Around the garden

This week of cold rain has forced me to stay inside a bit. i spent most of last week outside working in the garden and flowerbeds. Still trying to get things planted, but finding it increasingly difficult with a very active 4 year old and a broken rototiller. My small front bed garden is planted with mainly cold crops, and it is all in and growing pretty well.
My main garden isn't planted yet, i'm still trying to work up the soil and get it prepped for planting. i have also been pulling weeds, digging up strawberries, raspberries and flowers that keep creeping into the main garden. i have to constantly remind myself that the locals don't put in their gardens until Memorial day...i still have time. i still feel very behind.


We've been harvesting asparagus for almost a month now. We are able to harvest enough for a meal about every 3-4 days. i'd like to put in more crowns so that we are harvesting more than that. This is a relatively new patch and we are still getting it established. Both of the kids absolutely love asparagus, Sage will even eat it raw right out of the garden.

Blueberries are just coming in, and it appears we are going to have a really nice crop! Blackberries and raspberries are flowering now, and am i already getting geared up for some jam making!

Peaches are just coming in as well, and i'm hoping i will have enough to can this year. Our main peach tree is 15+ years old, and is showing signs that it may not be with us much longer. Half of the tree did not leaf out or flower. After doing a bit of online research i was saddened to see that peach trees have a life expectancy of 10-20 years. Our peach tree was full grown when we moved here 11 years ago...so i'm guessing this may be it's last year. We do have a second tree that is producing now, so we will still have peaches just not the abundance we've had in the past.


Strawberries are just beginning to ripen. Earlier this spring i began moving them to a new bed, so i am not expecting a huge crop of these either. The chickens tend to get them before we do anyway, but they've now been moved to a area that can be better covered in poultry netting and maintained. Hopefully, they will establish themselves and next year i'll have a nice strawberry bed.

Delilah helping to prepare the tiered beds by weed-eating along the edges, and adding mature as she goes along. Afterwards, i use my grandmaw's hand plow to work it in the soil.

i was a bit late getting my potatoes in this year. Our rototiller broke, and i had to work up the patch using a hoe and a handplow. It was a huge amount of work, and i my arms were in horrible pain for a couple days afterwards. i planted around 30lbs of potato seed, with a bit of help from Miss Sage. Potatoes are just beginning to come up. i used all of our own seed potatoes this year (from last years crop) and am i hoping they will do well. Some are coming up quicker than others so time will tell. We usually have a good potoato crop that can last us through the winter into the spring.


Sugar snap peas are just beginning to come up too. When i planted these i staggered them, because i didn't have enough seeds to plant all the rows. So i have two outer rows that are about a foot tall, and the rest are 4-5" tall. i truly couldn't plant a straight row to save my life. :) i mulched between the rows with old hay, and the chickens immediately got in there and tore it up. So i had to replant quite a few peas that were damaged.

Chard is looking good. This is one we have been harvesting from. i had a few that over wintered, that i am letting go to seed. The rest that i planted are still quite small.


Broccoli is looking good, despite my crappy picture. We've had rain all week..and you can see the weeds popping up everywhere. i need to get more compost on these. They are covered in poultry netting to protect them from the chickens. i would really like to get some floating row covers to keep the cabbage whites from finding them.

Leaf lettuce is doing well. i have a few other varies planted, that are just beginning to come up.

Despite, not having my main garden planted yet. It hasn't stopped me from expanding again. i'm working up a new garden and am going to try growing corn here, which is something we have never had much luck with. Behind me, you can see a bit of green as the clover and timothy begins to come in. That will eventually be goat pasture.

i started our sweet potato slips inside a few couple weeks ago, and they are growing fast and leafing out. i am eager to get them in the ground. This is the first year that i've been able to start my own slips from last years potatoes, rather than purchase them. i'm really excited about that. The rain this week has made everything grow like crazy, and turn really green! i will have more garden updates soon.