I'm in the Garden

August 1st

 

July is kind of a funny month. Everything is just working hard to grow. There isn’t a whole lot to do in the garden, except of course keep it watered and tidy.  When we left town last week I set up sprinklers to come on each morning at 6:30. Upon our return I notice that I don’t hurry out to the garden each morning for my watering ritual; therefore I’m not tuned into the grooming and weeding.

The weather has become more stable. Nice warm days; not too hot. The weatherman says it’s our first July since 1993 to not reach 90 degrees. Fine with me. Hopefully warm enough to ripen my tomatoes. Every time I brush past the bushes I am filled with their wonderfully summery scent and the promise of things to come. There are loads of hard green tomatoes and I’ve eaten a few ripe Sungolds.

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beets are coming right along. Fairly healthy looking tops.

 

 

 

I’ve pulled out all of the garlic and have it drying in the shed. I’ve added compost to the garlic bed and will let it sit. I also pulled out the last of the peas and have started a new crop with a bit more structure in place.

 

 

 

 

I am concerned that one of my asparagus plants appears to be female. She is full of hard, pea-sized seeds. I’ve talked to people at three nurseries and they were fairly vague about what to do or if it’s a problem.  It was suggested that I shouldn’t pull her out but I can cut away the seedy fronds before they burst forth in the fall. Any ideas or suggestions???

 

Things to do: Keep weeding

              Pull out onions

              Plant more radishes

              Cross fingers for tomato harvest

Waiting For Summer

I feel a bit like this guy. I’m quite sure he’s looking for summer.  I know the rest of the country is baking in the heat and we are quite comfortable in our 68-75 degree, overcast weather of late, but c’mon, it’s almost August!

 

I planted basil seeds and they’re just now beginning to resemble basil plants.

 

 

 

My beets are looking good from above. Let’s hope they are doing well underground.

 

 

 

 

 

I am quite disappointed at whoever is eating my french breakfast radishes. They were mine and you took a bite out of every single one of them. Now they must be sent to the compost bin. I will try again. If it’s a squirrel perhaps netting will help. If it’s a slug then…yuck!!  Any ideas anyone???

For now I will enjoy my meager harvests. A few berries everyday for cereal, small potatoes for a salad and lettuce that isn’t bolting in the heat (or lack there of).

Neighborhood Nursery

We’re very lucky to have a nursery in our neighborhood. Very very lucky that a few years back when the original family decided to sell, the nations economy actually played a part in its survival. Unusual to hear that I know, but it did. The nursery sits on about an acre of corner property and originally when it was for sale, there was interest from housing developers. I was sick with the idea of seeing a new street plowed through the old nursery so that a dozen or so houses could be thrown together.

As the unfortunate state of our economy took hold, the developers backed away. A very established local nursery was more than happy to purchase the little corner plot and keep nearly everything as it was. They even kept the employees, as they were the ones who knew us, their neighbors. The small green house was spruced up and a few additions were made and now a small nursery still sits among us.

Actually, Portland is home to several neighborhood nurseries. There is another favorite that sits on two vacant lots in Northeast Portland. What better way to instruct the local families on how to grow their own veggies than to have a nursery staff to teach them. There are classes on canning, beekeeping and in the spring no one can resist a visit to see the baby chicks. Portland is a pretty big city, but evidently we love our local nurseries.

Empty Nest

Another empty nest. Baby birds on the move. Baby birds trying to move into the house! Last night my husband called out from downstairs. “Janet, there’s a bird in the house!” I ran down in time to see it scoot into the other room. We found it hiding behind a table, then it fluttered and ran behind the futon. We were on each end and the poor little thing was running back and forth. I was finally able to cup my hands kind of tunnel-like and it ran right into my hands. Whew!! I took it outside and  let it go near the nest. He ran, then flew awkwardly across the yard. Where was somebody with a camera??? Aawk!

We joked that I was keeping such a careful watch on the nest and eggs that I was somehow imprinted on the little bird brains and one came in the house looking for me. I still can’t figure out how it got in. We have a dog door that’s a little loose and sloppy and I guess he hopped or fluttered inside.

I’m worried about them all, but this evening I think I spied the mom giving flying lessons. Lots of bossy chirping and then toddler birds flapping and bouncing from shrub to shrub. Fun to watch.

Weedin' on the Weekend

It was a truly lovely weekend. Saturday morning I went to the Farmers Market and purchased everything for a wonderfully big salad for Saturday night dinner. Lettuce, french breakfast radishes, cucumber, onion, tuna and shrimp. I splurged on a loaf of sourdough garlic cheese bread. Wow! A perfect dinner.

I spent the afternoon and all day Sunday weeding. I finally tackled the asparagus patch which had become quite full of weeds. I think because it is done feeding me this year I wasn’t giving it any attention. All is better now.

