Vegetable Garden::Full Spring Ahead

During this season of warmth and rapid growth gardening takes on the all consuming pose calling for even more time and energy of passionate gardeners everywhere. Not only in the landscape but especially in the vegetable garden where those annuals increase in size seemingly from each morning to each night.

Chive blooms glistening with heavy droplets of dew are just one among the many delightful discoveries on an early morning walk about.

The first dawning hours being the best time for thorough inspection and the picking off any tiny worms boldly chewing away at the greenery for their breakfast.

The watering regimen follows. It's best done by hand with the garden hose. Irrigation was installed this winter with its own separate timer and assuredly comes in handy on occasion. But it is not preferred over individualized watering for just what is thirsty at the moment.

This February when it was necessary for me to rebuild the 4 outer beds I reconstructed them in a (rectangular) box shape leaving a trench of-sorts in the middle. It occurred to me to create a place to fill with water which allows it to slowly seep into the roots of the four hilled up sides.

My amateur (veggie) gardening status gives me all kinds of lenience for trying different methods. This one is proving to make sense toward preserving the run-off from the hills as well.

When they are dry I don't mind compressing the interior soil by walking in it to inspect the plants or harvest from the inside.

Spring is the time when all living things awaken to the newness and splendor of the season. Signs of vim and vigor are everywhere we turn.

Succession harvesting of the earliest crops are well underway.

While many others are staked, bushing, or twining their way into exuberant growth with each glorious hour.

Snap peas of the blue-podded sort were planted this year for a try at a new variety.

But mostly for the interest of that adorable tiny violet flower that precedes the sweet blue pod with its little peas all huddled inside in a perfect row.

Handfuls of the most tender and tasty green beans are best gathered first thing in the day. But if it can't be helped a late evening culling works just fine for hungry tummies, too.

Already the flowers placed throughout the veggie garden are over-taking their bounds.

Naturally, that is the plan when situating them among the vegetables to draw in nectaring beneficial insects. The aesthetics they add call out to me to linger a bit longer and inspire me to pull another weed or plant another seed.

New crops of romaine lettuce have come in so fast even I'm surprised.

And small wonders! The onions planted from seed are actually looking as if they might grow ... yes, onions. It was decided in February to give one more go at planting them after two previously failed attempts. Never hurts to try again. Fingers still crossed for onions forming.

Flat leaf parsley from the fall garden is sited in between tomato plants towering to a height almost as tall as me. It's being allowed to flower for the small beneficial bugs such as the parasitic wasps who need tiny flowers for nectar. They will use other garden pests and aphids as a nursery for their young. We wouldn't want them to fly away after that for lack of nectar sources that fit their small mouthparts.

There are at least 6 miniscule flying insects on the parsley flowers. So tiny they were not even noticed until the photo was uploaded.

This is my third spring of growing warm season vegetables. Many lessons have been learned and many lessons elude me still.

Maybe just maybe enough room was provided for the enormously sprawling zucchini and summer squashes this time. It's been my repeated mistake to underestimate and forget how very much room each plant requires.

They were placed in the newest planting bed created this season. Tucked underneath the edge of the overhang from the front oak trees it is afternoon-shaded more than the rest of the garden. Which also explains the debris (from the oaks) still falling onto the wide, umbrella-style leaves.

This site gains them a much better air-flow than previous beds in the back of the garden. It seems they are happier and no signs of that pesky powdery mildew so far!

It's nice that peppers grow easily with no fuss involved. These are the successes that keep us trying! Some come easy and others... not so much.

Only five tomato bushes were planted this season and they, too, seem to be the happiest and healthiest of any other season. I wish I could pinpoint the exact reason(s). It must be the complete switch to organics using Tomato Tone and Fish Emulsion. Previous years the plants got so big, so fast and waited for the fruit to catch up. Too much nitrogen likely. I'm taking diligent notes to figure this one out and praying we don't get too much rain, too fast... or too much humidity all at once ... or the night temps don't get unbearable ... or an infestation of aphids and worms I can't keep up with...

