More often than not, I am a black-or-white all-or-nothing type of human. While I know better, gardening is not exempt from this trait. Lots of photos in this post, this is my favorite method of obtaining food and I’m very proud of how it’s turning out this year and all the work I’ve put in thus far.
Each year, believe it or not, it is less crowded than the previous. These three fence sections are my main production space: mixed greens, beets, onions, carrots, tomatoes, basil, peas, pole beans, bush beans, bell peppers, parsley, two lettuce varieties, broccoli, cauliflower, chinese cabbage (bolting already!), swiss chard, and zucchini. I think that’s it. Oh, and celery. And spinach.
I will continue to shrug off how crowded it is until I’m getting stung by zucchini pokes on all sides while tramping lettuce and chard. This is a lesson I am unlikely to learn soon, but like I said each year it gets a wee bit more manageable.
Each section is distinct, but cozy!
Raised beds and containers fill out the rest of this space. Not pictured: another massive parsley forest and 4′ x 4′ rhubarb plant. The other areas of the “farm” receive less hours of sunlight, which leads to contemplation of tree trimming/removal services, but like the crowding problem this is unlikely to see a timely solution.
As for the remainder of the garden:
Garlic, lettuce stowaways, and two planter boxes with hands down the best lettuce I have ever grown in my life [interplanted with kale + onions]. This is the only nice thing I have to say about the fact that we got snow in May.
At least four varieties of bunching onions, tomatoes, celery, hot peppers (lemon, aurora, and chiltepin), bush beans, lima beans, leeks, onions, two varieties of winter squash, and yellow-crookneck squash.
Last but not least, I’m trying my hand at growing corn again this year. However, my friendly neighborhood menace [rodent, squirrel, possum, racoon, cat?] decided to thoroughly dig up each of my 6″ transplants.*
I could not let this stand and devised what has abated assault now two days in a row.
Check out my Instagram for my most recent harvest including an excellent biennial example.
I mainly source my seeds from Seed Savers Exchange (I’ll discuss this in an upcoming post about pizza), but have some more recent acquisitions from Ann Arbor Seed Company and You Grow Girl. It has been a long few days and I look forward to the weeks of weeding and watering ahead!
Tell me: what are you growing that you are excited about?
*I start seeds early. Often too early.
Eat - Drink - Both 