Tomatoes
Posted: July 13, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: garden, tomatoes 3 Comments »The garden is shifting. The lettuce and mustard greens are totally gone and the zucchini is taking over the garden. The kale has been attacked by aphids 
and my okra is growing at a snails pace.
At least the tomatoes are kicking it into high gear.
Giant Brandywine.
I was able to get a few dozen sun golds, a couple Black from Tulas and some Brandywines yesterday. I also cut the final mustard greens and a giant zucchini.
My cucumbers are slowly winding there way up with lots of flowers but still no fruit to be seen. I need some new things to fill in the holes in my garden. I would like more green beans but I cannot find any plants. It seems like planting season is over or something. Also, if I want to grown winter squash, when do I start that and how much room do they need? I am not talking pumpkins but maybe some acorns?
Any help is appreciated!
Finally, a Gator shot. It is a good thing he is so stinkin’ cute because he is such a little monster!
Garden Update
Posted: July 3, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: garden, tomatoes Leave a comment »I know I said I would post a garden update up a few days ago but then the DC metro area got hit by killer storms, and we lost our internet for awhile. Thankfully we never lost power. There are people in our area that still are without electricity and major roads still do not have working traffic lights.
So…back to the garden
We are getting close to peak growth season – lots of green peppers and tomatoes.
I am starting to collect sun gold tomatoes and I have had one Brandywine ripen but then rot.
I just ended up cutting the bad portion out of it and eating the remainder for lunch. It was delicious!
It is interesting to compare my heirloom organic tomato plants vs. my neighbors conventional plants.
Mine on the left about 4ft tall, theirs on the right at about 6ft. I guess those modified genes are helping them grow.
It has been super hot out so I am trying to keep myself and the plants hydrated. I am usually dripping in sweat at 9am after working for an hour in the garden.
It is hard work being a gardener! Stay hydrated!
The Tomatoes are Coming!
Posted: June 28, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: garden, sun gold, tomatoes Leave a comment »First tomatoes of the season!
Delicious sun gold cherry tomatoes picked right off the warm vine and promptly eaten after photo. I hope to get a full garden report up tomorrow! Until then, get out and enjoy some local produce!
We are enjoying some local Gator around here 
Summer Squash
Posted: June 20, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: garden, squash, zucchini 2 Comments »
We have summer squash growing to the size of wine bottles around here!
I am not exactly sure what kind of squash it is because it was leftover from last year’s gardener and sprouted during tilling in April.
It is amazing that that giant squash came from these little plants in only 2 months.
What do you make with giant squash? I made baked zucchini fries, but I really want to grill it! Does anyone know what kind this is?
p.s. Hi Jaci 
While the Gardener is Away, the Veggies Will Play
Posted: May 30, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: garden, gardening, vegetables 3 Comments »My garden on 5/12/12
My garden 5/29/12
Holy cow. We had 3 days of rain and then I went away for the holiday weekend. The garden (and all of the plots around me) went a little bonkers.
After an hour of cleaning up…
I chopped down the mustard greens and my spinach. My spinach had actually bolted 
but I pulled off the leaves and got a huge bag of greens. Guess what I am having for lunch! I also put the mustard flowers into a ball jar on the dining room table as a lovely centerpiece.
The haul for the day…
Tons of mustard, spinach, Romaine, and a few green beans.
Growing shot!
This is the plant that was already growing in our plot when I started…I thought it was a cucumber but now it looks a lot like a zucchini, especially those flowers. Now we are down to one cucumber plant, which is not doing so hot. I might need to get another plant and maybe more beans…I just cannot stop!
Speaking of beans…
We had the few beans I harvested on top of our greens last night, and Nick commented that no grocery bean can ever taste as good as fresh from the garden. He couldn’t put a finger on the flavor, but I love seeing people get excited about vegetables. Green beans are his favorite in general hence another reason why I think we need more!
Other highlights/lowlights…
- my snap peas are not happy and may need to come out
- I am thinking about putting in some eggplant when the lettuce goes
- my tomatoes are getting flowers!
- more bean plants are needed
- maybe another cucumber
- it is almost time to harvest a lot of kale! (Nick will juice a lot of it)
Lesson Learned:
Check on your garden every day if possible!
Questions:
What should I do when my lettuce, spinach and kale are done? Will kale continue to produce after it gets to full size? I am trying to learn more about how to handle things that don’t continue to produce once they reach maturity.
How are your gardens doing?
Everything is In!
Posted: May 17, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: garden, gardening, lettuce 3 Comments »It is a beautiful day here in Maryland! The garden is growing, and I finally got everything planted (minus a few replacement heads of lettuce after harvest).
Everything seems to be doing well except my snap peas and a couple of tomato plants that were sampled by a chipmunk or some other type of rodent ( we are pretending it could never be a rat…). They seem to be the only trouble we have had with nibbling, which is good because I am trying to keep the garden as organic as possible. I am actually more worried that my nibbler problems will be of the two legged variety come July. As of today no one seems to want to steal kale and lettuce but tomatoes and peppers are a little bit more appealing.
The latest garden additions are pepper plants, some herbs and marigolds.
I love sweet red peppers!
Basil and parsley looking a little sad after watering.
Cheery marigold! They are supposed to keep pests away and my mom will be proud of me for getting a plant that is not food.
Along with planting, I also harvested two Romaine heads and some more spicy salad greens.
Yay lettuce!