Well, you know the drill. Tomato plants can have lots of issues in the blink of an eye without warning.

No matter. We'll not think about that until we have to. We've plenty to smile about and to keep us busy this beautiful month of April.

Happy gardening and happy spring days to each dear reader! Meems

The Big Green Jungle

Thank goodness for the flowers planted in and around the veggie garden. Little did I know back in February when the vegetable seeds were planted out that by the time June rolled around I would be even more grateful for the flowers. If it weren't for the zinnia's bright and happy faces and ...

the nasturtiums that faithfully produce blooms...

one would take a look at the fastly fading vegetable garden and think it is just a great big green jungle in June.


As gardens go a vegetable garden is short-lived. Once the seeds are planted in warm soil they come up very fast and it seems overnight the plants mature and begin to produce their fruit.

The ground cover of Lysimachia Golden Globes is creeping along nicely across from the carrots and underneath the green bell peppers and the cosmos that are just now budding. The pretty yellow flowers should last all summer.

But not the vegetable plants. The foliage on most of them is pretty pathetic looking by this time. Certainly they are, at best, struggling to survive in the heat and humidity and not at all pretty anymore. Even so, the pole beans and green beans are still producing a handful or so a day.

The green peppers are still growing like crazy. They must not mind the 90 degree temps we've been having. I'm trying to remind myself why I planted so many of them. It might have been because they DO grow so easily in our climate. Anyone need any bell peppers?

The parsley is very green and very big thriving in the shade of the tomato plants. I keep thinking the swallowtail butterflies are going to find it for a host plant and the caterpillars will have a feast on all the pretty leafiness.

Ahhhh, now there's some color I like to see. I'm more than surprised the tomatoes haven't completely bolted. With all the rain we had a few weeks ago and now we have had no rain for over a week and the humidity and temperature have sky rocketed. Do you know how tempted I am to pick these healthy tomatoes before they get fully ripened? Every day I'm watching them... just hoping no worms, or bugs, or birds, or splits or all the gazillion things that can affect tomatoes won't happen before they are ready for harvest.

So this afternoon my patience ran out. Just like that. I just couldn't muster up the courage to leave them to fate even one more day. I only plucked three. I left the rest.

The more I walk by them, the harder it is to leave them on the vine. They are just so much safer sitting on my kitchen window sill. Don't you agree!

I hope you are all having a great weekend and enjoying your gardens.

I've had lots of fun with my grandkids this weekend.

Tomato Goodness

Here we go again. An abundance of those red beauty-orbs from the garden is providing some very yummy meals around Hoe and Shovel again this spring.

After a hot morning in the garden what better way to reward one's self than with a cool sit-down lunch in the shade on the back porch. A quick and healthy sandwich with thick slices of red deliciousness is a favorite here. Always remember the fresh ground pepper people!

For a not-as-healthy rendition, but still sensible, add some of that sweet romaine lettuce picked the day before and some slices of bacon left over from breakfast that morning. Truth be told the extra bacon was prepared with visions of BLT's on the cook's brain.

Oh, and of course, the rest of the tomato must be sliced and eaten as a side dish. One can never put half a tomato in the refrigerator. Oh, no, the whole thing must be eaten at one sitting. Lots of vitamin C you know.

And with tummies full and satisfied we are back to the garden awaiting the arrival of the grand- youngins for the night.

Life is just good in a garden! I hope you are enjoying yours, too. Garden blessings, Meems

Red Slices of Yummy

From the vine to the tummy. You might remember my concern for the first two "Fresh Market" variety tomatoes hanging prettily from the vine a little over a week ago. I mentioned I would feel like I had successfully grown a tomato if they actually were harvested before any critters did any damage AND I could actually eat them. Mind you I have harvested several of the smaller "patio" variety and eaten them steadily. For me, there was just something about growing a normal sized tomato that seemed necessary.

