Before I continue, I'd like to take a moment to mourn the loss of several neighbours and a moulting squirrel. All entered my garden in the month of July. Not a one of them have been seen since.
I should point out this isn't quite as alarming as it sounds because all of the neighbours were really quite small. Freakishly small. They were probably allowed to drink coffee as small children or something.
So anyhow, in a sly display of irony ... my garden ate them. I'm sure it never could have taken down a full sized adult. Not a healthy one anyway.
I may find one or two of the missing in the sweet potato patch when I dig it up on October, but it's a long shot.
Luckily I had some time off last month so I had a bit of time to train it. The garden is slightly more well behaved now.
Not a whole lot is different from last year other than a few experimental vegetables including ground cherries, cape gooseberries and a mouse melon.
I think I did a better job of it visually this year. I made it a bit more balanced and allowed for slightly more negative space.
Left side of the yard
I flanked the porch with my favourite of favourites the Dinosaur Kale. They're the leaf eating type of dinosaurs, so they'd never hurt a fly let alone a moulting squirrel. I also hid a couple of kales in another area of the garden so I wouldn't have to completely decimate the kale by the front porch. It looks too pretty. I do eat it, but it's hard to tell because it's so big and there are other kale plants I take from throughout the garden.
Centre of the yard
The space in front of the kale is where I've already harvested cauliflower. I've now planted beets there for a wintertime harvest.
Right side of the yard.
Jalapeño Peppers for Jalapeño Poppers.
9 foot tall "Dinnerplate Beefsteak" tomato
The tomatoes are the size of an elephant's foot ... they'll be getting a post of their own later.
3 varieties of green beans run up the porch post and swag over to meet the huge tomato plant, framing the pots of herbs on the railing.
(Scarlet Runner, Lazy Housewife, French Pole beans)
This is the experimental patch. One Ground Cherry plant and one Cape Gooseberry. I've been harvesting Ground Cherries for over a month now and I love them. They have an odd taste like nothing you've ever had before. Sort of a cross between a tomato and a pineapple. Tropical tasting. People have definite opinions on the taste. Not always favourable. But those people are stupid.
Ground Cherries are toxic while they're green and on the plant so if you come across them DON'T pick them. They're called ground cherries because when they're ripe, they fall to the ground. The yellow one in the background that you see is close to being ripe and falling off.
Two squash plants. One acorn, one Delicata.
Something happened with the potatoes this year. Everything beyond the hydrangea is potatoes. They're huge and I have high hopes for my harvest. This is one of 5 potato patches in the garden. I've already harvested many small, red fingerling potatoes and they're GREAT.
Herb plot. The tall grassy stuff is lemongrass. Then there's sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, lime basil, regular parsley, Italian parsley and more.
The tiny beet seedlings which will grow up to be my winter harvest.
In a few months those tiny beets will look like this beet which I planted in May.
Yet again I planted far too many tomato plants. Especially when you consider I don't really love tomatoes.
I do, however, love growing them.
This is last year's favourite, Green Zebra, which is green when ripe, but tastes like a red tomato.
It's zingy.
These are Fargo Yellow Pear tomatoes which I also grew last year.
These ones I grew by accident. They just popped up and I didn't have the heart to pull the plant out.
Besides, these are the tomatoes I let grow on the opposite side of my fence so they're the ones the neighbours and kids pick from on their way to school.
Behold ... the exceptionally bad picture of my FIG!
Yes. This year I invested in a fig tree. And this year it shall produce one fig. Maybe.
From left to right, top to bottom.
1. Bright Lights Swiss Chard 2. Zapotec tomato 3. Early Wonder beets
4. Celery 5. Delicata squash 6. Swiss chard
1. Sweet Baby Girl cherry tomatoes (in hanging basket) 2. Red chile peppers 3. English cucumbers growing along fence.
1. Mouse melon (failure for me) 2. Variety of lettuces 3. Portulaca
4. Dragon carrots
Oh! And by the way, Canadian Gardening was here 2 weeks ago photographing my vegetable garden for an upcoming issue. Want proof? Here's the photographer Donna Griffith and her assistant.
Sadly, neither one of them have been seen since.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Marti
You made it look so lush and green and amazingly welcoming this year. No wonder the neighbors went in... sadly, there's probably some sort of "Venus Gigantus Neighbor-Trap" lurking in there.
My Dad, who is a lifelong farmer, gave me a tip for my apple-planting future which might be useful to you, Karen.
I grew up on a farm with the house located in an apple orchard: lots of apples, some of which were very great looking... others were not. But these days, ALL his apples turn out amazing. He says he got this tip from an Ag researcher who told him "when the apples are golf-ball size, re-fertilize the base of the trees and irrigate (heavy-heavy watering) the area. It gives the trees the food energy they need, at the exact moment needed, to push those apples to their best."
No idea when that moment for figs would be, but I'm guessing sometime around thumb-sized would be best. But that's the farmer's daughter, NOT the farmer, saying that. I'm actually amazed because I did not know a fig tree would grow and produce in the tundra land.
When is my "next favorite soup" recipe coming, please?
JanetM
Impressive, Karen! about five years ago my husband attended a 3 week training class for the US federal government and in the class were people from many countries around the world. The one comment I distinctly remember him relating to me was that people in foreign countries, where land is at a premium, could not understand why we don't plant all of our land (even in the front of our homes)with sustainable gardens. Often we just plant for pretty. You have accomplished both. Makes me rethink my gardens in the front of the house where the sun shines all day. Wish you were in the states!
Elizabeth
that garden is insane!!! wow, fresh amazing food for you :)
sera
Your garden is amazing! I feel like I need to take pictures of mine so that you can give me some advise. While I continue to grow great tomatoes, the rest of my garden is just a mess. And in the front flower garden, I just haven't had the heart to dig every little thing out including the two hundred year old roses in order to completely redesign it. I feel like this year my front has failed and my back is still a weed pile. And my plum tree didn't fair so well this year despite the tons of sun we had. sigh.
