted effort and quite a bit of patience! It’s been pretty frustrating not being able to accomplish the many things that I feel I ought to accomplish.
Over the course of the last week – after a substantial delay due to the very cool, very wet Spring we’ve had – our garden has begun to take some shape.
HOORAY!
Here – let me show you what we’ve got put together so far…
This is the “old” garden. I.e., the original garden plot that’s been here since we moved her 5 years ago.
In the foreground are three rows of squash… they are yellow crookneck (my very favorite in the whole entire world), and Mexican squash – sometimes also seen as grey zucchini. The Mexican squash is a new variety for us – I buy it sometimes at the store, but it’s expensive, and not reliably available. So I decided we oughta grow some!
Next, is a row of dill. I’m relying on it to be wildly successful – I have big pickling plans this year!
There’s a reserved space next (i.e., empty) – right before that trellis. It’s for the trellis that is currently being used for peas. When the peas are done, the trellis will move here, and we’ll get another planting of green beans in. And the trellis that you see here:
On the left side are the old standard – Blue Lake pole beans.
On the right – another fun new option:
In the right growing conditions, these beans can grow up to 36″ long! WOW! The rumor is that they’re fabulous, too. I hope to find out. That would mean, of course, that we NOT the deer get to eat the green beans this year!
To that end, I’ve planted lots of flowers that are supposed to be deer deterrents. Like:
My goal is to edge each plot with plantings that the deer are said to be particularly repulsed by. They include: astilbe, coreopsis, gallardia, chives, lavender, sage (quite a number of varieites), purple coneflower, candy tuft, and bee balm. Here’s hoping it works!
After the green bean trellis are five hills of another new to us planting – Romanesco Zucchini. I think this is the variety of squash that I enjoy so much when I’m in Spain – or at least something very similar to it. I heard so many raves about it – and it was SO difficult to obtain the seed. I’m really hoping for success with this one!
And lastly in the old garden – four or five rows of corn – I can’t remember how many now. We’ll see when it comes up! 🙂
In the “new” garden plot we’ve got…
A potato condo with both Red Pontiacs and White Kennebecs. Here’s to a more successful potato year than last year!
Cucumbers! The trellis on the left has pickling cucumbers. The trellis on the right has slicing cucumbers.
In the foreground you may be able to discern a hill – there are actually 3 (I forgot to get a shot of them!) – one of a variety similar to cantaloupe that we’ve enjoyed in Spain, another an heirloom cantaloupe, and then an heirloom watermelon.
We’ve got forty tomato plants in the ground. A few aren’t looking so great. Gosh – they could sure use a few solid days of genuinely summer weather! They are all – of course – heirloom varieties: Paul Robeson, Copia, TC Jones, Grammy Cantrell German Red, Moon Glow, Dr. Wyches, Grace Lahman’s Pink, Roman Candle, Weeping Charlie Roma, Amish Paste, Isis Candy Cherry, Dr. Carolyn Cherry, and Tess Land Race Currant Cherry.
Separating the two banks of tomato trellises is a row of basil plants. I have some serious pesto plans for those basil plants!
Also in the new garden is my weed-infested patch of cabbages…
As well as my weed-infested patch of peas – which have pea pods on them now!!! Woo Hoo!!!
Aren’t they beautiful?
You may recall this entire plot was completely weed infested – as recently as just a week ago! We decided to just till it all under and start over again – sadly, saying goodbye to the spinach and green onions that had limped along thus far. I need to get out there and weed this little corner – and soon! – but only as energy allows.
Also in this plot are…
Parsley…
Cilantro…
Beets…
…and marigolds.
So far.
We will fill up nearly every spare inch we can.
I still need to get lettuce planted, a new planting of spinach, and a new planting of green onions in, as well. I put those under the trellises – it works out nicely.
John also got two more beds tilled tonight.
The front bed – along the street – will have pumpkins and lots and lots of perennial seeds that I’ve saved up and need to get in the ground!
And a bed where we’ve had great success with green beans in the past, will play host to green beans once again! John will get the trellising up in the next day or two, and then it will get planted. And then immediately thereafter – fenced! One MUST protect the garden from the chickens!
And speaking of chickens…
Buffy and three of the babies… the fourth (the Dominique) is always trailing behind somewhere!
One of the little black sex link chicks. Isn’t she pretty?
And – one of the EIGHT mostly naked chickens I have on my hands right now:
I don’t know if it’s the weather being so cool and yucky that’s caused so many of them to decide to molt all at the same time – or what! But there are feathers EVERYWHERE! Poor things – they look kinda pathetic! At least it’s not as cold as when Crayon molted last year! But has sure put a damper on egg production!
So – while I didn’t get as much done as I’d hoped to on this lovely day off, I’m thankful for every moment I got to spend here at home with the kids and in the garden, and out with the girls. I even threw together a new fun salad, that I’ll post about later this week. I think it’s going to be a keeper!
Oooh! And – Shelly‘s broody again! I think I’m picking up fertile eggs for her to set in the next day or two. More on that as details are available!
Known By Name 