Hands Back In The Dirt!
I have been terribly busy the past two months, between work and all the pr events, menu changes and trying to stay on top of spring housework I have had very little time or energy to blog. I did however take pictures! Above is my garden as I left it last year, pretty straight forward its a plot of dirt. I battled with all the weeds, some wet areas, some dry spots and re designed the garden this year. I have been working the soil for 5 years now, lots of compost, lime to break up the clay, peat moss to lightnen the soil in certain areas etc.
This is after I did the work, 4 raised beds, 3 rows and an irrigation system for each section of the the garden. I installed a weed block fabric and mulch, easily enough to move away to tend to each row in the fall/spring when turning in compost etc.
2 of the beds are for strawberries, currently since I transplanted into the new beds i have froast blankets on them and I installed the bird netting over the new row hoops so I can actually enjoy some berries this year!
This is my root crop bed, currently also under frost blanket, completely planted and doing amazing! I have garlic, green onions, red onions, vidallia onions, red radish, french breakfast radish, a mixed bag of carrots, red, yello and chiogga beets. Im excited because in the fall I will top this box with a cold frame and keep my garden going!
My new pride and joy, the irrigation system! Every row, or box has its own control. Perfect watering only to the plants that need it.
My vegetable seedlings growing outside on a warm day, soon they will be in the ground!
Herb Harvest
This weekend I harvested a bunch of herbs from the garden and processed them for later use. Right now I have this beautiful sage tied in bunches and hanging in protective bags while it dries, this is going to make some really tasty stuffing on thanksgiving!
I let one area of my cilantro go to seed; this is also hanging in protective bags drying out so I can collect the coriander seeds. The flavor of the fresh seed is so sweet, pure and the aroma lingers in your mouth.
I have so much mint its silly. Trust me I have done everything I can to go through it one mojito at a time, but I’ve been losing the battle. I spent close to 3 hours picking mint leaves while sitting on the deck; it was a gorgeous day outside. I then had to wash, spin dry and process into simple syrup. Now I have mint leaves at their peak packed in syrup for mojitos or to glaze some roasted game meats, even for a simple dessert sauce.
Fresh German Chamomile
Today I need to clip this beautiful German chamomile from my garden and start to dry it for my first batch of tea for the year. Many nights I chop up the fresh plant and make a beautiful tea, mostly I harvest a few times a season and dry it completely for later use.
Original Carrot Top
It’s great to see my garden finally growing; all of this cool wet weather has really slowed things down. Today is absolutely beautiful and I will be outside planting more seeds, more flowers and tending to the garden. My vegetable garden is 20 feet wide by 32 feet long, I compost all vegetable scraps, lawn clippings, ash from the fire pit as well as leaves etc. throughout the year. This is year 4 of the garden and the soil is finally getting there, the compost really enriches the soil and the lime has helped break down so much of the clay that it’s a lighter well drained soil. Previously my home was an apple orchard, different soil needs to grow trees, but like anything it takes time to perfect. I have herbs planted around my deck and patio and my fruit crops and lettuces are by the garage. My buddy Rod Markus from pasture to plate hooked me up with some amazing seaweed based fertilizer, the plants love this and immediately grow like crazy.
Here is a rundown of what’s in the garden this year:
Vidalia onions, green onions, French breakfast radishes, red radishes, Thumbelina carrots, dragon carrots, red & gold & candy striped beets, swiss chard, arugula, green zucchini, pickling cucumbers, sweet market more cucumbers, straight 8 cucumbers, watermelon, Thai peppers, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, pole beans, shelling peas, corn, Brandywine tomatoes, green zebra tomatoes, san marzano tomatoes, golden cherry tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, spearmint, thyme, chives, German garlic, German chamomile, oregano, rosemary, sweet basil, cilantro, sage, lavender and strawberries.
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