Beets, Baby Cukes, Swiss Chard Yum

Lemon Cucumber plants are flowering and covered with tiny cucumbers. Pickles, anyone?

The beets are doing fine and providing a mild supplement to the spicy mesclun mix salad greens.

The Swiss Chard is enjoying the rain and sunshine. I've got ten or so plants growing in succession (happened naturally somehow) for some excellent side dish portions.

The plot is in fine health despite the overwhelming numbers of woodlice (pill bugs) rolling about. In researching the problem, I've discovered that they are crustaceans, not insects, and they thrive in damp conditions. I'm hoping they'll be content to munch on my bolting radishes and leave the rest alone.

My Garden, It Grows!

May 6, 2011

May 12, 2011

May 27, 2011

June 9, 2011

June 15, 2011

So far I've been very remiss in posting updates. It was a slow start to the gardening season with the rainy, cold spring and it wasn't until the most recent heat wave that things really took off. We've eaten the wintered over escarole, lots of mesclun salads, plenty of tiny radishes, tasty fresh peas, and even a few little carrots. I'm holding off on the chard until it gets a little bigger, and I haven't dipped into the beet greens yet. My heirloom cucumber plants and heirloom tomato plant are doing well (thanks sis) and I've got burgundy bean plants flowering.

Blue for Blue

We've been consumed by Cat Drama these past few days so I thought I'd post about something completely unrelated and stress-free: cars. We traded the Grabber Blue in the back for the one in the front. It's new, even faster (although it's hard to tell where we live), and gets better gas mileage. AND it's still Grabber Blue!

Just to keep everyone updated, we are still looking for a loving home for our little Cha Cha. Please keep your ears open for anyone looking for a new fuzzy best friend.

Flowers

In the garden, springtime's progress can be measured by what is in bloom.

Last Week in the Garden...

What a change from last year! We've had a very chilly spring and the seeds are only just beginning to sprout. The radishes are up and looking healthy. I've never had much luck with them as we've always had an abrupt end to the cool weather around here. One day it's 55 and the next day it's 80. This year could be different. Spring is taking her time.

You can already see the variety of greens in the mesclun mix. I'm surprised they all germinated at the same rate but I guess the maturation times will vary.


The escarole is still with us. I'm not sure I'll need it as I planted a bitter/spicy mesclun mix instead of leaf lettuce. If it takes off I may use it as a sauteed side dish.

A garden neighbor planted lovely tulips last fall around her plot.


I didn't make it to the plot this week but am planning a trip on Friday morning to check in on things. I've been letting Mother Nature take care of the watering and sunning and she's been doing a great job this week. We've had a good mix of wet and mild weather. I'm expecting to see good progress with the plants.

New Border, Stinky Kitty

I forgot to mention the half row of English Peas that I planted last Thursday under the trellis. Today I added some sprouted garlic that I had in my kitchen. Although my original 2011 garden plan called for onion sets, I never got around to buying them so garlic will have to do.

Miss Cha Cha crammed herself into a 12 pack box a while back and looked positively pleased with herself.

Sometimes she spends hours contemplating what it means to be so fuzzy and to have such a big pink nose.

Other times she explores her relationship with her environment: What does it mean to be "in"?

Sowing the Seeds

The gardening has begun. Last Thursday I spent most of the afternoon rebuilding my plot walls, adding a little sprinkling of compost, and turning the dirt. After consulting my 2011 plot plan (drawn up way back in January when the first seed catalogs came in and my dreams were a little bigger) and editing it based on the seed selection available to me at the local Shoprite, I got to sowing. Thus far we have: Mesclun "Spicy Mix" Radish "Cherry Belle" Carrot "Nantes Half Long" Beet "Detroit Dark Red" Swiss Chard "Fordhook Giant" I tried to rotate my crops and I adjusted my rows this year to accommodate more carrots and fewer beets. After several years of meager radish crops with fancier varieties, I stuck with the old standby "Cherry Belle". I also opted for Mesclun instead of lettuce this year hoping to get a little radicchio and frisee out of the mix. I'll try to remember my camera next time so you can see my fancy plot walls. Also: I had one head of Escarole survive the winter and my oregano is springing back to life.

Spring

After an action packed weekend with sunshine and pleasant weather and back-to-back activities totally unrelated to gardening, I find myself behind on this year's gardening season. Last year the lettuce and radishes were sown by this point. I haven't even restrung the trellis or pulled out 2010's pepper and tomato carcases. My soil has not been amended. My seed order was never placed.

As many of you know, I'm hoping that my gardening situation will improve this year. We've been contemplating a small move (same general locale) to an apartment or house with a little outdoor space. The possibility of uprooting ourselves mid-season has been a little detrimental to the gardening plans. I have renewed my plot membership and I have drawn up a planting scheme but I have not begun.

While all this sorts itself out, I'll be watching episodes of The Horticultural Channel and Victory Garden and dreaming about my own personal green acres.

Marshmallow World in Jersey City

Snowstorm 05: January 26-27, 2011

Every horizontal surface received a healthy coating of the white stuff.

The old snow was forgotten under the clean, white blanket.

The backyard got a similar treatment.

Erie Street became a thoroughfare for pedestrians toting shovels.

16" of snow transforms a Mustang into SUV proportions.

Car, sidewalk, parking spot, and street all compete for snow removal.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from picturesque New Jersey!

(Actually, this was in Pennsylvania. Figures.)