Gardening

I've been wanting to blog about gardening. So here's what's growing at our house! First up, peas! This is my first time growing peas, and they're the kind that you eat the whole pod. I can't believe how quickly these pods were covering the whole plant. I'm going to pick them all soon and put them into another shepherd's pie.




Next, my speckled romaine. It's not growing terrifically quickly, but I'm about to thin and use the thinnings in a salad.




Tomatoes! I botched the starts that I began in March....so I bought these three. There's one brandywine, one cherokee purple, and one early variety (can't remember exactly what it's called). The brandywine is just built for big ol' tomatoes...it's got a really thick stalk and the blossoms are big and round and look like they'll support something really big.



I've got everything in pots because all of the front and back yards at the house we're renting are landscaped. I didn't want to mess anything up, plus this way I can pack up any overwintering plants and good amended soil when we buy a house.

Because space was at a premium, but I did want to plant watermelon, I planted it in a pot. My hope is that the vines can just be guided around the existing plants and the watermelon can be padded by the mulch. Has anyone ever grown watermelon this way? I'm hoping that the root system won't be compromised.



Same as the tomatoes with the summer squash and cucumbers....didn't take care of them and so these got planted late, about two weeks ago. These are squash, and the cukes look about the same.



Zac's strawberry plant that he bought at the farmer's market! He's so excited that there are little green strawberries on it. Hopefully in a week or two they'll be ready for him to eat.


Basil plants that I bought....and they don't seem to be growing like they should. I think I'll add some compost and see what happens. I also re-started some from seed...same story with that....but I have to say that I've only once had success with basil, even though it's my very favorite plant to have on hand. Buying it from the farmer's market is okay, but not nearly as good as bringing it directly from the garden to the kitchen for pesto.



Mint! An old faithful! Mint will grow wherever it's planted and lots of places it's not. Considered quite a nuisance by some! But I love it's fresh leaves in tea and sorbets.



And here's my meyer lemon tree that I bought way back in January, probably. In San Francisco, I had a huge meyer lemon tree in the back yard. If you've never tried meyer lemons....well, you should! They have kind of a rose essence and aren't as sour as regular lemons. I use them in all sorts of things, from lemonade (add some of that mint!) to lemon curd for pancakes to lemon bars.


Finally, here's my just-about-completed compost. I promise I won't show you the other side, still filled with rotting food and weeds. I've never had such good success with compost, and it's all due to the fact that I always was too lazy to build a two-sided compost bin. I can say I won't ever go back to only having one compartment. The problem with only one bin is that every time you add stuff to it, and we always have something to add, it has to start from scratch. This compost is great, though still a bit chunky. I have been using it, though. I'll soon pack it up in something...I'm thinking burlap bags...and turn the newer stuff in the second side and start it.

And related to gardening: I've been looking for a pair of gardening gloves. But to my dismay, all I've been able to find are gloves made in China or other places where the workers won't be paid a fair wage. Finally, someone at our local gardening shop said to me "that'd be a good business for you!" when talking about how no one makes them domestically (or in a fair-wage manner at all). I thought, eh. And then later, I thought, I bet I could figure out how to make them. And later I thought, that could certainly turn into a business. But for now I just need to make myself a pair. So first I need to find a pattern. Or develop one myself. I'll post it if I do get around to making a pair.