 

I lifted most of the garlic but left some in to see if they’ll get a bit bigger. I moved around the yard and filled two big bins with all kinds of nasty weeds. I hoed to break up the soil, then watered well. Everything looks clean and tidy. Even though I put off weeding, it’s quite satisfying. Much like housework; not fun to do but it makes a nice impression when finished.

 

Last night brought rain. I heard it begin around midnight and it is still sprinkling. Actually, it’s needed and is only supposed to be around for a couple of days providing everything with a good cool soaking. By Thursday the sun will return to ripen up a few veggies. I spy a few tiny green tomatoes among the foliage.

 

 

Last night I made chicken pie using my own carrots, tiny new potatoes, onion, and peas. Fun! The tri-color carrots are beautiful as a bunch but I’m not sure I like the anemic looking white ones or the dark purple ones on their own. Perhaps the typical bright orange carrot won out because of its vibrant high summer color.

 

My first planting of radishes (radishi??) will be ready soon as well as the potatoes. Gotta love the underground veggies; it’s like opening a box and not quite knowing what’s inside. You’re hoping for the perfect potato or carrot or radish but until you lift them from the soil you can’t quite be sure you’ll get your wish.

 

 

The Marionberries and Raspberries are coming along nicely. They are still a week or so away from being ready but the bushes are full of possibilities.   

Things to do:

Time to pull out the peas after one last harvest.

Keep adding soil to the potatoes for more harvest.

Tie up tomatoes and trim a bit.

Set timers to water while away next week. (too bad our cool, damp weather didn’t save itself for next week)

Enjoy your week!

If you’re on Facebook, find my page here and “like” it. It includes links from Janet’s House and I’m in the Garden as well as things happening in the community. Thanks for looking!

 

Eating the Harvest-Fresh Pea Pasta

 

This was so fast to make and oh so yummy! These are the very first of my fresh garden peas; quite late this year due to our long, cool spring.

I picked a bunch of pods and shelled about a cup of peas. I boiled water and cooked spaghetti noodles for about 10 minutes. While the noodles were boiling, I steamed the peas in a vegetable steamer for just 5 or 6 minutes.

I then tossed about a tablespoon of sweet butter in a skillet and swirled it around. I added the noodles and stirred them to coat. I added the steamed peas, a little salt, stirred everything with a wooden fork, then slid it all into pasta bowls.

I crumbled a bit of feta, added a bit of lemon zest, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and thoroughly enjoyed my harvest meal. Serves 1-2

                                           Variation on a theme:

 

Leave off the feta and add Prosciutto when tossing the pasta.

You can also add a few slivers of fresh onion and garlic.

               Enjoy!

 

 

Sedum Strategy

July 4th is the day I remember to cut my Autumn Joy Sedum stems in half. It took me several years not only to remember, but to be brave enough to cut a plant down in its prime. By cutting the stems at this time, there is plenty of time for them to grow back stronger and sturdier than before so they’ll support the bulky, heavy head.

Try it this year for yourself.  If your sedum plant is in a spot that you don’t want to clear cut, just cut a few of the outside stems. When those outer ones grow in stronger they’ll help support the inner ones.

In the meantime you can enjoy a beautiful sedum bouquet that will last for a couple of weeks. I strip most of the leaves and cut the stems fairly even for a nice tight display.

Using holidays always helps me remember my planting and fertilizing times. There’s a lot to remember in any garden and of course every year the weather makes adjustments necessary, but a general rule is always helpful.

My basic timetable: Veterans day for planting garlic, President’s Day for fertilizing roses, St. Patrick’s day for potatoes, Mothers day during a warm spring for tomatoes, Memorial Day for general summer crops, and 4th of July for harvesting garlic.

Summer Has Arrived!

July and summer weather have arrived on the same day! With the warm weather I must plan on harvesting my cool weather crops such as the peas, broccoli and cauliflower. Although June was rather cool this year, it ended up being quite dry. Only 0.73 inches of rain reported which is less than half the average. It felt quite dreary and overcast, yet everything continued to grow.

I’m curious about my root vegetables. This is the first year I’ve planted them and I seem to be having pretty good success, despite the cool spring. Perhaps the long daylight hours and relatively warm soil is the key to their happiness.

July will bring the need to water daily. I’ve set sprinklers with timers for the days we are out of town.  I will now stop watering the onions and garlic and let them finish themselves before I harvest them.

Things I enjoyed last month:

 

 

I made jam from my own strawberries.

 

 

 

 

I visited a friends chicken coop

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Mama bird laid more eggs in another fern nest. Just today I peeked in ever so carefully and saw one very tiny newborn! I backed away quietly and felt very guilty for the invasion.

 

          A sweet flock of bushtits were busy in the shrubs near the deck.

