Knocking on wood

The garden is doing so well. I have to pinch myself. And, I have to show it off. Just what you wanted, aye? More garden pictures. Well, I could show you pictures of my scruffy goats or my bare-backed chickens, or my messy house or my overgrown yard. But I'd rather give you the impression that we live on a lovely, organized homestead. So garden pics it is.


The tomatoes are planted! All of my basement-started tomatoes succumed yet again to the Verticillium wilt (at least I think that's what it was). So I ditched all of them and bought a bunch from a gardener friend of mine. She kept handing them to me, telling me what they were, but none of the pots had labels. So, I really don't remember what I ended up with. It'll be a surprise! Twenty-five tomato plants should give me plenty for canning this summer.


The potatoes are doing very well. Hubby weeded them and mulched them yesterday. I can't tell you how much I have appreciated his help in the garden this spring. He also dug the holes for the tomatoes above, and mulched those as well. Boy, when my kids are old enough to help out (really help, not just sorta help) in the garden, I'm just gonna sit back in a chair, sip lemonade and watch while everyone else does all the work. Ha!


My brittle wax beans have sprouted. I've got three 20' double rows of these beauties.


My zucchini have survived their transplant, as have the cantaloupe. Six zucchini and four cantaloupe. I've never grown cantaloupe before, and to be honest I don't have the highest hopes for it in my clay soils. Graham chose the seed packet from the store, and he loves melon so much that I thought we'd give it a go. If anyone has any words of wisdom for growing melons, feel free to share. For Graham's sake I hope it does well.


Carrots have been thinned and are about 4" tall now. These are chantenany carrots. I'm going to try to do a second seeding in early July, after my snap peas and lettuces have puttered out. I've never done succession planted before. We'll see if that actually happens.


Beets! Chioggia beets, for pickling. My sister loves pickled beets. I try to remember to give her a jar whenever I visit her home.


Dill and lettuce. Looking so lovely. Another week and we will be eating salads like there is no tomorrow.


Some of our spinach (Bloomsdale) and swiss chard (Rainbow). We had some leaves from these in our salad at supper this evening.


Last but not least, the garlic patch, growing strong. Also growing, but not pictured: onions, sunflowers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, rutabagas, peppers and a smattering of flowers. And weeds. But the weeds are under control. For now. Knock on wood.

And, in case you were wondering, I decided against using the plastic mulch. I tried to put it down on my zucchini bed, but it was just so unwieldy and it didn't sit well on my bumpy clay ground. Straw is much easier, plus I don't have to pull it all up in the fall.

My husband mentioned the other day about building me a few raised beds for my birthday this year. I restrained myself from doing a happy dance right then and there. Instead, I very calmly replied, 'that would be a wonderful gift.' Don't want to show too much enthusiasm and scare him off the idea, you know.