tomato tales

Two years ago our garden did great- mostly due to the fact that my sister created the entire thing for us as we were moving in. Last year was not so great, possibly because of the lack of rain, early heat, and my short attention span for weeding. Either way, it was discouraging and I was determined to do better this year. We tilled the soil, reorganized our planting strategy, and got the sprinkler just in the right spot. And things have been betterish. I still have an extremely bad habit of not weeding or deadheading regularly and lately it has been hot- just like the rest of the country. We have harvested peppers, squash, and cucumbers already but the real joy comes with the first tomatoes. I adore tomatoes, all sizes colors and shapes, so this year we planted five different varieties (I can remember black cherry, juliette, and purple cherokee). So this week when we got back from the beach and saw all of these little beauties ready to be picked my heart was happy. I have been picking them a day or two early and letting them sun on our window sill in order to save them from pesky (yet adorable) wild rabbits. I never got around to putting up a fence around the garden this year (another example of my gardening downfalls) so as soon as the tomatoes get a bit of color the rabbits start to feast. BUT- I kind of don't mind sharing with bunnies. I'm just happy the tomatoes are here.

garden peppers

Our garden has been a big disappointment this year. Maybe I have been a bad gardener, maybe it's been the over the top heat we have had all summer, maybe things just didn't work out. Either way- we haven't been eating fresh garden tomato salads and sauteed squash all summer as I had hoped. But we do have peppers. Lots and lots of mild, medium, and hot peppers. I have no idea what the mister plans on doing with all of these peppers, but they sure are pretty.
I haven't yet given up on the garden- I am trying to give it a little more tlc and hope for a late summer growth spurt- but I am not holding my breath. Oh well, better luck next year.

garden update

Even though I had a great garden last summer, I am still so amazed that all of this incredible food comes from the ground- and that I don't completely kill every single thing I plant. The summer garden is no exception, plants are getting bigger and bigger, starting to ripen and I can tell we are on the verge of a feast around here. So far I have pulled two cucumbers, two okra, and a green bell pepper from the summer crop. Here is what else is going on:Zinnias are popping up in the flower gardens.

The garden continues to grow and grow, you can't even see the crazy cucumber plants taking over the yard from this view.
Tomatoes are starting to ripen, ready to be made into daily sandwiches.
I had no idea okra had such beautiful flowers!
And these little round striped yellow cucumbers (yes, cucumbers) that we planted from seed are just the sweetest things ever.

Hopefully I will be able to share some of our vegetarian feasts very soon!

the garden

I have been really enjoying watching everything sprout up and come to life in our yard. I need to get out and do some good weeding this week, but here are some updates on the garden:

Spinach is ready!
The sage has blossomed.
The swiss chard is making a colorful entrance.
And we even have fresh flora. As Martha would say, it's a good thing.
In the next few weeks we should be able to harvest some radishes, okra, beans, and peas. Oh and the one carrot that decided to grow. The tomato and pepper plants are also in the ground but still a few weeks out. More updates to come.

weekend flora

Saturday was kind of a wash. But most of Sunday was spent in a sunny backyard with hands and feet in the dirt. It is such a rewarding feeling to look around my yard and gardens and see little seedlings popping up and to know soon we will be eating fresh veggies from our garden. My parents and older sister have always been great gardeners and seemed to enjoy it so much that I am happy that this year I, too, have been getting so much out of it. Here is some of what I was surrounded by this weekend.
petunias that went into pots on the porch,

tulips in jar on deck dining table,

sage blooms in the herb garden,

garden mushrooms (from my shop),

and what is left of the seedlings that I didn't kill.

Yes, I can't do seeds. I was scared for my sister to even come over and see the failure of her grow-light project that we started in my studio. Apparently I was supposed to be turning the light on and off, watering, and singing to those seeds every single day. Who knew? We have officially labeled me a seedtard- so from now on I will stick to the plants I can see immediately as I put them into the dirt. More updates on the garden to come as we see more progress.

weekend

This was one of the best weekends at home we've had in a long time. I would post pictures but most of them would just consist of a lot of dirt, some seeds, and beer. We planted some new friends in the herb garden, some zinnia seeds in the flower gardens, and a new potted guy on the deck. We also worked on our bikes and went on an amazing tour de beer around our town with some friends. The bike pictured is not mine, and is from here, but I do have my eye on a couple new ones. I love my vintage Raleigh, though, and it would be hard to switch it up, would it be wrong to have two bikes? I think not!

living on heirloms

I cannot tell you how elated I am that the garden is now here in full force. I am enjoying these cherry and purple cherokee tomatoes with fresh basil almost every lunch and dinner. Along with that we have cucumbers, peppers, squash, eggplant, and a variety of herbs. I also used a few cups of the basil (three different types!) to make a batch of pesto this week. Some fresh and the rest frozen in a heart-shaped ice cube tray, I think it will make many delicious dinners. mmmmmmmm.......