April's Garden (2023)

There has not been a rush to get the garden planted since we are still experiencing late frosts. A few sprouts have been damaged by the cold but they appear to be recovering. There are three more 39-degree nights in next week's forecast so hopefully, that will be the end of winter.

The new strawberry bed has four different varieties. The winner with the best flavor will be allowed to spread over the whole bed.  I know last month I said there wouldn't be any experimenting this year. The plan was to stick to tried and true crops but I can't stand it. As soon as I see something new, it is tossed into my shopping cart. Resistance is futile.

The strawberry tasting contests should start soon. 

Onions have been slipped into any empty spaces. I don't think I could ever have too many onions.

The potatoes are acting weird. The white Kennebec in the back of the row toward the shed popped right up but the Red Pontiac in the front are taking their time.

Thinking they might have rotted, I gently moved the soil and found they have sprouted.  Some have been damaged by the cold weather but they all have new growth.

In the back of the garden in front of the shed are the Yukon Gold potatoes that were purchased a few weeks ago from a local nursery. They are going wild and are laughing at the slow Red Pontiacs.

The spinach that survived the winter is finished. There are a few leaves waiting to be plucked and then tomatoes will be put here later. I have decided to stagger the planting times for the tomatoes to avoid a massive harvest requiring processing all at once; hopefully, that will ease the workload in the summer kitchen.

Not having many greens available to eat this past winter has made me rethink the garden and set different goals. The few local grocery stores didn't offer a satisfactory choice of fresh food. My pantry was used extensively so more food and better preparation will be needed if the garden fails again.

The few extra greens we have picked this month have been canned and used in recipes. Canned greens aren't as disgusting as expected. Each variety tastes entirely different and with the right recipe, could be delicious. It will take experimenting next winter to figure out how we like them. More experimenting is in my future so extra have been planted. 

The small space between the spinach plants has onions, of course. It is too cramped but the spinach is about to be harvested down to a single leaf on each plant so the extras can be saved for winter. That will open up breathing room for the onions.  

The results are in for the experiment to discover if garlic could repel insects on Golden Beauty Napa Cabbage. It couldn't.

This is how they looked a few weeks ago as they were being devoured. After being doused with Joy dishwashing detergent and mineral oil, the pests disappeared. The plants would have been destroyed if not sprayed; however, napa cabbages grow fast and recover quickly.

Part of the back garden has been planted with various greens except for one row that has a fire ant mound.  They are being fought with Epsom salt and diatomaceous earth. One of these days I will discover a great non-toxic repellant for the garden and will share it with everyone. Today is not that day.

The new makeover in the back corner has been a success. The collard greens and broccoli are quite happy in this area.

Beets are growing in any empty spot.  We canned a few of the leaves and then added them to a soup where they absorbed the broth flavor. It was a success. As soon as the leaves are large enough to pick, they will be preserved for winter. Broccoli leaves haven't been canned yet because the recipe book claims the flavor is too strong; however, that won't stop me from trying.

So far the garden is doing wonderful. No repeated disasters like last year.  It is a pleasant shock when I tour it in the morning and see everything still there. Gardening is great fun when everything actually works.

Last Month's March Garden (2023)

Last Year's April Garden (2022)

March's Garden (2023)

Alas, my fickled mood has once again swung the other way. Last month I was dancing around enjoying the warm spring weather hoping for an early spring but sad to say, winter returned. This month has been cold, wet, and dreary. Just like my mood. The seedlings are brought in every evening, plopped beside the front door, and then whisked out at sunrise. It's a necessary bother.

Plans for the garden this year will be less experimentation with new varieties and instead sticking to the tried and true. Sigh. After losing last fall's garden, I don't feel comfortable taking huge risks. Food prices are predicted to double and then double again so I must be prudent.

Bill built a raised bed out of used lumber that had been sitting around underfoot. Last year the strawberries didn't produce well in the plastic tubs and have been transplanted into the new bed. They never made enough for me to taste. An unknown variety of onion bulbs purchased from a local nursery are shoved in empty spaces. They are supposed to be good companion plants.

The potatoes that were planted last month underneath the leaves are beginning to sprout. 

The lonely spinach bed that survived the onslaught of winter weather has a few plants that are beginning to bolt. I do not begrudge them a respite from my constant picking. They served me well when all the others failed.

Since fresh spinach is a favorite, more were started indoors and transplanted outside this past week. There are two beds. The bed further back toward the woods hasn't been mulched yet so it is possible to see the empty spaces. In about two months, okra seedlings will be slid in between the plants. The okra will grow tall and shade the spinach which won't last long in the summer heat. The rows are wide so the okra branches won't smack me in the face as I walk past.  

The front bed has been mulched with grass. It has more spinach and the onions that were started inside during winter.  That was not a success. There was not enough sunlight coming through the windows, they sprouted, then stalled. Learning to raise onions from seeds is important because finding a variety that stores through the winter is a necessity. The goal for next year will be to figure out where to set up the grow light and then start them earlier.

There is one bed of Super Sweet Onions also purchased from the nursery - delicious flavor, short storage life. We love them fresh. The extras will be caramelized and either canned or dehydrated and used as a garnish. They are planted under the fence that held tomatoes last year. The empty left side of the row toward the field will have pepper plants so they can be supported by the fence. Since so much compost has been added over the last few years, the soil is no longer clay cement but loose and they will fall over in a storm. I think it is a great problem to have!

Last fall's garlic died during the arctic blast. Yes, you read that right - garlic died from cold weather! These new bulbs were snatched up at the grocery store and dumped in the snowy ground with no expectations of anything surviving. 

Supposedly, garlic repels bugs. That old wives' tale is about to be tested.

Golden Beauty Napa Cabbage has become our favorite and since bugs love the flavor too, it will be planted in the middle of the garlic patch. The part of the bed that is empty will be the control group and those surrounded by garlic will be the test subjects. Shall I start a betting pool? My money says it doesn't work. The insects in my garden are too ferocious. They fear nothing. However, I will gladly take anyone's money who disagrees. Bets anyone?

Golden Beauty cabbages have a mild buttery flavor. We all loved them at first bite and it has been impossible to grow enough ever since. This year there will be two crops, one early and another two months later. These were from December's Garden 2021. 

The outer leaves are light green but as they are peeled away, the inside becomes a pale yellow.

The back corner of the garden beside the field and woods has received a makeover.  The old, recycled chicken yard doors have been moved. Vining plants growing over the top of the doors were the only things that were successful. Now that this area is more open, hopefully, the extra sunshine will make a difference.

Collard Greens are on the left and broccoli seedlings are beside the stepping stones. They were planted yesterday.

Plowing and planting will begin this month. There is so much to do. Just thinking about it makes me tired. Ready or not, spring is about to arrive. 

Last Month's February Garden (2023)

Last Year's March Garden (2022)

Through the Garden Gate