Garden Tour

Well, I promised you a non-Minerva post, so here it is!  As I wait for Lilly to pop (Saturday's her due date), and make a ton of soap (I will share pics), I have been a weeding fool.  The rain has been both a bane and a blessing.  Actually, I don't think it's the rain so much as the lack of warm weather.  We have been pretty firmly stuck at 60ish to 70ish degrees, which some crops like, and others, not so much.  I'm sure summer will show up eventually--and stay.  We did have some warm weather, but that was last month, and it hasn't come back yet.  It will, I know.  But until then, this is where things stand.

The lettuce has been loving the cooler weather and the rain.  The heads are gigantic--bigger than I have had so far.  We have been eating lots and sharing plenty, but there's still lots more out there.

 

This Oakleaf is one of my favorites.  So tender.

 

And this speckley guy is Jester, another beauty with a tender leaf.  Yum!

 

 

The peas are very slowly starting their bloom, so peas should be coming.  Germination this year was really spotty.  Then the wind knocked over the vines and their support.  Nothing I can do can stand them up again without breaking them, so I have to leave them be.  I think that I will be putting in a fall crop of peas this year to make up for the poor germination, but I have very little luck with fall peas, that's the truth.  I will try, though.  Garden peas are a real treat!

 



Another thing enjoying the wet and rain?  The strawberries.  We have had a gigantic crop so far this year.  I have been keeping track of the weights of each harvest I do, but I haven't tallied yet.  I know it's the biggest one so far, though. 

On the unhappy list?  The beans.  The cooler weather slowed down the germination significantly, and some did not germinate at all and had to be replanted.  However, they are starting to gain some ground. 

Also unhappy, with no surprise, are the peppers.  They are pretty much at a standstill, waiting for the warmer weather.  A couple tried to put out some pathetic, tiny little peppers because I think they figured it was all over for them, but I pinched them off.  The plants are WAY too small to make any peppers of significant size.  I don't want the plants to waste their time--or mine--on mini peppers that are no use.

The tomatoes--in the large back garden only--are held back somewhat as well.  That's not true of the front garden, but I'll show you those in a minute.  These are the back garden's tomatoes.  They're growing, but not winning any races.

The crop that doesn't care either way?  Squash.  It's happy to be happy.

The front garden is going gangbusters, for the most part.  I think it's partly due to the lasagna gardening because there's lots of good things under the roots, but also due to the topsoil.  Either way, it's ahead of the back garden by quite a bit.

For example, the tomatoes up here are gigantic compared to the tomatoes in the back.

And the pumpkins have exploded.  I don't think I've ever had pumpkins like this before.  It will be nice if I have pumpkins worth carving and eating this year.  It would be a first!

Also happy?  The collards:

 

And the broccoli (which I'm afraid will bolt before it makes heads, it's taking SO long).

 

But to keep me humble, the corn is still tiny, and the spinach has already bolted.  Can't win them all!

Otherwise, the orchard is looking great, the berries are growing, and the grapes, which are new this year, are leafing out nicely.

So on the whole?  It's looking pretty good.  Now we need some warmer weather, and I think things will just pop.  But the crops are not the only thing growing.  So are these two:

Remember when they were so little? You know, last week??  They grow so fast!

 

And yes, their ears are like airplane wings.  But are they not the cutest littles?  I think they're so good looking.  Of course, I'm not exactly a neutral party. 

Also cute?  These guys. 

Maybe not AS cute, though.

Maybe. 

You be the judge!