A little over a month ago, I posted the start of my vegetable garden here in the Canadian Rockies. If you are interested, here is the link: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/142237/mountain-vegetable-garden-salute-to-kathrynn
I thought I would post what it looks like now in the early days of July. I am mostly posting so that those of you in warmer climes can have a laugh at how far behind we are here in the mountains.
Here is an overview of the vegetable garden.
On the left are my Haskap Plants. They are covered with mesh because the berries are ripe and the birds love them.
To the right is a row of Ultra Girl and a row of Manitoba tomatoes. They are two early varieties. It is a short season here. They are flowering well though which means I should get a crop.
In my first square bed, I have several varieties of lettuce, spinach and some green onions. We have been having green salads for a month but the spinach is just about done. I am on my third planting of green onions.
The second square bed has carrots and snow peas. The carrots are coming along fine but it will be 3 weeks or so before they are sized up. The snow peas are blooming which means we will be harvesting in a few days.
The third square bed has peppers and cucumbers. The peppers were coming fine and I had some small ones forming. Sadly, the chipmunks ate every flower and the couple of forming peppers a week ago. More flowers are coming and I will staunchly defend them from the chipmunk hordes.
The first terraced bed is my strawberry patch in bondage. I have to cage it to get any fruit or the critters would eat it all. We have just started harvesting strawberries. One of my favourite signs of summer is eating strawberries. I have made strawberry jam but I used berries from a local market.
The pole beans are in the next terraced bed and are only about 10 inches tall. However, the garlic scapes are curling and the tips of the leaves are browning so it won't be long before I harvest garlic.
The next bed is Norland Potatoes. They are growing like crazy and are just starting to show blooms. Harvesting should be a couple of weeks away.
The next bed is a mixture of green, yellow and purple bush beans. They are just starting to size up. I have seen pictures from SMF members who have harvested beans. Be kind. Don't laugh too hard.
The next row on the terraced level is another row of potatoes, 4 Stupice tomatoes and a Sweet Gold Cherry tomato. The Stupice are a heritage tomato from the Czech Republic that is very early and we always plant one cherry tomato so we can snack while we're working in the garden. We actually have tomatoes formed on the Cherry tomato and forming on the Stupice. Again, don't mock me too much. Tomatoes forming before the end of June are a big deal around here.
The last of the terraced beds is the one bed I put in annual flowers each year and a walking onion at the end of it. As you can see, the walking onions will be ready for harvest very soon.
My last vegetable plantings are two zucchini and two patty pan squash in old tires. The zucchini is blooming and tiny patty pans are forming. They are so good barbecued I can hardly wait.
I love vegetable gardening. I think it goes with my love of eating.
Disco
I thought I would post what it looks like now in the early days of July. I am mostly posting so that those of you in warmer climes can have a laugh at how far behind we are here in the mountains.
Here is an overview of the vegetable garden.
On the left are my Haskap Plants. They are covered with mesh because the berries are ripe and the birds love them.
To the right is a row of Ultra Girl and a row of Manitoba tomatoes. They are two early varieties. It is a short season here. They are flowering well though which means I should get a crop.
In my first square bed, I have several varieties of lettuce, spinach and some green onions. We have been having green salads for a month but the spinach is just about done. I am on my third planting of green onions.
The second square bed has carrots and snow peas. The carrots are coming along fine but it will be 3 weeks or so before they are sized up. The snow peas are blooming which means we will be harvesting in a few days.
The third square bed has peppers and cucumbers. The peppers were coming fine and I had some small ones forming. Sadly, the chipmunks ate every flower and the couple of forming peppers a week ago. More flowers are coming and I will staunchly defend them from the chipmunk hordes.
The first terraced bed is my strawberry patch in bondage. I have to cage it to get any fruit or the critters would eat it all. We have just started harvesting strawberries. One of my favourite signs of summer is eating strawberries. I have made strawberry jam but I used berries from a local market.
The pole beans are in the next terraced bed and are only about 10 inches tall. However, the garlic scapes are curling and the tips of the leaves are browning so it won't be long before I harvest garlic.
The next bed is Norland Potatoes. They are growing like crazy and are just starting to show blooms. Harvesting should be a couple of weeks away.
The next bed is a mixture of green, yellow and purple bush beans. They are just starting to size up. I have seen pictures from SMF members who have harvested beans. Be kind. Don't laugh too hard.
The next row on the terraced level is another row of potatoes, 4 Stupice tomatoes and a Sweet Gold Cherry tomato. The Stupice are a heritage tomato from the Czech Republic that is very early and we always plant one cherry tomato so we can snack while we're working in the garden. We actually have tomatoes formed on the Cherry tomato and forming on the Stupice. Again, don't mock me too much. Tomatoes forming before the end of June are a big deal around here.
The last of the terraced beds is the one bed I put in annual flowers each year and a walking onion at the end of it. As you can see, the walking onions will be ready for harvest very soon.
My last vegetable plantings are two zucchini and two patty pan squash in old tires. The zucchini is blooming and tiny patty pans are forming. They are so good barbecued I can hardly wait.
I love vegetable gardening. I think it goes with my love of eating.
Disco