We are growing some new plants this year. I even mustered up the courage to start a few things from seed. It's been very exciting to watch the garden mature these past few weeks.
It was a wet and chilly spring in Cincinnati so we didn't get our garden planted until late May. The late start has only been an issue for our broccoli plants; all six of them quickly bolted when the June temperatures jumped above 80 degrees. I haven't had the heart to yank them out of the garden yet but I am considering what I might be able to put in their place. To the left of the broccoli, our Brussels sprouts seem to be doing fine and surviving despite the onslaught of insects chewing on their leaves.
From seed we started bush beans, peas, and carrots! (Beans pictured above.) I'm extremely encouraged by how well they are all doing, even with the occasional garden invasion of rabbits or squirrels. The beans are much larger than I expected so I'm hoping that they have enough space. We have six bean plants and they all have buds on them.
The pea plants have found their way to our makeshift trellis and starting to climb. I do have a confession to make: when I opened the seed package I was very surprised to find that pea seeds are...peas! I know, I know. Duh! You really learn a lot about your food when you grow it.
(Tim laughed really hard when I told him how surprised I was discovering the peas. I'm glad I can be of some amusement to him!)
We are growing only one lonely tomato. I doubt very many of these little guys will make it to our kitchen--Tim eats them right off the plant.
Because of our limited space (the fence around the perimeter is mostly to keep our dogs out of the garden but also rabbits), we are attempting to grow our cucumbers vertically. This experiment is doing fine so far as the little climbing tendrils are finding their way up our tomato cage. I'm not sure what will happen when the fruit begins to develop. This will definitely be a learning experience.
My potted herbs are growing like weeds for the third year straight. I've harvested huge handfuls of chives, oregano (oh, so much oregano), thyme, and rosemary. I have some sparse parsley, a healthy start to my dill, and my basil just didn't make it. If anyone has ideas on what to do with thyme and oregano, please share them with me. I have these two herbs in overwhelming excess!
And if you are a beginner gardener looking for a way to get started, I suggest going with a few herbs in pots of nutrient rich soil. Rosemary is incredibly hearty and thyme seems to be infallible. You will gain a lot of confidence and work your way up to vegetables. (Fresh herbs also make great hostess gifts!)
Want to read some more gardening blogs? Here are a few blogs I enjoy that post about gardening (and other things):
One Hundred Dollars a Month
Simple Bites
BGGarden.com (an Ohio blogger and gardener!)
Harmonious Homestead (another Ohio blogger and one of my favorites to follow on the web)
How is your garden growing this summer? And do you have any favorite gardening blogs to share with me?
I have lots of oregano also. You can dry it and throw it into your winter pasta sauce, but you'll always have too much.
ReplyDeleteLots of nice garden stuff growing there. We have peas - that are probably almost done. My daughter has been picking them for us. Lots of mulberries and black raspberries that are ripe. Tomatoes and other great stuff.
Oh I'm envious of your berries! When we move to our next house, I'm definitely going to plant berries!
ReplyDeleteGarden is looking good! Thanks for linking to my blog too.
ReplyDeleteGardening is my hobby and I also like to plant some herbs that may used in our daily lives. Thyme, parsley, mint, rosemary and some other herbs are in my backyard garden. I usually used them for my culinary purpose that provide me best flavor with several health benefits.
ReplyDeleteGardening is a form of natural art . this Garden look nice. And i hope this garden need a guidelines for a clean.
ReplyDeleteTexaso
I have lots of oregano also. You can dry it and throw it into your winter pasta sauce, but you'll always have too much. Thanks for sharing the useful information.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a hobby for home gardening, then you must understand the worth of using the organic seeds, as they help preventing the health hazards caused due to use of harmful chemicals used by the professional farmers for enhancing the growth rate of vegetables and fruits. Get in touch with Kim for gaining more knowledge on this subject.
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