Garden Friday

Vampires beware!
It's Garden Friday and time is up for the garlic.

Last weekend I was able to harvest the garlic and shallots 

from one of the 4 X 4 raised beds.

The outer leaves had turned brown,

which indicates that its 9-month incubation period was over.

I have to say,

this is the nicest garlic crop I've ever grown.

The heads were huge and firm with roots galore!

I got the starts from Sow True Seed in Asheville,

and I'm very pleased with the results.

Garlic is so easy to grow.
(Here's our post on planting.)

You place the cloves in the hole,

water once in a while (usually rainfall is enough),

and fertilize once or twice during the growing time.

The hardest part is waiting the 9 months to harvest. 
The best of the heads will be saved
for planting this coming fall.

Shallots are pretty much the same,

with a hands-off approach.

The shallots come as bulbs and grow into 

long-stalked beauties and lend a mild onion flavor

to most anything they share a pan with.

I'm fairly impressed with these as well.

In the fall, when they are planted again,

 ample space will be created for them

so that I can get more at harvest time.

I never seem to grow enough!

It worked out well growing them in the two 4 X 4 raised beds.

Now that these have been picked,

I can use the bed for sweet potatoes,

which will be ready  to harvest in time to put in more garlic and shallots.

One of the shallot plants didn't fare so well.

It was one of the plants that I decided to cut off the flower.

I'm not sure if water got into the plant that way or what,

but the shallot was mushy and waterlogged.

Into the compost pile it went.

I think I will leave the flowers intact next go 'round.

These crops need curing,
so they are lying in the garage
where the skin will become papery.
It takes from two to four weeks.
At that time, the stalks can be cut off
and the bounty stored in the house.
No need to buy garlic for a while.
That gives this gardener a feeling of overwhelming satisfaction.

Garden Friday

 Welcome to the first Garden Friday of 2019.
Here's an update on what's been happening (or not)
in the garden.

 Basically, things are one, big, soggy mess.
We do have a few stalwart plants making it through our winter.
Our rain average of 46 inches per year
has been passed by almost 20 additional inches as of the last day of 2018.

 If it were a different time of year,
all that rain would do us a lot of good.
But with cold temperatures,
we're not getting much growth in the veggie garden.
The broccoli is barely hanging on
and the plants may be just too old to produce.
They will be resown in early spring.

The carrots look healthy,
with lots of top growth,
but have produced little in the way of food.

 One thing I have enjoyed is eating the sugar snap leaves.
Winter came upon us so quickly that the crops hadn't yet flowered,
but there are plenty of tender and sweet leaves to forage.

 The tat soil is another crop that I will replant in spring.
This precious little thing tastes good,
but there's not much of it.
I will be sure to make space for this Asian green.

 The garlic and shallots never let me down.
They don't seem to mind the 
wickedest 
of 
weather.

Next year I will be sure to plant a lot more,
as these are two foods that get used a lot.

Shallots are so fun to dig up.
They are like an underground gift.
One thing I forgot to plant this year was leek.
I'm hoping that I will be able to get some in 
around the end of February and still be able to harvest.
I've only grown them in winter,
so I have no idea if this will work.

 The cover crops have enjoyed the consistent rain.
This is our first time growing these in raised rows.
We chose to add these to the veggie garden
so that we could improve our success with spring crops.
The cover crops are aimed at adding nutrients
and fixing nitrogen in the soil
so that food crops end up healthier.

 This is a blend I got from Sow True Seed.
So far, it's been a fairly hands-off  project
after the initial sowing.
Time will tell if it is worth repeating next year.

 One thing is for sure.
Herbs are my new best friends.
Look at this parsley that was planted for the butterflies.
It has weathered the winter so far, unscathed.
I never knew that parsley could be so hardy!

 Although the lavender isn't its usual stunning self,
the fragrance is still potent.

 And rosemary?
Fah-get-about-it!
It is untouched by freeze, frost or snow.
I'm considering creating a rosemary hedge around the veggie garden.
The scent alone would be captivating!



Another surprise is this butterfly bush.
Even though it's no longer blooming,
it is still green!

Whodathunkit?

We still have lots of leaves to rake up.
Just as things start to dry up a bit,
we get hit with more dreary, damp weather. 
I'm still pondering what type of pathway to create
here on the back of the house.
I'm partial to pea gravel or river rock.
Most importantly, we need good drainage,
as this part of the property slopes.

 

We did finally manage to mount a couple of birdhouses.
These are supposed to house bluebirds,
so we'll see what happens in the spring.

