Tip Of The Iceberg

Here's just a fraction of the cucumbers growing from my three plants. They're Mideast Prolific cukes from Seeds of Change, and despite the 90-degree weather we've been having lately, they're surprisingly sweet. Guess who's making cucumber salad for tonight's supper side dish?

This is the first batch of beans harvested. They're destined for my daughter's tummy tonight.

The zinnias are the second batch I've cut from my thriving flower patch. The first lasted nearly two weeks before wilting. That's with just plain water for nourishment. Sure can't say that about store-bought flowers. The sunflowers are from Seed Savers Exchange's Sunflower Mixture.

We've enjoyed only a few ripe tomatoes but bunches will be ready soon. Sweet corn and bell peppers are close behind.

A Walk In The July Garden

Photos taken July 16.

Learning to live with weeds.

The carrot and cilantro patch. Hmmm, looks a lot like last month's photo, doesn't it? Absolutely nothing germinated. Ugh. Must not have kept the seedbed wet enough. I tried carrots last year, too, but they didn't germinate. Anyone have tips on carrot-growing?

My three surviving, and now flourishing, cucumber plants.

Tomatoes and peppers. More tomatoes in the background. Two transplanted raised beds on the left. Cory brought them over from their previous home in our cabin's yard. Soon I'll start building soil in them for next year.

More tomatoes, plus a pepper stuck in there, and a few calendulas.

Beans and nasturtium. I lost several bean plants to bunnies.

My beans in need of taller a taller trellis. Next year I plan to build bean teepees, which should bring as much joy to our little one (who will be two years old by then) as they will to me.

The nasturtium win the Prettiest Leaf contest in my garden. I love their shape and color.

In the middle of about 25 sweet corn stalks.

More losses to bunnies here in the sunflower patch. The remaining plants are thriving. When I caught one rabbit mid-munch, I dug out the old chicken wire for a crude fence around this spot. Cory then set to work building me a more structured anti-rabbit device, which is still in process and soon will protect the entire garden.

Cory's experimenting with branches for a gateway to the garden.

Zinnias about to bloom!

I had to include a shot of this lovely spot, the public boat dock, just down from our driveway.

Garden State

Long overdue update on the garden. I got a late start but should still get a decent yield. Photos taken June 16.

I dug out the paths and added the extra dirt to the beds to raise them a bit. The straw for the paths insulated the outside of the north wall of our basement over the winter. We got the straw bales from neighbor, organic farmer, and sustainable agriculture activist Charlie Johnson.

Left: carrots and cilantro planted
Right: cucumbers

Cukes sprouting.

Tomatoes, paste tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers

More tomatoes and peppers, plus calendula planted on the right.

Beans and nasturtium


Experimenting with growing beans and nasturtium together.

Sweet corn. Note for next year: Organic Gardening tells me I should have planted it in a square, rather than in rows for best pollination.


Sunflowers


Sunflower up close.


Raised beds.
Front: spinach and lettuce planted too late (will replant in fall) and overgrown with weeds.
Middle: tomatoes and chives.
Back: zinnias sprouting.


The nifty bin made by Cory out of pallets stores grass clippings and leaves for composting and mulching. The bags on the left are full of leaves that spent last winter insulating the ground around the water pipes going into our cabin. They'll get used for mulch on the garden or put into the compost pile.


Compost bin where all of our veggie scraps go. I asked Cory to make this for my birthday one year. Yep, that's how much of a nerd I am. I asked for a compost bin for my birthday. And would you believe I didn't want a diamond engagement ring? Ah, but that's another post for another time.

Seeds

Yesterday I ordered the seeds for this year’s garden. Here’s what I’m getting.

From Seeds of Change:

• Black Seeded Blue Lake Pole Bean
• Kurota Chantenay Carrot
• Stowell’s Sweet Corn
• Mideast Prolific Cucumber
• Butterhead Buttercrunch Lettuce
• Butterhead Four Seasons Lettuce
• Looseleaf Thai Green Lettuce
• Jericho Romaine Lettuce
• Cal Wonder Bell Sweet Pepper
• Ed’s Red Shallot
• Chadwick Cherry Tomato
• San Marzano Paste Tomato
• Costaluto Genovese Slicing Tomato
• Genovese Sweet Basil
• Slow Bolt Cilantro
• Greek Oregano
• Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
• Garden Sage
  

From Seed Savers Exchange:

• Blue Solaize Leek
• Yellow of Parma Onion
• America Spinach
• Calendula Mixture
• Sunspots Morning Glory
• Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory
• Starfire Signet Marigold
• Golden Emperor Nasturtium
• Johnny Jump-Up Viola
• Benary's Giant Zinnia
• Sunflower Mixture
  

SSE is raising funds to purchase an additional 716-acre property and to “implement numerous projects involving genetic preservation and ecological restoration” (SSE 2007 catalog). Thus, they’ve raised the price of their seed packets by 25 cents. If you’re looking for heirloom and organic seeds, consider buying from SSE. The little bit of extra money you spend will be put to very good use helping SSE expand both their property and the scope of their activities.

It’s easy to get carried away ordering seeds, but I have to remember that I’m still a beginning gardener, so better to not get in over my head (plus, with a toddler around, I have limited amounts of time for concentrating on any one task). I’ve only planted a couple of very small gardens in the past. I’ve had success with sweet corn, tomatoes, and herbs. Lettuce is a cinch to grow, but I still manage to get it too bitter. I may try planting it in the shade this year, or just planting it in the spring and again in the fall to avoid the high heat that’s causing the bitterness. Ideally, though, I’d like to have it available continuously throughout the summer and fall, so I may just have to be religious about watering.

Husband holding the first fruits of last summer's garden.

I’m looking forward to growing several of the ingredients for one of my favorite recipes for Fattoush, a Syrian salad. I got this recipe a couple years ago at a Community Kitchens workshop in Vancouver.

Fattoush (Pita Salad) - 4 servings

Toss together in a colander:
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
Let stand to drain for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Open on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and lightly browned, about 10 minutes:
Two 7-inch pita breads
Break into bite-sized pieces. Press the excess water out of the cucumbers, rinse quickly, and blot dry.

Combine the cucumbers in a medium bowl with:
3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, diced (optional)
6 scallions, white and tender green parts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

Whisk together in a small bowl:
1/3 cup olive oil, preferably extra virgin
juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon salt
Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Add the pita toasts, toss again, and serve immediately.