 

My lovely cauliflower is purple. Thank goodness for the internet. I typed in  “why is my cauliflower turning purple?'” and up pops my answer. “The white head exposed to light will often turn purple.” It seems I should have wrapped those long leaves around the head and secured them with a clothespin or twine.  I am still learning about those cool weather plants.  More knowledge for next year.

 

  

We finished fencing the other section of the garden and I did a bit of planting in the space in-between. I added a couple of lavenders plants and some Corsican mint groundcover. The blue chair fits right in but I have yet to sit and relax.

Have a lovely holiday weekend!

 

Towards the end of June

I took this picture yesterday when there was a brief display of sunshine. Looking at the weather statistics June is likely to tie the record for the fewest 80-degree days. Disappointing because we all need to see blue skies throughout the spring and summer and we’ve only reached 80 degrees twice this year.

The garden is continuing to look lush with lots of green and the strawberries are prize winning, as far as I’m concerned.

 

 

 

The flowers in my yard, as well as the whole neighborhood are beautiful. The cooler, yet long days keeps them full of color and long lasting. Even though the sun isn’t out, there are loads of colorful blooms. Oregon is truly living up to it’s ‘green’ reputation.

 

 

I’m anxious for the upcoming holiday weekend. The forecast is promising 80 degrees through next Tuesday!  Wow! Almost like summer!

A Productive Weekend

We had another lovely, sunny weekend. Everyone in the neighborhood was out edging, trimming, mowing and weeding and the yards all look more beautiful for the effort.  We even had to take an extra load to the recycling center, as we had no more containers in which to put our trimmings.

I’m concerned for the tomatoes. I’m just not sure there will be enough summer to bring them to their juicy goodness. Usually by now I’d see a few little green orbs, but not this year. Time will tell. I still love the tomatoey smell when I brush past the bush; it’s like a preview of coming attractions.

Both lettuces are growing nicely. I’ve sewn new seed to keep up with our salad needs.

 

 

 

Most of my blueberry shrubs show very few berries. My one big old shrub that I purchased last year (25 years old) is the sparsest of all.  I talked to the woman at the nursery and she said I should add fertilizer in February, just before they set their flowers. Good to know for next year.

 

     

 

Both the marionberry and raspberry bushes are loaded with hard, green fruit. Nothing a little sunshine won’t help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The peas are getting nice and plump.

 

 

 

 

I planted French Breakfast radishes on 6/15 and they’re already up. I’m excited! I’ve never grown radishes before.

 

 

 

Strawberries are awesome! I picked a bunch of them and made freezer jam!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I purchased a fig tree. it’s called ‘Improved Brown Turkey Fig.’  It’s cold hardy and should grow nicely in our climate. It will stay small so I’m thinking I’ll move it into the fenced garden. I’m also thinking I can’t wait to make strawberry/fig jam next year!

 

 

 

 

 

Even the front yard got an edging. it truly was a productive weekend. 

 

The Newest Fence!

The fence around the older raised beds is now complete! It’s great; only about 2 feet tall, but enough to keep the dogs out, while allowing an easy step over to enter.  Adds quite a tidiness to the yard.

 

As previously mentioned, this garden plot was originally quite functional but too open for wild, running pups. The edges were lined with bricks, which we lifted to change the gardens edge.

 

 

           

Bricks were re-laid and           posts were anchored in gravel.

 

 

 

 

        The guys lined up the fence sections and anchored the end to the fence

 

 

 

 

This picture shows where the two gardens are in relation to one another.

 

 

 

                                         Another great project complete!

 

Please visit Janet's House and let me know your thoughts on chicken keeping

First Day of Summer

What a beautiful day!

The peonies are a bit beat down by the recent rains but a bundle of them held up to the blue skies makes me happy!

 

Other Wonderful Things:

 

While attempting to trim out another old fern, mama bird fluttered away leaving her sweet nest unattended.  I was very careful and used the telephoto lens to capture three perfectly blue speckled eggs. I then left her alone and moved on to another area in the yard.

 

 

On the side of the highway, while waiting for a green light I spotted this sign. I looked closely and read:    “Do Not Mow, Nesting Songbirds!”   

                  

 

 

 

I’m so impressed, because as you can see by the long, messy grasses, it has not been mowed!

A Little Bit of Bounty

Thank goodness for cool weather crops. Yesterday was beautiful.  I saved my work in the garden for today and woke up to a light mist, followed by drizzle, and downright rain by noon. My plans for work in the garden dampened (quite literally) by rain.

Big raincoat, waterproof shoes and off to harvest dinner. Stir fry will be nice.

This is the first year I’ve planted cool weather crops and I’m so glad I did. Satisfaction through the grey cloudy days that our May and June have delivered.

Weather outlook: Sunny!

Things to accomplish: Finish low fence around old raised beds, Weed, weed, weed! Fertilize and tie up the asparagus.

As we Oregonians say “Oh well, as soon as the sun comes out we’ll be complaining that it’s too hot.” I don’t know about that.