Both are hanging out in my crisper waiting to be eaten tonight for dinner! My tomatoes are still very small but growing. It is almost time to harvest some spinach too! Green Monster smoothies and salads for all!
Tomatoes Abound!
Posted: May 7, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: garden, lettuce, mixed greens, tomatoes Leave a comment »
I was back in the garden yesterday, and Nick planted his first plant ever! I wish I had gotten a picture of it! Check out how much the greens have grown! You can see how small they were in this post.
I was even able to harvest some spicy greens for a salad!
Check out my first peas!
As for today we planted okra, cucumber, and 12 tomatoes. We could be swimming in tomatoes by the end of the summer, but I love them and I am sure my co-workers would enjoy them.
They are super itty-bitty now but soon we will have lovely Brandywine, Black from Tula, and Sun Gold tomatoes a plenty.
We really only have room for some peppers now, and I am going to plant some parsley, basil, and cilantro once we harvest the Romaine. Once the kale comes up I will probably plant some more lettuce. We shall see how it goes. We have had some bolting in the spinach and mixed greens but I cut them out yesterday. We still need some tomato cages, clippers, and Nick needs gloves. The gardening list never ends, but it is so much fun to watch everything grow!
Get growing tomatoes!!!
Garden Update!
Posted: April 20, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: beans, compost, garden, gardening, lettuce, peas 2 Comments »Yesterday I got to work in the garden! It is warm enough to start greens and peas so I went ahead and started planting!
I started by fencing off my little plot and found out it is about 15ft x 4ft. Super long! I tried to get out all of the rocks and pieces of glass while also checking out what was leftover from last year.
Bucket of rocks and lots of little baby garlics. 
Lots of little squash of some sort. I pulled a bunch of these out so they weren’t over crowded. We shall see what they turn out to be! Tilling was seriously hard work.
Next I dumped out a giant bag or organic compost and some organic plant food. The odd shape is because I am trying to give everyone an equal amount of light and my plot is east, west lengthwise. Till, till, till.
Planted! 4 mixed greens, 6 spinach, 6 heads of romaine, 6 heads of kale, 4 sweet peas, and 2 green beans. Next up, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, and herbs!
I need more compost!
Goals, Garden, and Great-Grandfather
Posted: April 5, 2012 Filed under: garden | Tags: family, garden, goals 4 Comments »Today was my final day working for the State of Maryland. It has been a good 3.5 years but my heart and soul were suffering. I will miss my boss and colleagues but not the spreadsheets (I feel like I said this before, Ha!). My next steps are scary but they should be more exciting than 8 hours in a cube. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to follow my dreams and start a career based in something I am passionate about.
I create a goal list every year. I don’t make it public, and it has sat by my computer in my cube for the past 3 months.
I am amazed that I have completed the fist 3 goals already, and Nick has a plane ticket for June (he is deathly afraid of flying).
My Health Coaching journey is in its second week and I am focusing on getting people to grow their own food to have a sense of pride and control in their health. I’m starting with my own garden, which though lots of drama, we finally got assigned yesterday.
We have acquired plot 2B – about the width of the little fence and half way to the parking lot. I need to actually measure it to see how many plants I can fit in there but here is my wish list:
- pole beans
- cucumbers
- zucchini
- tomatoes – cherry and heirloom
- peppers – sweet and jalapeno
- eggplant
- beets
- kale
- spinach
- lettuce
- carrots
- parsley, basil, rosemary, mint, cilantro
It seems to be a lot but there won’t be a ton of each and I have done a bunch of research this year on spacing and how to plant them in a raised bed.
I am trying to channel my inner agrarian maternal lineage. My Great-Grandfather on my mother’s side was a farmer and represented Iowa in the US Senate from 1913-1945. Now he did have mainly cows, but I think back in the day there was no such thing as a single crop farm.
I leave you with a poem he wrote during his time in the Senate – it reminds me of the early days before the farm bill with Butz and the New Deal was still law.
Farmer in Assembly
How dear to my heart is the lure of the farmyard,
With the grass growing green and the buds on the swell;
Makes me want to get out of this old legislature-
But the time of adjournment seems as far off as May.
We work mighty hard to make laws for the people;
The folks who are watching us think it’s all sham.
The people at home keep on sending petitions
Which if they only knew it don’t amount to a cent.
I guess I’ll just leave this uninteresting session;
They can run the blamed thing without me, hit or miss.
Bills? I eat’em and dream of ‘em;
yes, and I spend ‘em.
But here my stenographer comes for a letter!
- Walter H. Beam
Garden Update!
Posted: June 1, 2011 Filed under: garden | Tags: garden 2 Comments »Last time we checked in on the garden Sissy was eating my peas. Well she is still trying to eat my peas they have certainly grown!
I tried one tonight and they are delicious!
Other things growing out in the pots:
Lettuce that got a little dry while I was away for the weekend but they seem to be recovering nicely.
Strawberry that lasted all winter on the deck is once again producing…love how hearty they are, I need more!
Banana peppers! These guys were an impulse buy and they are doing great! I cannot wait to taste them. Spicy? No idea because they are always pickled when they are on my sandwich!
My first baby tomato is coming out! This guy is just a little cherry tomato but I cannot wait for my green zebra tomatoes to start coming out!
All of my herbs are doing so much better outside of the apartment. My basil is thriving and I used my dill in dinner tonight!
Are you growing anything?
