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←
Becky Morse
Last winter, my husband decided (out of freaking nowhere, with no experience aside from slave labor as a teenager in his mom's garden), "We need a vegetable garden the size of Rhode Island. But our backyard has no sun, and our community garden is full of pesky neighbors that I'd have to interact with. What to do?" I suggested tilling under our front lawn, and since this a) meant less lawn mowing, and b) meant he got to rent a tiller, it was on. My one condition was that it not look like crap, and googled "front yard garden" for ideas, which led me to your blog. Once I realized you were also the lady in the video yelling at her mom while trying to open a bottle of wine with her shoe, I knew you would be my muse. So what I'm sayin' is, thanks for the inspiration. The garden has been a rousing success, and we even had an old hippie in a Subaru throw his car into reverse to shout out his window that our yard was awesome. That's when you know you've made it.
Karen
LOL. The hippie stamp of approval is very gratifying. Good job. :) ~ karen!
Karen B
Sigh! You obviously do not have my neighbours -- deer and rabbits.
Sara
Love, love, love! Thanks for sharing.
Maryanne
Hi Karen, Beautiful front yard, veggies are even better than flowers! Who would have ever thought!
Tigersmom
Question: In the first picture, what is the pink bud about to open above the left side kale?
For a second I thought it was your asshead rose. I too, have an asshead rose that was here when we bought our house. It gets black spot every time it rains and then it starts to just die back from the ends. I cut it back thinking every time I should just yank it out and then just about the time I think I'm finally gonna do it, it goes crazy with blooms. Asshead!
Karen
That is a rose but not the asshead rose. It's the most fragrant rose ever and it's a climbing rose that I have running along my fence. ~ karen!
Tigersmom
The garden is beautiful. I'm quite jealous as hardy perennials become super short-lived annuals under my care. Stupid fat shrivel-inducing black thumb.
I took comfort knowing that if your blog failed to support you in the manner to which you had become accustomed, not only would you not starve but would probably eat better than most of us.
Congratulations on the magazine recognition of your hard work. Last year's was great but this years is prettier. I especially like the kales that remind me of palms. Lovely.
Maureen Locke
What an amazing garden, just beautiful.
This year I tried container planting on my deck. What a horrid failure. We had so much rain that everything just rotted or mildewed. I even tried bringing the tomatoes in the house to save them. They all rotted on the bottom before they even ripened. I did get a few Tiny Tims that were so sweet and delicious and my sweet red pepper plant is still holding it's own so I have hopes for it. What I wouldn't do for your green thumb. :) Congrats on the Canadian Gardening spread. Well deserved. :)
Bols
Your garden is so enviable.
My own harvest is limited to cherry tomatoes (so sweet!) and 3 currant shrubs: one red, two black.
The black currant shrubs surprised me this year (their second year) with a very decent amount of fruit. The red one was planted only last year, I think, so it did not bear any fruit yet.
Jill
Wonderful garden, Karen! And so pretty too.
I have serious fig envy--what kind are you growing way up there in the frozen North? The ones I know need a long hot summer to survive. If I thought I could get t them to survive the Nebraska winter, I'd have an entire fig orchard.
Enjoy every mouthful you get from your beautiful landscape!
Bonnie Cramond
Your garden is beautiful, lush, and green. It looks very healthy. Be careful of the figs. I don't know how they will do in Canada, but here in the South of the U.S., they can grow huge. Then, all of the figs get ripe at the same time and start falling from the branches. If you don't pick them up right away, they ferment and your yard smells like a brewery. Also, the birds eat them and excrete them all over your yard, car, outdoor furniture, etc. So, keep your fig plant small.
Dee
I can see why Canadian Gardening wants photos of your garden! So pretty, especially the dinosaur kale by your entrance. Your Green Zebras - I planted one because yours looked so good last year but it withered just when it got to be 2 feet tall. I'll try again. Better luck next year.
Lisa
I'm in awe! Your garden is amazing. Do you NOT have bunnies? My garden was an all you can eat salad bar for the bunnies this year. They even ate the Marigolds. They don't seem to like the Kale though! Thank goodness!!
SarahP
True inspiration! I love vegetable gardens. Unfortunately, since the only vegetable my husband will eat is romaine in a Caesar Salad - i find myself overwhelmed with more tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers than I can eat or give away to neighbours.
Lesley Williamson
This is truly impressive!
Karen
Thanks Lesley! ~ karen
Laura Bee
Love the cukes growing along the fence. Postcard perfect.
My Nana always made us "instant pickles" with salt, pepperr & vinegar, for a snack. She also made the best 8 day pickles.
Congrats on the Canadian Gardening spread. Your garden should be the centerfold! It's sooo good looking!
Langela
Do you use your tomatoes to make spaghetti sauce? I peel, quarter and freeze mine for use later in the winter when I want to can a bunch of sauce. Super easy and quick when I have so many other things to take care of during gardening season. Just a thought.
Beautiful garden, Karen!
Langela
Btw, I told you those tomato plants could get huge! :)
Karen
LOL. You did indeed! ~ karen
Karen
Langela - I do sauce every year. I press and can 1-2 bushels. https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-press-can-tomatoes/ This year as the paste tomatoes get ripe I'm sticking them in ziploc bags in the freezer until the rest of the tomatoes ripen. Then I'm going to do the whole lot, frozen and fresh. Hopefully it'll work! ~ karen
Erin Hall {i can craft that}
what websites of books do you find particularly helpful in the planning of a garden for the Hamilton area. everything i find online talks about gardens in the warmer states, very little for canada. I want to plant a garden for my side lawn (dont have a back yard) for next year and can only hope it will be both beautiful and bountiful, but I have a black thumb and no knowledge. :(
Karen
Hi Erin - The best thing you can do is determine what zone you're in. Even different areas of Hamilton are slightly different zones. Here's a great site to determine what your zone is. http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-ontario-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php Once you've determined that, just Google gardening for that zone! Or just plant what I plant. :) ~ karen!
Feral Turtle
Being born with black thumbs I am in awe!
Lori
All I can say about the garden is WOW!!! Love that it does look like a garden!!
Glad to have you back,Karen!
qtpuh2tme
Beautiful!
Garden. Me. Someday. :::sigh::: ~:}