 

                     Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there!! 

 

Garden Journal

Lots going on in the garden. It’s beginning to warm up and there is a bit of ripening in the works. I ate a strawberry yesterday. Yummmm! The peas are starting to look good enough to eat; in fact I did. The bees are all over the raspberry blossoms.

We are still working on building the low fence around the older raised beds. We picked up the lumber and screws and we’re ready to go. Should be completed by next weekend.

I worked a couple of the beds and planted a tomatillo and poblano pepper, then put a temporary fence around it. I also sowed French Breakfast Radish seeds, carrots and quite a bit of basil. The cauliflower is coming along and looks quite sweet.

I checked with the nursery about the European Rescue Pear that I purchased and they assured me that it is self pollinating.  Good. One thing I read that I found quite interesting was that the blossoms on a pear tree are quite insignificant so it’s important not to plant showy flowers nearby. I guess we want the bees to be satisfied with the pear blossoms and not be tempted by some other lovely.

Anyway, the weather should be okay for a few days, so I must remember to water. The roses are finally blooming. Quite late, but so beautiful!  

A Pear Tree

I purchased a pear tree yesterday.  I’d been wanting one for a couple of years and yesterday I was visiting Cornell Farms Nursery and roamed out back to the fruit trees. I was immediately taken with this one. It’s a bit difficult to see its branches with the green background, but it’s nicely shaped.

I like the way the branches look already and spent time talking with the woman working there to make sure I knew just what to do in order to give this little pear tree a good life.

• She said ‘yes’, I could plant it in a pot.
• In July I should lop about 12-18” off the top to encourage the new limbs to shoot out vertically.
• I should fertilize it in the fall before it goes dormant.
• It can probably live in this pot for 3-4 years.
• We should get pears as early as next year.

The tree is a European Rescue, semi-dwarf and should produce nice big fruit with a reddish tinge. I’m wondering if I need a second tree for pollination purposes. A phone call or another trip to the nursery is planned to find out. Any pear experts out there?? Let me know.

The pot is a good solid, dense concrete that will winter over just fine. I added the stick and tied the trunk to it to make sure it holds tight in the wind. I’ll take good care of it and maybe someday we’ll enjoy pears as lovely as the ones in the picture, from my kitchen.

Busy Weekend

   

I don’t usually like to show “before” pictures without having the “after” pictures to show off the end result for all the hard work.  We accomplished a lot this weekend but we’re not to “after” yet.  Maybe next weekend. We pulled ivy, scrapped grass and took a large load to the yard debris dump. Bricks were laid to help define the edges.

We’ve decided to add a low fence around the original raised beds. Enclosed, this garden will be much more purposeful. As it is, I tend to use the raised beds for onions and garlic. I can’t put something in that needs good, organic, smelly, rich soil or my dogs nostrils begin flaring and the next thing I know they’re out there eating my dirt. One dog will eat just about any berry, tomato or sweet ripe veggie. Soon he’ll have to lust after them from afar.

So, enough dealing with the pups; we’ll put a two foot high fence around the beds. We’ll be able to step over the fence, and luckily our dogs aren’t jumpers so it should work nicely. I’m anxiously awaiting completion.

This garden is to the far left of my larger, enclosed vegetable garden and there’s a lovely little space in-between that I enjoy very much. There is a beautiful Maple tree, a large fern, and lots of mountain bluets (Centaurea montana). I enjoy the blue forget-me-nots (Myosotis alpestris) and grape hyacinth ( Muscari armeniacum) in the spring and just purchased a couple of lavenders to take the blue through the summer.  Follow up photos next week, weather permitting.

 

Things I saw this weekend:

• The baby birds have left the nest (fledged)
• A tiny green frog hopped from leaf to branch
• A bald eagle flying overhead, right here in suburbia. Two crows were flying back and forth around him, cawing and carrying on, almost as if heralding him. They were definitely excited. So was I!

65 Degrees and Sunny!

Going on record today as the first day it was truly necessary to water the garden. Yikes! June 9th!  Although we’ve had a few nice days, they were always surrounded by rainy ones.  It’s been cool for several days, but no rain and today the sun came out!  I actually had to dig around in the shed to find a nozzle for the hose. It always seems like I’m participating in the growing process when I get to water. Otherwise, once I provide the soil and the initial planting it’s all up to Mother Nature. I appreciate being in on the continuing process.

 

I’m still keeping an eye on this one strawberry. Of course there are other strawberries but this one holds the most excitement. it is right at the corner of the raised bed and I see it every time I enter the garden. It ripening slowly, but I think if the weather holds, I will be eating it on Monday or Tuesday. I will treat it as the delicacy that I believe it is.

 

 

 

 

I added quite a bit of soil to hill up the potato plants. That’s a bit of lettuce at the front left.

