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| My community garden patch |
I've been watering this garden for two-and-a-half months now, with almost everything planted from little sprouts I bought at the store. We didn't get a very early start on this, since the owners had to wait for the ground to dry out some before putting up the fence (important to keep the interested deer out). We didn't plant until early June, and once we got the ground all cleared out, we had to "amend" the soil, something I knew nothing about until I became a community gardener. My first post about the garden is
here. Let's go take a closeup of the garden and see what's there.
I've got several cabbages like these. I don't really know when you are supposed to harvest them, but they keep growing so I keep talking to them. Will it say "pick me now!" one of these days? I had to squirt them with soapy water early on to kill the aphids, and some of the cabbage plants didn't recover. But some did, and they sure do make me happy to see them growing so well.
Right in the middle of my little plot is a tomato plant. I chose one that is a kind of cherry tomato that ripens early, and it's grown by leaps and bounds; I keep stringing it up to keep it off the ground. You might have to enlarge this picture to actually see all the tomatoes on there. (There are lots!) Every time I see one has turned orange, I eat it, which is why you don't see any ripe ones at the moment. They are so sweet and delicious.
The delicata squash plant is not only very healthy, it is almost scary in the amazing way it's grown. Every time I go out there to see how things are going (that would be every evening when I water), the tendrils have extended another several inches. In a day! And underneath all those leaves are beautiful squash plants growing merrily along. These will eventually become striped.
I also planted these baby zucchinis that are edible when they are as little as a few inches long. I've been harvesting them when they are about the length of my hand, but today I saw that I had missed one, which had grown enormous! It was hiding underneath the leaves and when I pulled this humongous zucchini off the plant today, I thought it looked as big as a watermelon. I had to take a picture so you can be suitably impressed:
And I SWEAR it wasn't there yesterday! Okay, I must have missed it from the day before. Wow! Am I glad I listened to my blogging friends and only planted ONE zucchini plant.
:-)
Some people use the larger zucchini for seeds. Just a thought. Your garden is wonderful. They're such fun to watch grow. You sure have a passel of tomatoes there. Yummy.
ReplyDeleteYou've become a gardener in one season. Yes you did plant very late. You must have chosen stuff that matures early. Well done.
ReplyDeleteYou really have done a great job with your first-ever vegetable garden. This would have been a good year for tomatoes here because of all the heat, but I never got them in. Next year!
ReplyDeleteholy cow that is a big squash...nice on the garden...i dunno when to pick the cabbage you may want to google it, would hate to see it turn a corner...
ReplyDeletereally great that you're getting good stuff from your first attempt at gardening. you'll want to get those cabbages before the heads split, but they can get quite big!
ReplyDeleteDJan, you kept us waiting so long I was beginning to think that the aphids had won the battle. But, these pictures were definitely worth the wait. I am very impressed with your crop and think you might have a "state fair" winner with that zucchini. BTW, that cabbage looks ready to me.
ReplyDeleteZuchinni are sneaky like that. We try and harvest them early and then discover a GIANT which has hidden from us. Or grown like Jack and the Bean Stalk overnight. Aren't homegrown tomatoes are joy? And I agree with Suzanne and Malcolm, that cabbage looks like it is saying pick me, pick me. Lovely post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou feel as if you're experiencing miracles every day, don't you? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI harvested about a million tomatoes (grape tomatoes) this morning. So delicious! Not much else is producing anything to speak of, so I'm a little envious of your yield!
Your garden is truly amazing. Wonderful encouragement for a first time gardener. I suspect you'll be out there doing this again next year and much wiser for this year's experience.
ReplyDeleteI love being here...and my goodness how your garden has grown! It's grown by leaps and bounds, and it is sooo exciting to me to see your harvest(s). I hope that you have enjoyed your garden so much that you are 'hooked' and won't be able to resist planting a garden each year. Much fun, Jan...much fun! Thank you for sharing these photos with us.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
J.
Oh wow.. you're doing so well with that garden. I suspect there's going to be some zucchini bread in your near future.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could grow a cabbage like yours!
ReplyDeleteOne zucchini plant! One zucchini plant! And remember to look under the leaves.
That is why we in Minnesota lock our car doors in August..zucchini! Your garden adventure has been a success! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun learning experience you are having with your garden!
ReplyDeleteGiant zucchini = zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini cake, zucchini fritters or casserole. Or... you can admire it and then just toss it on the compost heap.
I clicked and yes, I saw lots of tomatoes. Your garden is wonderful and does you much credit. I think you are now well and truly hooked!
ReplyDeleteTruly an august garden. In August. Delightful.
