Growing Flavor

Yesterday, Glenn and I with help from Becky planted the majority of the vegetable garden. We decided to cut back on the variety of veggies this year; concentrating on those we really like best.

beginnings of the 2012 potato crop

Earlier, we planted onions, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, radishes and peas.  All are growing well except for the peas.  Oops…cannot forget the new strawberries we planted; they died.  So, the strawberry beds were replanted using container plants this time rather than the bare root stock on the initial planting. 

onions showing promise

spinach and lettuce already being harvested...and eaten- YUM!

So, along with planting the tomatoes (Romas- the only tomato in our minds both for eating fresh and for canning), green peppers, sweet banana peppers (a first for us), summer squash, butternut squash (we think - seeds came out of an recycled envelope which had written ‘butternut squash’ in unfamiliar handwriting - we just might be surprised), second crop of radish; we also planted more sugar peas in the vacant spaces between the meager plants that did begin to grow.  We were totally out of cucumber seed, so will plant cukes just as soon as we buy new seed.  Lastly, the remaining garden space will be planted with sweet corn (our favorite veggie) and a section of the cattle panel fencing will be consigned to pole beans.

Last season, we installed several cattle panels permanently in the garden.  These panels are perfect for the vertical-growing of pole beans and our vine-type veggies.  We also plant our tomatoes in front of these panels and tie the plants to the sturdy fencing as the plants grow.  The panels provide a much sturdier support than tomato cages, and the tomatoes are easier to harvest.  The tomato cages have now been relegated to keeping the mature pepper plants from falling over. 

Today…cucumber and pole bean seed into the ground as well as a few perennials - new ones and old ones that were divided.  Tonight…we are anticipating a good rain as has been forecast. Timing is everything.

Gardening is certainly an art.  One day, we just might figure out all the nuances.  If not, we still enjoy our harvest!