April's Garden (2017)

Move along.  Move along.  There is nothing to see.  Move along.  That is the theme of this month's garden.  There is nothing to see.

It won't stop raining.  Bill has not been able to get the plowing done.  The grass is growing nonstop, which does not make him happy; but at least we can use the grass clippings to make walking paths.  Otherwise, I would not be able to walk into the garden to harvest the greens still growing from the winter garden.

The coffee cup is not placed for scale.  I put it down to focus the camera. Scooter was not around or he would have lapped it up.  He is not allowed in the garden when it is muddy.

I am allowing some things to go to seed and darn it, I have lost all the labels.  I don't know what is what...again. It was one of my resolutions this year, to keep up with the names of everything.  Epic fail.  I suppose I will do as I have always done, put all the unknown seeds in one bag together, then broadcast them on a windy day.  To quote my late father, " It will fun to throw them out and see what comes up!"  He was always experimenting and trying crazy things.  I inherited that trait from him.

Something blooming and going to seed.

This is the row close to the field which is still alive from the winter garden. I will be putting the cover over it to see if it will protect the new plants against bugs.  In the empty spots left by harvested vegetables, I have planted seeds from my bag of harvested unknowns.  We will see what comes up.

I do have a few success to share.  Remember the lonely savoy cabbage that survived the armadillos,  winter snows, and hungry rabbits?  Just like the turtle that won the race against the hare, this cabbage has finally made it to the finish line.

A few bugs have munched on the edges.

It was planted last fall and SLOWLY grew all winter.  This is it, not very big to have taken all winter to mature. No wonder the price of food is so high.  The flavor was great but it would have taken an acre field to feed just one person.  It was cold weather hardy, but very slow-growing.

I sliced the head off above the root because I saw this little brussel sprout size heads beginning to grow. Perhaps they will be ready to eat someday.  This fall, I will again plant some of the remaining seeds to give this cabbage another try.  Maybe it was on top of a rock or something?  

I am still getting plenty of salad greens.

And the walking onions are happy.

These are parsnips and it is the first time I have grown them.  They were planted in the fall between the strawberry plants and survived the winter.  A long growing season is something they need and are supposed to taste better after a frost.  I have only eaten them once so I don't know what is a good flavor and what is not.  I will dig around the roots during the summer to harvest a few, then wait and dig the rest after cold weather.  I just love experimenting with new things.

Collard greens, my favorite, has grown into a huge success.  WOW!  Look how large even with me cutting and eating all I wanted.  They are beginning to bolt but still taste fine.  I thought they were finished during the winter but instead, they overcame all the obstacles mother nature threw at them.  I would like to brag, but everyone has seen the rest of my garden and would know the truth.  All I need is a few successes to keep me going and that is all I have, a few.  It will have to do.

May's Garden (2017)

March's Garden (2017)