ReplyDeleteWOW, sure is neat to see that large zucchini - lots of eating there. The cabbage -Harvest when the head forms and they are firm to the touch. Leave the wide, outer leaves and just cut the head. Cabbages can be stored for months in a root cellar where the temperature is between 45 degrees F. and freezing. Your cabbage looks great. The tomatoes - lovely and plain to see you have been eating them. he,he
ReplyDeleteGreen tomatoes will last for months between layers of newspaper in your basement or cold room and will ripen slowly when introduced to light on window sill - anyway, that's what my folks used to do n me too.
Nice to see the abundance of growth n colour in your garden DJan - you are a gardener now Kiddo - welcome to the club :)
Great pics! I love the idea of a community garden. The churches around here both started one about a year ago and I've been tempted to join. Now you've tempted me further with your blog and pictures.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me chuckle, especially that bit about the humongous zucchini! The ones in the supermarket here in Hawaii are so tiny in comparison. How does Smart Guy prepare all of these veggies for dinner? Do you eat them raw in salads or do you cook them with your favorite herbs?
ReplyDeleteI can hear the awe and excitement in your voice as you talk about your garden. Ok, I know I can't hear you, but I can "hear" you through the way you write about all your new discoveries with your garden. All I can say is, Congratulations on a job well done!
ReplyDeleteI wish I would have planted more this spring. I thought we'd have this house sold by now, so I only planted two tomato plants. One is a cherry tomato, and like yours, it is producing a lot of little tomatoes that I eat from the vine as soon as they ripen. I love them.
I don't know when to harvest cabbage, but I think it is later in the fall, but who knows. Google it, or look on the extension site for your state ag university. I remember our neighbor grew them when we were kids, and we would steal them from the garden and eat them as we played kick the can at night. We were bad children. Those cabbages tasted so good though.
This sucker looks like something from Findhorn! It may feed multitudes!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh gorgeous veggies. I buy mine from the old farmer down the street who leaves his in bags (2.50 each) on a card table in front of his house with an old yankee candle jar to leave the money in...Have to knock on the door to get fresh egg from the frig ! Love the fresh vegs.
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Very impressive DJan. Looks to me like your embarked on a very successful gardening career.... and you can't be fresh and home grown!
ReplyDeleteI was reminded of your garden yesterday as we strolled through Longwood Gardens veggie garden displays. Their sunflowers are incredible and the hot peppers gave me new ideas for keeping away deer. We wondered if they would react to hot peppers.
ReplyDeleteI've discovered that a yellow tomato is my favorite breed this year. Sweet and tart. Yum. Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteDear DJan, your garden is rewarding all the effort you've put in this summer to learn about gardening, what to plant, how to care for it, when to water, and so on and so forth into next summer and the summers following. This gardening business is a true avocation!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those wonderful photographs with us of cabbages and squash, cherry tomatoes and zucchini. I clicked on the tomato photo and you do, indeed, have lots and lots of cherry tomatoes to pop into your mouth when they are ripe! Peace.
Dear DJan, after commenting on your posting, I went to another blog and discovered a quotation that so fit you and your garden.
ReplyDeleteHere's the blog:
http://sallysbloggingspot.blogspot.com
Perhaps you already read Sally. If not, her posting on retirement will be right down your alley of interest! Peace.
Dear DJan, well, I got to the end of Sally's posting on retirement/gardening and read the comments and there was one from you! So you'd already read the posting that reminded me of you. Life is such a surprising treat isn't it? Peace.
ReplyDeleteGood grief! That is the biggest zucchini I've ever seen. I am so impressed with your garden. Ours is not doing well over here. Lucky you!!!
ReplyDeleteI would like to get my hands on some of your zucchini. My friend makes zucchini relish and I am going to make some next time I get zucchini, which I hope is this Thursday when Farmers Market is here. You seem to be good, not excellent, at whatever you choose to undertake.
ReplyDeleteThat zucchini is huge! You must have some very rich soil. Awesome...
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness...I can still picture your post from weeks past and how it was just a barren plot of land....look at this now!!!! Amazing.
ReplyDeleteNo, outstanding!!!!
I spent a long time looking at your post on wildflowers and waterfalls – I biggified each picture and they look stunning – such an extraordinary landscape you have so close to your home! Your garden has grown so well – so many tomatoes! Once my husband planted some tomato plants in our shady yard- I think that out of the 6 plants he harvested 3 tomatoes! The zucchini looks like the kind to use as in a “stuffed zucchini” recipe as it is so large.
ReplyDeleteHow absotuly wonderful your garden has become. You sound so happy to see the fruits of this new passion and I ove hearing about it. I bet things taste better too!
ReplyDeleteZucchinis are experts at hiding and they grow so fast. When I lived down in GA a friend of mine planted a whole row of them. She was giving them away to everyone she knew and a few strangers too.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking great, all that work has paid off.
Oh, wow! I was waiting to see garden photos and it is doing great! Awesome!! And just think--you'll be able to get an earlier start next spring. ;)
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