March's Garden (2021)

 

After the Great Snowstorm of 2021 melted, winter was finished. The hoop houses were opened and never used again. The vegetables and weeds sprang to life.  This is the garden as it looked on March 15th, 2021.

However, the plants seemed to think it was summer so they have all decided to bolt at once.  Going to seed causes the flavor to change and become bitter.  

My plan was to leisurely enjoy the last of the winter garden while waiting for the spring vegetables to produce, that hasn't happened. They must be picked quickly before they become inedible.

This is the garden as of today between rain showers.  It is a big mud hole.  

Much has been picked but it has been a challenge.  It has been shared with friends, I have entertained a few times (come for an all-you-can-eat salad bar and take the leftovers home), we juiced and detoxed (ugh) and my last resort will be to blanch and fill up the freezer.  Nothing will be wasted.  

The plants that are furthest along bolting are the ones that are chosen first. The Swiss Chard was planted late because in the fall this was a row of tomatoes with spaghetti squash on the support fence.  I had to wait until the squash died from frost before the fence could be removed and the chard planted. It will be eaten last.

There are also a few slow-growing cabbages that aren't ready yet.

This month the following has been harvested: collard greens, six varieties of kale, assorted kinds of cabbage, Swiss Chard, broccoli, Brussel Sprouts (only the leaves, the sprouts didn't form balls... again), spinach, Green in the Snow, tatsoi, bok choy, Chinese mustard greens, endive, various lettuces, Egyptian Walking Onions, winter radishes, beet greens (but no beetroots yet), celery, French Sorrel, garlic, cilantro, chives, plus some unknown crossed Chinese vegetables whose seeds had been saved. We also ate the last spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and sweet potato which were left from last year's garden.

A two-laundry-basket size harvest because company was coming.

Ten hoop houses were not too many even though we could have gotten by with less - eight would have been a better number.  It has been fun enjoying an abundance that can be shared. Last year's hard work was more than worth it to have so much at this time of the year.

We continue to eat more and more from the garden and less and less from the supermarket. We could have easily eaten more than the amount canned last year plus I have spent the winter searching for new recipes.

Goals for the warm weather garden.  

1. Squeeze in more plants for bigger harvests and try to do less work (I can dream).

2. Experiment with growing the new vegetables from the Garden Seeds for the 2021 Season.

3. Grow more medicinal and cooking herbs.

I don't know how to achieve my goals.  This is my problem - the garden can't get bigger.  Below is the edge of the garden beside the yard.  No more rows can be plowed into the lawn because the septic tank field lines end about 30 feet to the right of the garden.  We don't want to get close to it at all.

The back of the garden in front of the shed and woods will be in the deep shade when the trees leaf out. The shadow is getting darker and larger.  The square puddle of water is the spot where the tarp that held the drying grass clippings was laying last summer.  That was months ago and the grass still hasn't recovered.

In past years, this area was a part of the garden but the trees have grown too large as they spread toward the sunshine.  Big black pots lined up against the fence are going to hold herbs.  Horses don't seem to like them.

Walking around the corner is the area up against the field fence.  This wide space is needed so the mower will fit plus the horses lean over to help themselves.  That's why it is stretched and sagging. 

This is the front of the garden.  This area has never been tilled because it is full of large fist-size rocks which would damage the tiller blades.  Also, I don't want to plant close to the trash cans because they have leaked over the years.

This is the view of the same area standing beside the trash cans while turning to face the back of the house.  Bill can plow out a few feet more but that is all. 

The last load of fresh horse manure was spread over the front corner of the garden to create a "lasagna" bed.  It was amended with lime which will take a long time to break down.  The potatoes were planted on top and leaves were spread over them.  After they sprout, hay will be added and one Tahitian Butternut squash seed will be dropped in a corner. Maybe the squash won't overrun the potatoes before they can be dug in July.  It will be difficult to climb into the jungle to dig out the potatoes without trampling the squash, but nobody cares, it will recover.  Bill will be able to mow around three sides of this bed so hopefully the mower will keep the squash under control.  We shall see what happens.

The back area of the garden was plowed right before the last big storm.

The supports were left up again.  This was the first spot to get horse manure last year and it has already decomposed.  

This is how this spot looked last year.  Lima beans were going over the back supports with peppers underneath. Something else will be rotated here but surely, I can squeeze a little bit more in.  Right?

Instead of having mulched walkways, stepping stones have been added with short small plants strategically placed in the path.  Right now onions and leeks are between the stones so it is necessary to step carefully.

Under one arch spinach has been planted between the leeks.

Up against the short fence on the back of the garden are snow peas and English peas.  The shade from the trees won't bother them much because they will die as soon as hot weather arrives.  I never get more than a handful for a few meals because about the time they begin producing, the heat kills them.

Right now I am dreaming, scheming, and planning for a wild year. As long as God provides rain, life will be good.

Last Month's February Garden (2021)

Last Years March Garden (2020)

Through the Garden Gate