Tuesday, September 11, 2012

2012 Garden Tour

East Garden: Early June
The straw is laid down and all supports are in.
Onions are growing in the foreground.
Lettuce is the bright, bushy stuff on the left;
Peas are the tall plants in the background.

East Garden: Mid-June
A couple of weeks later and things are really growing.
I took this picture while a storm was moving in --
thus the pink lighting.

East Garden: Mid-July
Things are way, way up.
Onions will be harvested in a couple of weeks, corn is coming,
and the cabbages are starting to curl inward.

 To think . . .
this delicate little darling becomes
an enormous squash.

 West Garden: Mid-July
The vining plants grow here:
Melons, winter squash, summer squash, pumpkins.
Squeeze gives Truen credit for the idea for this walkway.
Truby was so excited about his "bridge" --
he drew a model of what he wanted, helped Squeeze pick out the planks,
and acted as construction assistant.
All the three of the boys loooooove walking on it.

Our very own grapes --
The birds got the majority of these little beauties.
Better luck next year...?

Mid-July harvesting:
Zucchini, beets, scalloped summer squash, cucumbers

Truen set this up while I was making lunch one afternoon.
Isn't it just darling?
We spent a couple of days protecting it from Jamie and
admiring the color and size differences, until the novelty wore off
and I disassembled it to make room on the table.

It has been flooding tomatoes for the past three weeks --
German Pink, Manyel, Cherokee Purple, Black Plum
(there's a bit of scarlett okra in there as well).
See our beautiful back "steps"?  And that lovely bottom-landing carpet?
Squeeze's dad will be building REAL steps this fall (can't wait).

 Melons, zucchini, & Cinderella pumpkins
from the West Garden --
the boys love the treasure-hunt of picking melons,
Not to mention the succulent, sweet reward.


Diego's vegetable stand --
This is his second year of selling vegetables.
His stand is in the kitchen; doesn't he set it up so beautifully?
While he sells to anyone who visits the house (thanks Mimi!),
his most loyal customers are his Grandmas.
The price?  One "hawk coin" . . . twenty-five cents.

East Garden: September
It looks a bit weedy and upkept by this point.

Cucumbers, corn, onions, and garlic are all done.  Some things are going to seed.  Second seedings of lettuce, radishes, cilantro are looking good, as are the second plantings of green beans and broccoli. 

The first planting of broccoli is putting out, big-time (though the florets are now about the size of your thumb).  Cooking greens are going full bore.  Tomatoes eggplant, okra, and peppers need to be picked every-other-day.

Our little franken-toddler has to be closely monitored these days.  He likes to stomp up to big green tomatoes or little peppers with uber enthusiasm, saying, "Rwwwwiiiiiiiipe!" and then lop them off their vines.  'Tis the season of life and garden.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My little toddler would love to help your little (yet bigger) toddler pick what they determine is ripe. Delphi LOVES picking our cherry tomatoes. She really likes the green ones best. sigh. Aimee

a. borealis said...

Aimee! So fun to know you're out there. I bet Delphi is just the sweetest thing. I should mosey over to FB to take a look-see.

Jamie's other favorite garen activity is to take one bit out of every ripe tomato he can get his hands on. Sheeeeeesh. :)

Emily said...

Beautiful pictures Shawna. And I love the measuring cup pictures that Truen found things to fit in. I often thing about trading lives with you for a week. :)

~Em

mschirber said...

This is A-Mazing!! Seriously!! The garden is so beautiful at every stage, and the photos of the mother-load are, well, amazing!