Spring & summer garden delights

I just realized I hadn't made a post since November last year. I have garden pictures to share since then! And of course the occasional dinner or dessert to share...

My goal this Spring was to clean up the old garden. I tried mowing, pruning,  wacking and hacking at weeds... but alas, it is a futile effort. It's not convenient for me to try to clean up the old yard diligently. Ultimately, the weeds won...I really don't have time to have a garden either. 

Although, I did till a small patch at my grandparents. I transplanted about 8 or so butternut squash that I started at the apartment. 

I also planted lettuce, spinach, radish and kale in a grow box. It had wheels it's convenient on the apartment porch. 

At the start of summer, I planted a flower garden and decorated for my grandma. 

The great part about summer is the harvest and food in season. I made several mushroom sandwiches, with some vegan mayo, fried onion and tomato. 

Foods like corn, beans, tomatoes, and squash are in season. They're excellent cooked separately but eaten altogether. 

I also harvested berries from the old garden, and made some kind of weird blackberry pie with biscuit dough and vegan creme on top. 

I also foraged a handful of chanterelle mushrooms on a hike. Theres no need to make them fancifully- I just fry them with light oil and salt. Served with garden beans and wild rice.

Towards the end of summer, I have been making an effort to hike in the woods at least once a week. Hiking has helped exceptionally in making my 'end-of-summer' blues subside a bit. It's making me crave a bit of hiking this fall. I find it safer and much easier to hike in the late fall. The best part of hiking is seeing all the different shroomies along the path. 

Chicken of the woods mushroom growing 
On a timbered log at the nearby state park.

I watched the chicken of the woods mushroom grow and was ready to cut it on the third day, but someone snagged it! 

In the next week, I'm going to assess the old garden for any Pears, peaches, and mulberries. I should be able to harvest pears and mulberries in a few weeks.

This was the size of the pears in June

The pears have likely dropped from rot,
been eaten, or filled the worms, so
 I'm not expecting any peaches!

The garden I started at the apartment didn't do much. I had a few peppers picked, and I may be able to keep a few plants going to keep harvesting peppers but I have too many plants to bring back inside for the fall and winter as it is! 

May spring garden: kale, radish, & lettuce

Sunday, May 7, 2023

Howdy folks! Hope you're all well and getting your garden groove on. I have been extremely late to the garden game this year, but fully intend to spend the next few weeks ramping up by transplanting; and will need to get tomatoes and peppers out, as well as sowing seed of corn, squash and beans in the garden. 

Yesterday, I tranpslanted radish, kale, and lettuce into the garden. I germinated these seeds in March, and planted the germinated seeds in small container pots with a mix I made of perlite, vermiculite, peat poss, coconut coir and garden soil. 

I have kept the germinated seedlings growing outside in a mini-greenhouse so they would already be acclimated to the outside. The plants have doubled their size in the last 2 weeks, so I knew I needed to get them transplanted, especially since the month of May was creeping up.

While I was gardening, I also stopped to snap a few shots at the Iris and tulip flowers growing around the garden.

My cactus plants have steadily been blooming all year, each different one blooming. I have two pink Flowering cacti plants and one that is red and white striped.

I will have more plant and garden updates for you in the next few weeks!

Broccoli harvest & March kale spring broccoli garden

On this Sunday, I was able to harvest some Broccoli and admire the garden and blooming trees. 

This broccoli grew throughout the winter, so it will probably be tough, and it seemed to have been close to flowering; but I haven't ate thr broccoli heads yet.

In the garden, I also have curly kale growing; and my grandpa said the kale leaves were tender as he had been picking and eating some of the leaves. Haha. *But he doesn't eat "rabbit food" he says*

There are so many forsythia bushes and peach trees blooming in my neck of the woods. In the grandparent's yard, various perennials were blooming and this blooming cherry tree and magnolia...

Amongst the broccoli and kale plants, I was able to plant onion bulbs and radish seed. Here are some pictures of the broccoli heads before harvesting...

Sometimes in gardening, you realize you're not getting your "money's worth"--it can quickly become an expensive hobby. And that was the case for these broccoli seedlings... I bought them from a store--and spent lots of time, energy, and money to keep them alive and growing...But in the end, it's worth it for the joy of a sunny spring day to harvest some food...

Mid June Garden Updates

Last Thursday I fixed the tiller, finally! I was able to till the rest of the garden and sow in beans! So I now have three rows of tomatoes, rows of watermelon, cucumbers, corn cushaw and beans and potatoes. In grow bags, I also have cucumbers and buckets of potatoes.

At my home garden, I have potted tomatoes, cantaloupe and squash that the birds managed to leave for me! My radishes, cilantro and arugula have bolted and bloomed delicate white and purple flowers. I am still picking lettuce from the garden as much as possible and making deliveries to people as you can see below.

Lettuce and radishes in a bag

Lettuce in bags ready for delivery 

Also at the home garden, I sowed 40,000 flower seeds in this small area that I tilled in the front yard. The poppies are blooming and some other flowers. It's such a whimsical little spot.

At my apartment, I was sure to have plants growing too. From my compost bin, I pulled up tomato plants and transplanted them to styrofoam cups and filled them with compost soil. I have them sitting outside my door where theres plenty of sun, good air circulation as well.  

Tomatoes growing on the patio

Lilly from the home garden picked 

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