Unexpected Pretties - Fertilizer Friday

I read (and love) Tootsie’s blog but I’ve never participated in  Fertilizer Friday before so I’m the new (albeit old) kid in town.  I am not fortunate enough to live in a sunny house so I have to dig into my photos from last season.

Do you recognize this?

Notice on the lower right that a second bloom is bursting from it’s papery covering.

They were cut from these.Leeks!

I now know why leeks are so expensive.  These were planted in the spring of 2008 and over wintered in the garden into 2009.  I had no idea they would take so long to grow!   Oy....patience is a virtue.

So in addition to the scrumptious Potato Leek Soup that was made, a bouquet was born!  Waste not, want not.

That is my contribution to Fertilizer Friday for this week.  I would love to be contributing something that is “live ‘n kicking” but that is still months away.   Visit Tootsie’s blog where there are sure to be plenty.

P.S.  I am renovating my blog so please bear with me.

Veggies - Keeping Track

Finally a little progress in the garden - not what it should be but c'est la vie.

Zucchini Babies

Purty Pumpkins

I was very pleasantly surprised with these. I pulled my leeks more than a week ago and decided to put the scapes in a vase with water. What a beautiful sight! They make an excellent bouquet and last really long. Very very interesting.


My cauliflower is showing it's first bud. The brassicas sure have to put up with a lot around here. The critters are brutal. Last year was my first year growing any and in absolute frustration over the constant attacks, I yanked most of them. I left a few to see how they would do and surprisingly they recovered quite well.

Although they are under siege again this year, I will be patient and let nature take it's course.

I try to keep organic and that makes it more difficult but I am committed. Go cauliflower!

Time in the Trenches

Yesterday afternoon was spent catching up in the garden and checking out how my experiments were doing.

Les Pois
Peas were one of the NKTB's (aka New Kids on the Block). Must say, love them! The peas that is. My daughters were the ones who loved NKTB. They were pretty much pest-free, grew like the dickens and were very very yummy. I never even bothered to cook them - just pop 'em open and pop 'em in.

Today the last bunch was picked and I learned something new. Young sweet peas really are better. This bunch had gotten pretty big and were not as sweet as the ones picked earlier. (Note to self.) So today was the day to pull those babies. All in all I was very impressed and plan to have peas in the garden always.

Garlic (or as Emeril would say "Gaaah-Lic")
The garlic was planted last fall from kitchen garlic 'cuz the seed store was out of it. It was looking all shabby out in the garden today so out it came. I was happy with the outcome. Rather small but it's hard to be disappointed when you have no expectations. Haven't tasted it yet but it grew.........and that's what matters.

Les Tomates
This years tomatoes are rather obnoxious if you ask me. Just behaving very badly. Growth is all over the place. Some are huge and skinny - some are short and fat. And only a few itsy bitsy tomatoes. June was a bust with relentless rain so I guess I should cut them some slack. I have to remind myself that it is only mid-July and there is still time but I. am. so. damn. IMPATIENT! Hmmmmf.

Spring has Sprung!

Welcome Spring! Finally!

After a rather wicked winter the garden is awakening! Spring bulbs are readying to burst open with color. The unmistakable smell of hyacinth will soon be wafting in the air. I love all Spring flowers but hyacinths......yummy. Tulips won't be far behind! Whew-hew!

Yesterday was a beautiful day - time to kick start the garden!



Cold-Frame
Installed the small cold frame in the veggie bed. This was fashioned out of wood with an old window hinged on top. I must give credit where credit is due because this would never have happened without the help of my neighbor Colin (I am forbidden from using power tools that have the potential to remove my limbs). Thank you Colin.

The first seeds to go in were:

• Cabbage - Earliana
• Cauliflower - Early Snowball
• Spinach - Baby's Leaf
  
• Lettuce - Sweet Salad mix includes Black Seeded Simpson, Green & Red Salad Bowl, Marvel of Four Seasons and Bibb
• Lettuce - Looseleaf Blend includes BSS and G&RSB plus Royal Oak Leaf, Lolla Rosa and Salad Bowl

Feeling a little adventurous I thought I would direct sow in the garden next to the cold-frame to compare the results. I smell an "experiment" . How clever is that! Ha!

While puttering in the garden I observed the leeks that I planted last summer. To my amazement they survived a New England winter and actually seemed quite content - they looked good and smelled even better. Now, about leeks......last summer was the 1st time that I ever grew them, if "grow" is what you want to call it. They were planted as 1" starts last June and by season's end the were rather pathetic looking - perhaps 1/3" in diameter. Contrary to my nature, I did NOT yank them in the Fall but rather I decided to leave them be. Hmmmm.....I am interested to see what happens. If this is the kind of growth schedule that they are on, I guess I now know why they are so expensive in the store.