The Summer Garden

Things are getting bushy in the garden.  As spring turns to summer, it'll be time to make some decisions about what to plant next.  That patch of lettuce in the center right will be exhausted and that enormous flowering purple sprouting broccoli in the top left will be chopped into compost.  Eventually all the garlic along the right will be ready (July?) and the radishes in front of the broccoli will have bolted.

That may leave just enough room for the tomatoes to grow, or I could fill in with some short perennial flowers.  If the weather stays cool I might be able to grow lettuce under the shade of the tomatoes.  I'm more inclined to maximize my space than to let things be, so I'm sure I'll plant something new!  Maybe something for that trellis in the back...

PS: Last week I was weeding in the garden, perched on my single stepping stone in the middle, and I toppled over and narrowly missed squashing a bunch of plants.  A second stepping stone is on my short list to prevent future disasters.

Heat Wave

We're having our first heat wave of 2013 in the Brunswick Street Community Garden and that means bye-bye for some spring crops. Tonight I'll be checking on everything but I am anticipating bolted lettuce and radishes.

Last week the garden looked amazing. We were coming off a long spring with a good mix of sun, cool temperatures, and weekly heavy rain. I think summer may have arrived this week. Luckily I pulled a big bunch of radishes before the weekend. (I apologize for the bad photo, I'm trying to figure out this issue.)

They were the best harvest of cherry belle radishes I have ever had, I think due in part to the long spring. When I pulled them, I filled in with more seeds but I think the weather is too warm for radishes to grow now. 

As for the lettuce, I had a beautiful patch before the weekend. I plan to harvest a few heads tonight and if the remainder aren't dying of heat stroke, I might consider setting up a shade for them. If I can keep the sun off them for the next two days, I might be able to prevent the lettuce heads from bolting. 

It's hardly a doom and gloom situation though. The tomatoes, hot peppers, and eggplants are loving this warm spell and will probably double in size as a result. I can't wait to see what happens with those this summer. 

Iris Time!

The flowers are in full bloom at New Jersey's Presby Memorial Iris Garden, as you can see!

We haven't been over there yet this year but I put in a request for an After Work Visit one night soon.  I can't wait to see all the crazy varieties they grow.  It's one of those really specialized gardening experiences that is unique in the age of mega this and big box that.  Where else can you go to view iris, and only iris?  Between May 10th and June 5th?  Presby Memorial Iris Garden!

A Chipmunk named Mao Mao

Let the Salads Begin!

Aside from lots and lots of broccoli, other things are growing in the plot. Yesterday I gathered some homegrown additions to our evening's salad: one radish (a test to see if they were big enough) and a bunch of mixed leaf lettuce.

I pulled out another broccoli and the two that remain are making pretty yellow flowers. I'll leave them until something else starts to bloom (won't happen until i plant something else). 

The rest of the garden is filled with iris, columbine, coral bells, and other miscellaneous blooms. It is so lovely to be there this time of year. 

My Plot is Now...

BIG.

Broccoli Broccoli Broccoli

I harvested just over 2 lbs of broccoli last week and turned it into soup. Today I took down two of the five broccoli trees to make way for something else. The weather seems to be getting just warm enough to make it bolt and we're having a hard time keeping up.

The warm weather has also got the iris all blooming. I brought home a bunch of purple stems for this week's bouquet. Soon the yellow variety should pop in the garden. Since they've been moving plots around and disturbing some of the perennials, I'm not sure there are enough this year to bring home.

I did a big plot remodel this morning with Josh's help. I'll post pictures soon!

First Harvest 2013

Last week I went ahead and planted seeds from last year's Pinetree order: carrots, beets, lettuce, radishes, and kale. It's been alternating between beautiful warm spring weather and rain here in Northern New Jersey, so ideal for seeds to take off. And some radishes are already up, as of yesterday.

And, the purple sprouting broccoli has finally lived up to its name. Yesterday I harvested a big bunch of purple florets and leaves and made a tasty broccoli slaw for dinner. It only took a year to get the florets. Now that the plants are huge, I'm expecting several more harvests before they're removed to make way for something else. Hopefully Josh won't grow tired of this broccoli bounty.

While the seeds are just getting started, the garlic I planted last fall is thriving. I'm hoping to have a dozen home grown garlic bulbs by late summer, early fall. It's amazing what can happen in the garden over the winter. Now if I could just get a cold frame I'd really be in business.

New Pony

We put the blue one out to pasture and got ourselves a quick and agile orange girl.

Wall of Lettuce

Kitchen Gardeners International sent this out yesterday. Wouldn't you like a wall of lettuce?