This is a fun time in the garden and also a tiring, sweaty time. I’m gathering the last of my Romaine, snow peas, sugar peas, and Swiss chard. I think the onions are getting close to harvest too. And the whole 3 garlic bulbs that survived the volunteer potatoes! And I have planted the tomatoes, summer squash and zucchini, cucumbers, and will plant green beans when I pull up the last 2 Romaine. They are shaded a bit by the other plants but I saw today that they are showing signs of bolting so they come out tomorrow! Sad- I really enjoy the lettuce I grow over store bought lettuce. Same with the peas. I got three snack baggies of sweet peas in the freezer so far, but pulled two sections today and the rest will come out soon. The snow peas are pretty much done and the sweet peas are barely hanging in there but I want to let them mature. No more blossoms though.
The spring flowers are really coming into their own. It is so pretty! The on again, off again “spring” cool weather has done a number on the irises. About a third have already bloomed, but others are just starting to grow their bulbs! Our normal weather pattern is one foray into spring like in February, a few storms, spring for a week or so in March, and then summer starts. Or some variation of that. This year has had atmospheric river storms, 70 degrees weather, more storms, an 80 degree week, followed by highs in the 50s another crazy windy storm with cold nights, and then 60 & 70F weather. But I think we are in summer now. 80s almost every day and it got to 90F today. And still a bit humid but drying out quickly. In other words, those winter plants are fading fast. But the rhododendrons are magnificent!
This summer the garden here is weird for me – we will probably sell before I harvest and I want to show off the garden to prospective buyers. So I am growing food I dislike and have more of in Wilton because they all do like, but they are pretty plants. Tomatoes are pretty on the plant. Summer squash and zucchini are also pretty with their big green leaves. Ok- the green beans and cucumber are for me. I really am working on keeping this garden fungus free (let’s be real – low fungus infection) and am trying some new techniques like vertical growing to see if that helps. Also I am planting a lot more flowers and using diatomaceous earth to knock down the pesticide load. I don’t mind sharing with the bugs, but they do make holy leaves. I’ve read and watched so many different people talking about environmentally friendly small farms and I’m going to try some of these techniques.
So all in all it is a busy time, especially since I only have two or maybe three days a week to work on this garden. But I still love being out there and listening to the birds while I remove the absolute ton of weeds I fell behind on this week. Thank goodness I have friends like Jean who take out and shred trees for me to use as mulch. I do have to say this garden has very nice soil after 5 years of improving it. Until next time-