Get Me To The Country: June's Garden (2025)

The garden is in full production and this is the time when my new ideas and experiments can be judged to be a success or failure.

The best idea ever has been to put up a fence. It is AWESOME! Even without gates, the animal damage has been zero. We put it off for years because we feared it would be a difficult, time consuming and expensive project. We were right. It was even harder than we imagined due to supply chain problems but it has made a world of difference.

We weren't sure about the final location of each fence section because of unknown underground boulders. The tomatoes could not wait so were planted anyway. They ended up being feet away from the fence.

The distance apart in the back corner is even greater so stakes are supporting them just so they can reach the fence. This winter when the garden is empty, the rows will be realigned. It looks a bit wonky.

One great idea happened on a whim. At the grocery store last fall I picked up four shallots and planted them in this row beside winter onions. At first they all looked the same and I forgot about the test. At some point, the shallots began dividing and it became evident they were different.

They continued to grow after the other onions were harvested and the Purple Hull Peas had been planted. They spread apart, became huge and were crowded. One day they no longer stood up but fell over. After a week of rain, they were pulled to avoid loss.

This is only one plant.

This is the harvest from only four shallots. How well they will store is unknown especially since they were damp. This winter even more will be planted.

Never again will broccoli be planted for summer. That was a bad idea. It was covered with the worthless netting that the June bugs ate through last year.

As long as it isn't touched, moved or the wind blows, it is fine. Lifting the edge to harvest was tedious and it fell apart at the slightest pressure. It kept the white moths off until the wind lifted a small corner. Broccoli will only be grown in the winter garden from now on.

Potato vines grow tall and spread wide covering the aisle. To make it safe to walk, I use stakes with a twine support. As the potato tubers swell below ground, some rise above the surface turning green in the sunlight. To keep them shaded, pulled weeds are stuffed inside between the vines as mulch. It saves a long trip to the compost pile. It is akin to sweeping dirt under the carpet but it works fine until the vines begin to die. Then the disheveled mess becomes evident; regardless, I consider this a great idea.

Other plants are also staked and wrapped in twine to keep the garden walkable. It only takes a few minutes and it makes my life much easier. The Purple Hull Peas must be corralled or they will take over the whole garden. This row was staked early and it is how it should work. A good idea.

Putting two pea rows side by side and letting them both get out of control was a bad idea. By the time I got around to setting up the stakes, the space between the rows was already covered. Harvesting them is going to be a problem.

Another bad idea was rushing while planting okra. The seedlings had just emerged but as they grew, it became obvious two were different. This unknown seedling is a cucumber. A trellis was added for it at the end of the row.

The second seedling was transplanted into another row. It is below the garage sale purchased tennis racket hanging on the fence. It is available at a moment's notice to swat white moths. Bill is keeping a running total and he has killed 40 already this season. An abundance of tools hanging everywhere saves many steps. It is a good idea. Leaving the shed door open allowing a mother bird to build a nest inside was a bad idea. The door now remains open.