 

 

I couldn’t resist digging up a few onions to enjoy for lunch. I know they should be left in the ground longer but it’s a beautiful day and I was bound and determined to eat lunch from the garden.

 

I chopped and slivered the onions, added a rainbow chard leaf, cilantro and Italian Parsley from the pot on the front porch…  

 

 

 

…added two beautiful farm fresh eggs from my favorite farmers market stand, and enjoyed a truly delicious lunch!

  

Now it’s out to the front yard to plant a few annuals. With any luck we’ll enjoy a lovely, weekend.  

                                               busy bee!

Garden Notes

Thinning carrots brings a sweet reward.  They are doing quite nicely. After rinsing, I ate them. Yum!

 

 

See that very pale pink strawberry?

C'mon sun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With any luck, we’ll be eating broccoli soon!

 

 

 

 

 I trussed the marion berries up a bit to keep them from becoming ground cover. I need to find out more about their growth patterns to make sure I am treating them well.

 

 

 

 

The peas have lots of blossoms which will turn into peas, weather permitting. I’m afraid if it suddenly gets too warm I’ll lose them. Still, it’s fun to give them a try.

 

Still cloudy and cool after a lovely warm, sunny weekend. Sunday night brought thunder, lightening and loads of rain. Oh well, sun, then rain…grow, grow, grow!

Bush Baby Surprise!

A sweet song sparrow has a nest of babies in the large fern in my garden. I was trimming out the old fronds and about leapt out of my skin when I reached in to separate the fronds and saw three very wide open mouths!  I had noticed mom watching me earlier, but she was totally silent as I dug, pruned, clipped and tidied the garden. It never occurred to me that I’d happen upon babies. We were unaware that we were weeding in her nesting area and luckily didn’t come across the nest until we were almost finished. I apologize to her for taking one more look to take a picture but she was patient with me. I later caught her with a mouthful of something for the babies.  I’ll leave her alone now to tend to their needs.

The Northwest Garden as I like to call it looks much better. I trimmed the fir tree just a bit and found a beautiful Hosta tucked back there. The Vine Maples needed a bit of trimming also, but mostly I just removed lots of weeds and grasses. It’s funny; to get that natural, native look I’ve got to fight Mother Nature by getting rid of all the ‘native’ weeds and grasses.

This garden is to the right of the fenced-in vegetable garden, so I enjoy tucking in edibles such as a couple of strawberry plants, a nice old blueberry bush and two huckleberry bushes. I rarely see any ripe huckleberries, as the birds must get to them before I do. I guess that’s why ‘mother sparrow’ nested so near. I always feel like I’m doing something right when another creature is happy to move in.

June 1, 2011

Last night brought more rain. Everything is very lush and green.  In May I planted potatoes, yes a bit late, but they are already up several inches so I’ll remember to add soil to cover them. The strawberries are full of blossoms and some very green small berries.

I took the ‘walls of water’ off the tomatoes. Actually, the two on the right had collapsed, but after emptying and bracing the plastic I left the empty ‘walls’ around the tomatoes to protect them a bit.  Oddly, the one on the left that was intact looked pretty awful when I removed the ‘wall’.  Too much humidity with all of our rain??

The broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts all look quite grand with large leaves, but still not much in the way of actual veggie heads. I hope the predicted 80 degree weekend coming up won’t cause them to suddenly bolt.

It will be interesting to see our weather change into summer. I must continue to weed throughout the yard. I have several raised beds to the far left of this garden that I need to ready for lettuce and basil.

I stayed true to my plans last month and got all the wood chips delivered and spread. I moved the compost farther back in the open space next to the shed on the right. Great place for a chicken coop if I decided on that. I spent all day Monday cleaning up the edge along the fence. I haven’t yet put a barrier to discourage the grass from trying to get into the garden area.

I’ve found that publicly stating what my plans keeps me quite disciplined and on task. Good idea! For the month of June my tasks will be to weed (always!), not forget the rest of the yard and get the annuals planted.

 

                 Things I saw in May:

More raise beds in front yards. Yay!    

 

 

                   from simple.…

 …..to elegant

 

 

 

A sweet chickadee waiting

for me to move along so he

can get to the bird house on our deck.

 

Lots of people at the Farmers Market, even though it was raining.

 

Here’s a look at my front yard after a very successful weeding afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side note: I’ve started a community page on Facebook here called "In and out of the Garden." It will keep you in touch with both my blogs, this one and Janet's house, as well as things I think you might find of interest in the community. I think it will be fun. Check it out and “like” it. Thanks!!

Wet, Wet, Wet!

Things are growing because we have one nice day, then two rainy days, then maybe another fairly nice day. Leaves are big and full, and the broccoli has the tiniest suggestion of a head down there. The strawberries, raspberries and marionberries all have lots of flowers and perhaps with a few more sunny days we’ll actually see fruit.

