Busy times

I love to garden. And I like to write. But I'd rather garden than write about it. Hence there has been very little posting the past few months but LOTS OF GARDENING! Amazingly, we are pretty much on target with our planting schedule. There are 3 plantings of mesclun, head lettuce and leaf lettuce, 2 plantings of arugula, spinach, summer roots, chard and kale and lots of peas, pole beans, onions and leeks up and growing. Plus we have made a bunch of new space for squash, tomatoes, corn and cukes. Lots more digging and planting to go. This weekend we'll planting more beans, the squashes, more kale, annual flowers and more. Then it will be digging, weeding and fertilizing time for a couple of weeks so we can plant eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. Then more digging, then more planting, then lots of rototilling, then planting, etc. etc. etc. We have big plans and we are having fun.


One of the mainstays of the garden is lettuce. Here is variety that is new to me but it sure looks pretty.

HEAD LETTUCE - SUSAN'S RED BIBB


Most of the flowers are a bit early this year with the early melt off and some warmer weather. This particular lemon colored lilac is a real beauty and it's perfume is filling the air by the chicken coop.

PRIMROSE LILAC


Making the teepees and planting them was a recent project at the farm. It's so fun to have some 'instant' structure to the garden. And I look forward to those beans. Some old favorites: Green Annellino, Kentucky Wonder Wax beans, Rattlesnake Some new varieties this year: Colorado River, Christmas Limas, Speckled Annellino, Jack and the Beanstalk

BEAN TEEPEES WITH A SILVER SPANGLED HAMBURG HEN AND SOME YOUNG KALE


I can't believe that I never ate arugula until 2007. I have a lot of years to make up for!

ARUGULA