Did I say spring?
Right now it seems a long way off!
It looks like we'll have plenty more dreary days
in which to daydream about garden plans.

Garden Friday

Welcome to Soggy Garden Friday.

Bad Boy TS Michael is gone and good riddance.

The only damage I noticed yesterday when going to check on the garden,

was that my sweet potato teepee was a bit mangled.

The winds were gusting all morning and the rain was nonstop.

Thankfully, we were spared any real harm.

Earlier in the week, it was time to say adios to the okra.

I needed to make room for a new crop,

and although they were still producing,

it was time to pull them out.

It's always difficult to remove a crop that's doing so well,

but with limited space, you have to make those calls.

It's October, and the okra would not have done well

with the upcoming cold front moving through our area.

This crop was a real winner.

It's the Bradford Family variety that I got from Sow True Seed.

It had zero pest problems and grew with very little tending.

It will be in my summer garden next year for sure.

okra stem

Last week, I received my order of alliums,

in plenty of time to fill in the spaces of the raised beds

where the okra had been.

October is the perfect month to sow these crops.

Be sure to choose your location wisely,

as they need to stay in place for 9 months before harvest.

The variety chosen this year was a soft-neck type,

which stores much longer than the hard-neck version.

The hard-neck variety does better 

in colder parts of the country.

After breaking apart the large heads of garlic,

the most robust cloves were chosen for planting.

It's not necessary to peel the garlic of its skin,

but it is important to separate the cloves just before planting,

so they don't get too dried out.

The flat end goes in the ground,

about 2 inches down,

with the pointy end facing the sky.

They are spaced about 5 inches apart. 

Cover with soil and then compost or mulch,

and that's it!

Over the next few weeks,

growth will occur and then stop through the harsh winter months.

In spring, garlic will be one of the first things to take off in the garden.

Consistent watering will encourage growth

and fertilizing a couple of times will ensure your healthiest harvest come summer.

The French red shallots were also planted.

For folks who don't like garlic

(I can't imagine!),

shallots are a great alternative,

with a milder flavor and intensity. 

Sow True also carries Dutch Yellow shallots,

but I am trying these as an homage to my late momma.

These bulbs are significantly larger than the garlic,

but the same method is used.

As with garlic, a dozen or more cloves will be produced

from each individual bulb planted.

Unlike garlic, which is completely covered with soil,

shallots prefer to have their tops just barely under the surface.

An added layer of compost or mulch is beneficial for insulation

during the colder months.

If garlic is too potent for you,

 give shallots a try.

They are a very satisfying crop to grow,

even for the beginning gardener.

A few broccoli starts were transplanted
and added to the NE side of the garden.
With all the rain we've had this week,
they should be quite pleased.

With temperatures set to plummet today,
(our morning temps should be in the 50's),
we decided to celebrate the last gifts of summer.
So many gorgeous flowers graced our garden this year,
with more set to be planted in spring.

The change in temperature is a welcome respite,
and we are so happy to greet autumn with open arms!
Do you feel a change in the air?

Garden Friday

It's Garden Friday, once again.
The summer heat is hittin' hard,
with little rain having fallen this week.
We have a few odds-n-ends to share today.

The sweet potato slips patiently waited for their turn

to get into the dirt.

With a minimum of three months needed to fully mature,

we may barely squeak in under the wire for a fall harvest.

We are growing ours in containers,

and you can see by the root system that they were just itchin' to get buried.

Each slip had a healthy number of roots

which were covered with our magic compost mix.

They should be snug as bugs in the warm, moist soil.

With only one deep tub in which to plant,

we decided to start with only a handful.

Next year, when the garden is redesigned,

we hope to make a lot more room for these.

Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious veggies one can eat.

They store well for long periods too, so they are worth the time and energy.

Did you know you can also eat the greens on top?

Just make sure you have an abundance of them before picking them.

They can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach.

Shallots were harvested this past week.

These are a cinch to grow and they can be used in everything

from humble scrambled eggs to the fanciest of dishes.

They are a bit milder than garlic and onions.

What a treat!

Beets have been gathered, as warm temperatures don't sit too well with them.

I am hoping to be able to get another crop in come fall,

so that these can be enjoyed into the winter months.

Our sweet neighbor behind us allowed me

to plant a few things in her mailbox bed.

I'm working on prettying up the neighborhood,

one mailbox planter at a time.

Once these fill out,
they will make a warm welcome for her when she arrives home from work.
We planted agapanthus, white lantana, Gerbera daisies and English thyme.
With rain predicted for later today,
they should get a good dose of just what they need!

What's new in your garden on this fine, summer day?