 

The carrots are more than fringed. Hopefully the soil hasn’t been packed down by the rain to make stubby little carrots. The herbs all look great.

My biggest fear: We will have more than two nice days in a row and I’ll forget to water!

Nature Walk

 

Just for fun today I took a few of the children from the Montessori Preschool on a nature walk. We took a clipboard, paper, crayons, and a bag and headed to the nearby park. We collected a few pinecones and flowers.

I wanted them to be sure to see the community gardens. There wasn’t much going on; a few beds were planted, but not much growing yet. There were piles of compost ready to share.

We wandered over to the dog park and noticed how the dogs play just like the kids; running, chasing, keeping the ball. One dog was bossy, another was shy. They all got a kick out of the dogs.

We stopped and took notes and drew pictures of what we had seen. Lots of drawings of flowers. There were a lot of little field daisies. We even saw park rangers. So funny, right here in the city.

After we’d decided we’d seen enough and didn’t want to miss out on snack, we headed back.  Simple fun!

                                                                                                                                                        

If you’re interested in vintage quilts, you might enjoy my other blog    http://janetshouse.typepad.com/. I’ve written about my grandmother’s lovely old quilts. It’s a special post.

Favorite Garden Tools

I’ve been thinking about my favorite garden tools; you know, the ones you reach for each time you head to the yard. Also, the ones you feel a little panic if you can’t find them as you flash an accusatory eye towards family members who might not appreciate how important the proper tool for the job is.

My shed is full of tools, but like clothes in a closet, there are just a few that are just right. I probably have 5 trowels but there’s one I reach for every time. This year I’m especially fond of my weeding tools as I have made a determined promise to not use anything other than a hand tool to remove weeds, grasses and other undesirables.

I love my old pruners too. They were the first rather expensive tool I purchase after taking a Master Gardener course 17 years ago. I constantly reach for them to trim back a rose, deadheading, and nipping at the Japanese Maples. All I’ve ever done for them is add a drop of light oil

My old wheelbarrow has logged many miles delivering soils, composts and wood chips to various locations in my yard. It originally belonged to my parents until they moved to a new place with almost no yard. I happily brought it home. It’s dinged up, rusty and occasionally suffers a flat tire but I still have a fondness for it.

This spring I found a tool I’ve had for years but had lost and forgotten about. It’s a compost pick. It’s quite simple, yet clever. As I shove it downward on my compost heap the pointy ends cut right through. As I pull it back out, the pointy ends flare out, bringing the under layers of the compost pile up to the surface. I can stab and pull about 20 times and completely churn up the heap.      

This year one of my absolute favorite tools is my camera. I’m taking lots of pictures; marking progress of plants, documenting weather and reminding myself what I need and want to accomplish. A camera has proved so helpful in helping me keep track of everything. Digital cameras record the date the photo was taken so it’s easier than ever to keep order among my pictures. 

In the olden days of film I still took pictures but there was always confusion after getting the photos back from the store. Storing photographs is so easy these days; just make a folder on the computer and everything is in order. I even take pictures of other peoples yards, gardens, and outdoor structures. You never know where an idea will come from.

As I make plans to tidy my shed and pare down the extras, I now know which tools I’ll be keeping. Ridding the tool shed of all the extras, I’ll be able to quickly find what I need and get right back out in the garden. The right tool for each job, nothing more.

Front Porch Tomatoes

I’ve planted a couple of tomato plants in pots on my front porch this year. It’s not that I’ve run out of room in the back yard, I just want to bring the focus of home vegetable gardening out front. Kind of a shout out to the neighbors that landscaping and gardening don’t just have to be about foundation plants and perennials versus annuals. Pop a vegetable in between your shrubs. Put a tomato on the porch.

Last year I had a pot planted with rainbow chard. It couldn’t have been more beautiful. This year I plan on lots of herbs at my doorstep, as I love the textures, smells and convenience to the kitchen. This one has rainbow chard, cilantro, Italian parsley, chives and arugula.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I planted my favorite, Sungold and another tasty one, Sweet 100. I think it will be such fun to have a little snack on the way in and out of the house. Our kitchen is right inside the front door so these tomatoes will be in every salad we enjoy this summer. Just the smell of the leaves as I transplanted them took my senses to late July. I can’t wait! I’ll keep you posted with pictures.

Weekend update

Lots of hard work hauling chips this weekend brings a tidy garden. Thanks fellas! It was a good Mother’s day.

I still have a pretty sizable pile in my driveway, but it’s been fun to let the neighbors in on the bonanza.  Nothing brings neighbors together like free stuff. I’ve got a bit more space to stash some leftovers, knowing if I give them all away I’ll have regrets.

I need to point out my tomato babies. I purchased them at the farmers market this weekend and planted them in the bit too cool ground. I used my ‘water walls’ to treat them to a little warmth until we see more consistent springtime weather. The poor little Roma on the left was crushed when the water wall collapsed on it. I decided to wait and see; there’s plenty of roots and good soil to bring it into all its delicious glory.