Corinna
Lucky! The gang of feathered thugs (my chickens)that have taken over my backyard got into my garden! They have destroyed everything except the jalapeno peppers. I am seriously surprised they haven't turned over the picnic table and spray painted graffiti.
Karen
That literally made me laugh out loud! ~ karen
Corinna
I think the chickens read my complaints.. My zucchini plants, which were happily growing zucchinis, are now merely roots. I am thinking this is the chicken version of finding a horse head in my bed. (or maybe a sign I need a fence around my garden.. it's a toss up)
Julia at Home on 129 Acres
That first picture with the kale sucked me right in. It's beautiful. (Never thought I would say that). I can't blame you for not wanting to pick it.
Sally
I love Rosemary, and used to grow it in Texas year round. I now live in Wisconsin which is closer to your climate, do you have to replace it every year? Or can it survive the winter?
Karen
Hi Sally - This will be my first winter for overwintering Rosemary. I plan to do what this gal did ... (or some version of it) http://livingthefrugallife.blogspot.ca/2011/02/overwintering-rosemary-in-zone-6.html. The ones I have in pots will go in a sunny window of my potting shed. ~ karen!
Nancy Blue Moon
Wow Karen..the garden is even more beautiful than last year..I wouldn't worry about the little people who are missing..I'm sure that they won't starve and kinda thinking maybe they don't want to be found..lol..I hope you enjoy your Delicata squash when it is ready as much as our local raccoon family enjoyed eating mine..I'm quite sure that those beautiful blossoms were delicious..I guess it is back to the farmers market to buy mine again this year..When your garden appears in that magazine please share it with us..
Amanda
Beautiful beyond words, Karen! Thank you for the inspiration to go out and grow!
Leslie
So beautiful! Soon it will swallow your house.
Monique U. (A Half-Baked Notion)
While I am a little sad over your missing neighbors, Karen, sometimes a sacrifice is necessary to attain Gardening Nirvana.
Karen
Monique U. - Never a truer word was spoken. ~ karen
Tara
Gorgeous, gorgeous garden! I'm so glad you're back.
Kori
LOVE your garden! Would also love to see what you cook up with the veggies. I grew bright lights chard this year and I have no idea what to do with them. So far as I can tell they are only for looks cuz they taste like crap.
Johan
Wow, now that is efficient use of space. You could feed an entire province with the space I use for vegetable garden. Will you have to take the fig tree in or will it winter outdoors?
Karen
Johan - I'll protect the fig tree a little by putting it in my potting shed. That should be all it needs. ~ karen!
Johan
Interesting! I have a 8+(?) year old Rosemary tree that I had notions of rearing in Bonsai fashion. I cut it way back and bring into my shop every winter, then re-plant again in spring. Its becoming an unmanageable size but it's now like an old friend so I can't really just let it die. Any ideas on what to do with a wheelbarrow full of Rosemary sprigs?
Karen
Garland, wreaths, dried herbs, ... ~ karen!
Johan
not big on wreaths, perhaps more lamb leg and rosemary, garlic mashed potatoes...
Cool garden, thanks!
JF
ack! was just wondering how The Garden was
doing. . .gorgeous from start to finish!
I am disappointed that The Mouse Melon pooped out, was very intrigued by the sound of that
and tomatoes, I would KILL for some. . .ok, maybe not kill, but commit a misdemeanor for some. . .
perhaps even a felony
Call Me Patty
I'm a patio gardener and have 3 cherry tomato plants growing, one is hanging upside down in a 5 gallon bucket. I'm getting tons of tomatoes from them and they are so sweet. I also have chives, bay leaf, rosemary,sage, savory, parsley (curly and Italian), Italian basil, purple basil, oregano, French tarragon, marjarom, and oh yeah, had planted garlic last fall, and am now enjoying fresh juicy garlic. And I just discovered an avocado growing in amongst the tomato that my husband had stuck in the dirt last year. We're having the best summer out here in BC
Susan
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with those of us whose green thumbs turned black a long time ago.
Carla Barnes
Mouse melons love heat! They're regarded as weeds here in Oklahoma, and they're taking over my front yard -which is ok with me, I think they're yummy.
Lindsey R.
My in-laws have a fig tree, it takes a couple of years, but they have pints of figs each year now. They cut it off every winter, and it gets HUGE every summer.
I am not a frequent commenter, but I wanted to take the chance to tell you "welcome back" and how much I enjoy your blog. Glad you took the time to find your footing again. <3
Karen
Thanks Lindsey R.! I am definitely back. ~ karen!
Uturn
I call tomatoes like your Fargo Yellow "volunteers" when they come up by accident like that :) I had only one volunteer tomato come up this year because we expanded our garden and put in a 3 tier terrace since it's on a hill-so brought in a lot of soil to fill in and probably covered any seed that would have volunteered. We did however have a ton of volunteer sunflowers sprout up. One of which is a "FrankenFlower" sunflower with 30 heads!!! Yes, additional heads grew like suckers on a tomato and I left it go to see what would happen. The heads are opening now, some of them are even double headed. It is one of the coolest things I've ever seen
My cucumbers and squash are succumbing to powdery mildew due to my gardening novice and not knowing what it was and how to address it early enough :( But, that is the joy of learning so I can do better next year. I got a bumper crop of broccoli which I never in the world thought I would be able to grow. I'm getting head-sized rutabagas, some beautiful kohlrabi and a jungle full of canteloupe. It also looks as if my sweet corn will be a huge success. So, all in all I can't complain.
Happy to see your garden flourishing and that you're back to blogging
Uturn