We are happy to report those very two beauties (above photo) made it to the table. Promptly slicing up these red lovelies and eating every single bite in one lunch sitting my mind kept repeating, "now THIS is how a tomato is supposed to taste!" The delicious, sweet flavor and firm consistency instantly conjuring up memories of childhood days round my grandmother's dinner table. She was the type that always had more food than the number of folks at the table could possibly consume. Included in every meal were sliced tomatoes adorning their very own plate and her pickled beets to accompany in their very own glass bowl. Always the same plate; always the same bowl. No matter what else was being served for dinner there were dishes of her homemade sweet pickles and scrumptious fresh veggies served along with the meat, potatoes and biscuits. I particularly loved cucumbers drenched in vinegar so she managed to have a dish of them set out on her southern-laden table. If only I'd have paid attention when she was canning tomatoes, pickling beets and making jam... sigh...
Southern people are good eaters. Not that other folks aren't but southern people just know how to cook up some really good grub and we love to be loved for our cooking.

Anyway, that doesn't have anything to do with where I was going with this post. Just thinking about my grandma and her relatives gets me kind of sappy and prods me to want to overeat some fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Anyone want to join me?

Back to Reality Where the Garden is Small

Daily the veggie harvest is increasing.

I don't think I've mentioned yet in all my blabbering about the veggies how absolutely tender and delicious the green beans have been. Granted they might be the easiest thing in the world to grow BUT... I've never grown them before and I'm elated at the daily fresh picking of green beans. Just in case anyone wants to know I direct sowed Burpee Bush Blue Lake 47 (Green Bush Snap) seeds on March 17 and an additional row on April 10. If I had more room I'd sow more now for a longer harvest. Alas, I do not have anymore room but I will sow more seeds in the fall.

I'm making a habit of plucking my tomatoes before they get completely ripe and then letting them complete the ripening process on the kitchen window sill or in a proper (cute, of course) bowl or basket. This method was something I remembered as I was waiting for my 'big' tomatoes to get completely ripened on the vine. It was one of those 'I could have had a V-8 moments'... slapping the palm of my hand on my forehead like oh, now I remember. Does anyone else do this or is it just something we do down here in the south? It actually works quite well and nowadays there are always ripe tomatoes to be eaten.

First Harvest and Veggie Garden Update

There is a lot of .... let's say... energy that goes into the production of a vegetable garden. Prior to stepping out into this venture of a small-scale garden of raised beds and sown seed I weighed out, the best I knew how, what it would take to make it successful in terms of energy and time. I can't say I knew exactly what all it would take so I'm learning a whole lot as time marches on and harvesting is beginning.

Nonetheless, it is of import to interject here ... this first time grower of vegetables is having the time of her life. All these years with a vegetable garden just a vision on my "want-to-do-it-someday list", I don't think I could have predicted how much gratification I would get from this type of gardening. The joy of watching over these plants and nurturing them along to harvest has greatly increased my passion for gardening. Just the principle alone of sowing a seed into the ground and provided it has some light, water, and nutrition it will grow into a plant has me in awe. But further that the plant produces fruit that produces its own seed and the cycle starts all over again is something that stirs my soul.

On to the Veggie Garden Update

Saturday I harvested my first (eightball variety) zucchini and (goldbar) summer squash. (Seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds)

Even though he was very impressed ... hubby claims that stir-fry side-dish costed us $1,000. HA... he's a funny one. It was a bit of an exaggeration. If only I could have gotten by without having a tree removed a couple of weeks ago for the sake of better sun coverage. That's when hubby got involved weighing the cost. Alas, with that short discussion over with ----together we gladly savored the delicious flavors and freshness.

Note to Self: Pay Attention to the Seed Packages

(2) 8 x 4 raised beds - seed sown (except for tomatoes and peppers) March 10 and March 17.

When the seed packages include instructions (Pinetree Garden Seeds all do) they become a necessary tool especially for a first timer. For instance, "Plant 1" deep when soil warms 3-4 seeds per hill. Baseball size fruit grow on bushy plants. 55 days." Each seed variety with its respective instructions.

Next time I sow seed I'll know to pay attention to the instruction- they really do mean what they say. My little raised beds are over flowing with plants even after I've thinned a couple of times.