Peas continue to grow. Asparagus has produced a few yummy spears. All the berries are showing their blossoms as we earnestly await their scrumptious fruit. Despite our wet spring, the garden shows complete dedication. Yay nature!!

Opening Day Farmers Market

 
I love the first day of Beaverton's Farmers Market. It was a bit drizzly out but that doesn’t keep people away. It’s uplifting to see everyone in the spirit of buying local, fresh grown, farmed and caught food. Nature has given the Northwest has such an abundance of food. There are farmers, ranchers and fishermen all bringing food to our community.

On our first day at the market we brought home a dozen beautiful farm fresh eggs that we’ll enjoy tomorrow for breakfast. We got a pound of buffalo meat that we had as delicious burgers tonight.

 

We enjoyed strawberries this evening from a local farm and we purchased skirt steaks to enjoy for my birthday dinner next week.

 

Our biggest purchase was three gorgeous hanging baskets for my mothers day present. It’s become our tradition to go early on opening day and take our pick from the beautiful selection.

I look forward to every Saturday throughout the summer and I enjoy the ever evolving harvest of all kinds of foods. How wonderful that our community supports our local growers with such enthusiasm. I’m proud of us!

Free Chips

         

I’m quite excited, as I finally made contact with the tree trimming folks, Asplundh. They’ve been in the neighborhood for several weeks and I’d yet been able to set up getting free wood chips from them. The other day, as I approached, they were not only at their truck chipping, but another truck drove up and a supervisor got out to check their progress. Perfect timing to ask for freebies.

I gave them my name, address, etc. and now will wait for a big (I’ve been warned), big pile of somewhat dirty, random wood chips. It’s the perfect material to inhibit the weed and grass growth between my raised beds.

I am impressed that a company that works on a contract with cities is also working with the public. Most everyone likes free stuff and this is such a win/win situation. Asplundh can dump their refuse in my driveway rather than driving to a dump site and I am able to take advantage of waste and use it as a natural barrier against the weeds.

Hey! I got my delivery!   Now I’ve got my work cut out for me. I think the delivery time is perfect. Mothers Day Weekend. How can any of the family resist helping me?? Next time I’ll show off the garden paths. Stay tuned!

In the Garden on the First of May

Beautiful sunny day! April ended being the third wettest on record. I guess it leaves everything green.  The weeds were abundant.

We altered the bed on the back left. It was two narrow beds and we dismantled it and made one larger one. It will be so much roomier for the tomatoes.  I removed the black plastic from the large center bed and it proved to work well. The leaves were crumbled and I churned the soil with the little tiller and it looks great and ready for planting.

I cleaned up the strawberry bed a couple of weeks ago and they are beginning to blossom. Our funny little apple tree, just to the right of the gate is also blossoming.  The carrots are showing a little fringe. The rhubarb is ready to eat. Sounds like I need to make a crisp.

                                                             

I weeded the paths by hand; no spray!  I’m not quite finished, hopefully the weather will hold and I’ll get out and finish this week. I planted sunflowers across the back fence just for fun.

Plan: Dig a narrow trench on each side of the fence, line the trench with a weed/grass barrier, then with gravel.

Plan: Try to get bark chips from the guys trimming trees in the neighborhood. They say ‘free wood chips’ but I can’t find them near their truck; they’re always up in the trees. The chips would be great for the pathways.

Happy Earth Day!

 
Let's work to make everyday Earth Day.

      Dig in the garden, grow a plant,

                  turn off a light, recycle, reuse, walk,

                           ride a bike, use less power.

Best of all, be happy taking care of your earth and be proud of yourself! 

 

Check out my other blog http://janetshouse.typepad.com/ for a fun Earth Day project Seed Bombs!

 

Mid April

 
We’ve finally got beautiful spring like weather.  Still quite cool though. Our usual average last frost date is April 15^th but this year the weather reports are that we’re likely to go an extra week or two.  There was a pretty good frost on the car windows the last couple of mornings.

I’ve decided my previous question of whether or not my broccoli starts have wintered over has been answered.  They were just going to seed. Sad. Oh well, live and learn.  I used the space to add in a beautiful rainbow chard and a Russian kale.  Also tucked in two mesculan salad mix of lovely greens. 
  
Carrots show no sign of anything. Peas are growing slow and steady. At least they haven rotted in the rain. Asparagus spears are few and far between but I’m excited to see them.

Was at the nursery and saw tomato plants. Oooooh, but no, not yet. They were in their greenhouse area.  Usually wait until at least Mother’s Day, probably later this year.

