Monday, July 04, 2011

Garden Bounty



Remember the photo above from mid-May?


...and this one with the baby broccoli, Brussels sprouts and leek hairs newly planted?


Here it is today - July 4th, 2011 - the 235th Birthday of the United States.

It's a bit behind the usual Western Washington garden and growing well with our recent warm weather. ...just add water!


Today, I harvested this "bounty" - our first lettuce and scallions.


The lettuce, one leaf from each of three different types of lettuce, went straight into my lunch - pastrami and mustard on Dave's Killer Good Seed bread!


Mega-flavor and crunch!!!



Below are the "shepherd's potatoes", growing in a tower made from old fencing, then lined with mulch quality fleeces, and filled with compost as the potatoes grow.

The tower below, third from the left, holds Carmine potatoes. I'm so tempted to check the bottom layer for new potatoes! It won't be long, they've got flower buds! The broccoli LOVES this weather!

...and so do the Brussels sprouts. They've grown so tall, that they fall over and I've added stakes and big rocks to prop them up! Tiny Brussels sprouts are starting to form - promises, promises!

More promises - the tomatoes are doing better than expected. They have lots of blossoms, and even...


... one little tomato! It's an heirloom variety beefsteak type - Persimmon.The corn is doing average. The rule of thumb is that corn should be "knee high by the Fourth of July". Welllll...



... with a little help the first planting of corn is knee high. The last planting is just emerged. I'm hopeful... the local corn mazes aren't up yet, either.


Beans - looking good! after a shaky start with no help from the moles. grrrrr!




One little zuccini with a big blossom! ... well behind "normal" for this area.




Carrots and Beets coming along. I can't blame the weather for these, they were planted late. Beet thinnings to come!

This goodie is one of four... count 'em... four parsnip plants that came up in 8' of row. At least there's still time to plant more parsnips.

3 comments:

Michelle said...

Your garden is looking good! I haven't been involved much in ours this year; Rick kind of took over so I've let him. But I need to watch the watering more; he's been conscientious on HIS favorites -- which doesn't include the potatoes, beets, carrots, radishes....

Franna said...

Watering is pretty critical. I can hear people laughing... we're supposed to dreary, rainy Western Wa and Or... except for the summer drought. We got a new sprinkler and I haven't calibrated it yet.

Tina T-P said...

Ok, why would you want to grow parsnips? LOL - Ours made it through the winter and if he isn't careful they will go to seed and then he'll have baby parsnips ALL over the place!

Our pumpkins have Exploded this past week - growing almost as fast as those new kitties! T.