The lettuce was harvested for the fourth time this morning. Have to say this has been a big (but happy) surprise. The results have been more than I could have hoped and I'll be able to sow this same kind of seed again in late summer for a fall harvest. It is the Heatwave Blend of six different varieties from Burpee. Even though the description claims it can take some heat I had serious doubts it could take our Zone 10 heat. At the bottom of the package there's this little note... GARDEN HINTS: Lettuce grows best in cool weather.

We've had daytime temps in the upper 80's for a couple of weeks now so we shall see how long it lasts.

The first "Fresh Market" tomato is beginning to turn. I've been watching this one (above photo) like a mother hen. Each morning and night and sometimes in between if I'm already outside I take a look to be sure no little tomato-eating-critter has tampered with my first regular sized tomato. Even though I've harvested several of the smaller variety (patio) tomatoes and couldn't be prouder of them (they are very yummy)... I don't know why... but when this one is harvested it will somehow feel like I've grown a real tomato.
Saturday it was decided to remove a row of marigolds that were originally seed sown in front of my lone row of (bush crop) cucumber. It was my design plan to see the marigolds draping over the edge of the bed. Once again it was my fault for not leaving enough room for both rows to have their way. The marigolds did so well standing tall blocking the sun and air space from the cukes. They are now happily adapted to their new home... some in a container and some in the ground at the SW corner of the back garden where it is sunny and fairly dry.

I guess I have caught the seed-sowing bug... if there is such a thing. What seemed so risky and so daunting before I ever tried it now seems so fun ... so challenging in a good, healthy way... in the way that I just have to see if I can make it work. Do I have what it takes to help it grow? What does it take to help it grow? What and when to do what needs to be done. Just figuring it all out is half of the enjoyment. I've still got loads to learn. Every success is the reward that keeps the process going.

You Say Tomato, I Say Let's Eat

It wasn't what I was expecting when I did my morning check for slugs and worms on the tomato plants. But here they are... my first harvest of tomatoes.

This is all new to me so I am going with instinct here ... the tomatoes look ripe ... so we harvest! All along I've wondered why these were turning red when tomatoes much larger on other plants are still very green. Then I read yesterday that this variety (Patio tomato) is a smaller tomato... makes sense now.

Today was a maintenance-in-the-garden sort of day. I mowed, edged, trimmed some ground covers and blew off all the surfaces. We were expecting some much needed rain this evening so it was breezy and almost balmy with high humidity and temps in the 80's.

For lunch I took a break. I was looking forward to it knowing that I was about to eat fruit grown right from my own garden. It didn't take me long to slice up all three tomatoes. I sat outside on the back lanai and enjoyed my tasty harvest alone. No sandwich, no lettuce or bacon or onion, just slices of tomatoes on a plate. There will be plenty more for all the combinations of summer sandwiches. It seemed only fitting to give this first harvest centerstage.

This is exciting stuff, people.

Vine Ripened Tomatoes

With front feet hanging over the tomato leaf and head perked up this dragonfly of some kind is acting like a watchful one--- It does look like it is standing guard doesn't it? It was the see-through goldish wings that drew me closer at first.
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April 28 addendum to post: One of my faithful commenters and nature-ID-extraordinaire has given me a helping hand once again to ID the beautiful dragonfly in the above photo.
It is an Eastern Amberwing Dragonfly... thank you Sophiemae.

Exciting things are happening with the veggie garden at Hoe & Shovel. There's a very subtle change of color on the tomato plants as each day progresses.

The leaves aren't too pretty at this point but these average sized green orbs are evolving to shades of red. The above photo taken on April 22.

Actually daily now there are new discoveries in the garden. I'm allowed to get overly excited about seeing my fruit turn colors since this is my first ever experience with a veggie garden right?

Admittedly, all discoveries are not glorious ... like the (first again) ginormous worm I picked off the underside of a leaf... only after it had eaten its breakfast on one small tomato.

And finally... the above photo was taken April 24. Funny how the tomato right behind these two is still completely green. I'm learning as I go here... but I am having lots of fun... no matter how it all turns out.