  

Cool Weather Plantings

 
Went to Cornell Farms Nursery to pick up some cold weather veggies. I love walking into their greenhouse area, warm, moist; you can almost feel things growing in there. I picked up 2 kind of broccoli, Early Green and Belstar. A couple of Snow Crown cauliflower, and a Roodnerf brussel sprout. I couldn't resist a rainbow swiss chard and as long as I was at it I saw a Red Russian Kale. Some of these are almost ornamental, yet you can eat them. How perfect!

I also got some organic compost to work into the raised beds. It's called Natures Organic Gardeners Supreme. I decided to plant the broccoli and cauliflower in the old raised beds outside the fenced area.I worked in the compost and noticed both naughty dogs, running up, noses twitching. How could I not remember their lust of compost. I ended up using the staple gun to attach plastic fencing around the whole bed. I now picture their noses, trying to snort through the small openings to get a whiff. 

The weather has been beautiful for a couple of days but still cold in the mornings; frost warnings have not passed.

I've got to move and realign a couple of the raised beds to accommodate the tomatoes I'll plant next month. Beds are filling up fast. My son says, rather mater of factly, that it won't be long before the whole backyard is a farm. Hmmmm. As long as I've got him on board.

Oh, I planted carrot seeds. I spotted a packet of tricolor 'circus circus' carrots; how could I resist. I still have memories of the beautiful bunches of purple, orange and white carrots I saw at Pikes Market in Seattle a couple of months ago. I vowed to grow them this season, and so I am. 

On a completely separate note, I continue to add other blogs of interest to the sidebar over there on the right. It's such a good way to see what others are doing. As in most things, we all learn from one another; that's part of the fun. Enjoy digging around!

Weekend Update

 
Got quite a bit of weeding done after all. The rain held off til late Saturday on it didn't rain at all on Sunday.

Trying to get those weeds with the little white flowers that are about ready to pop.  Filled the big yard debris container and part of another so I hope I've made some impact.

The brussel sprouts I was so proud of surviving the winter may only be going to seed.  I'm not sure but I'll watch and learn. 

Supposed to rain all week so not much work will get done in the garden.

 

April 1st, No foolin'

 
This is my plan: To take a picture of 'the farm' on the first day of each month, from the same location, starting today. I plan to take the picture more or less as-is. I've thought about doing this for years and probably have done it at times, but snapshots have a way of getting lost. This journal will give me a great reference for future plans.

Notes to self: Very rainy March. Set records for low temperatures and rainfall. Brussel Sprouts were planted last fall and wintered over. I didn't pull them because they didn't look affected by the weather and now I have these little brussels (or I guess little sprouts) growing inside the leaves.

The black plastic is still in place. A couple of weeks ago I pulled it back and tilled the compost in. Hopefully, with a little warmth it will break down and be ready for planting in a month or so.

As of today the asparagus plants show no sign of spears but the woman at the nursery assured me not to worry, everything is a bit late this season because of the crummy weather.

The peas I planted last month are showing themselves. Yay!  
 
Hopefully we won't suddenly get weather that's too warm and spoil these cold weather babies.

The weather is beginning to warm. Yesterday we finally hit 60 degrees!

Rain expected on and off through the weekend. Too bad, I really need to weed.

Portland Farmers Market

What a beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning!  Nothing like the Farmers Market to bring everyone out in the drizzle.

 

    The radishes are worthy of a painting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only in Portland does a spring gathering require hot chocolate to warm our hands while we shop for our farm grown produce. 

 

Garden Plans

This year I want to clean out my shed. I mean really clean it out. It's full of junk like an attic or basement; eager to receive the rejects of life.  One corner holds a tote full of rose fertilizer. I have 2 roses.  Shelves hold different soil and plant fertilizers, all fattened with moisture and a strange white coating. Note to self: ‘Don’t store this stuff in a moist environment.’ When the shed is clean and restocked I plan to repaint the outside. Something in a wildly bright spring green I think.   

I want the shed to be a reflection of the garden, tidy, orderly and full of optimism. I have visions of putting a stool at the counter and spending an afternoon there, writing. Dreamy. Perhaps, but I have lots of dreams for my garden.

Every year I make plans for my garden and I usually do pretty well following through. I learn from one year to the next by writing down my ideas and plans in journals throughout the season so I don't forget anything important. This will be my journal this season. I'll be able to share my thoughts, include pictures and jot down weather. This will be a wonderful reference for me and hopefully will add support to someone else just beginning to grow a vegetable or two.

 

 

One Voice

 
One voice from the garden.  Maybe I can make a difference. One voice to one other person. Wouldn't that be nice. If I can encourage others to plan, plant, nurture, water, harvest.

One voice giving ideas, solving problems, dealing with weather, slugs, dogs, soil.  One voice to help someone else as they dip their toes into the world of backyard farming. To teach, to encourage.

Follow me as I journal my way through my garden this spring and summer. Join me as I try new vegetables, and enjoy sharing recipes for our harvest.