How's this year's garden

[the_rayway]

@GreginND that looks wonderful!! Yours too @JohnT !

This year is a bit wonky, because we have the house up for sale, so I didn't plant as much at home (don't want to give it away!!). I did my plot at the Community garden this year. 4 rows of garlic, 2 rows of onion, 18 tomatoes of various types (all heirloom), 20-ish hot peppers, rainbow beets and carrots, honey nut squash, white pumpkin, melons. In my home garden are the shallots, herbs - oregano, thyme, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, cilantro, lemon cilantro, citronella, sage, basil of all types, rosemary, parsley, green/purple/yellow/roma beans, more honey nuts, and lettuce/kale/swiss chard. Then the potatoes and the large portion of beans get planted at my sister-in-law's place.

I garden wherever I can! We were pretty bummed that the tomatoes my friend started for us all didn't make it. I ended up getting some Green Zebras, black Krimm, German Stripes, Rainbow, and...beefsteaks?

 

[JohnT]

This year I am doing container potatoes for the first time. Took some old potatoes from the kitchen and planted them in containers with only 4 inches of soil. As the plants grow, I have been adding more and more soil. They are looking very good...

 

[Jericurl]

We have had hail...what 4? 5? times this year.

The asparagus was fine, it always is..
The lettuce was beat to pieces so we lost all of it, the cabbage, the spinach, bok choy, etc. Probably had about 10 different varieties planted.

Tomatoes were beat all to heck, so I ripped them out, went down to the feed store and got more and put then in the ground just in time for another hail storm.

So now we are down to just all the herbs and our hot peppers.
Our favorites are cowhorn peppers. This will be our 4th year growing them and they are just superb.

 

[knockabout]

this year due to the amount of rain we have had I have lost 15 heirloom tomatoes, 6squash 6 zucchini my 3year old artichokes, 1 year old kale.... I am so discouraged...Texas weather sigh!

 

[barbiek]

@Turock I too grew up slaving in the fields when other kids my age were at the local lake swimming. There's nothing like eating fresh veges while your standing in the middle of your garden lol, seeing and hearing the expressions of your neighbors it's like growing your own grapes and making wine from them. I give most away. It's a pride thing too lol

 

[JohnT]

+1 on what @Barbiek said..

You just can not beat a home grown tomato, pepper, cucumber, or herbs! In NJ, the "Jersey Tomato" is almost a state wide obsession.

It is kind of neat growing your own stuff (much like making wine at home). There is that same sense of satisfaction when things go right and a real feeling of disappointment when things go bad. I remember my Father was almost in tears when a rabbit destroyed his string bean crop.


Jericurl/knockabout: So sorry to hear about the weather down there! Oh, the heartache!

 

[Turock]

I don't have to stand out in the sun to make wine. But working in a garden always requires being in the evil sun, which I hate. A garden becomes a JOB, and after many years of doing it as a kid, I just can't see the value in it.

 

[Steve_M]

Kale anyone?
Planted far too much kale right out of the gate this year. I'm having it lunch and dinner everyday! Giving away as fast as we can.
Tomatoes are doing great. Have few different varieties of peppers as well.


Steve

 

[JohnT]

This is what happens when you have a bored spouse and a plant nursery nearby....

 

[Larryh86GT]

My first picking this morning. Fresh snow peas for dinner tonight!

 

[Billpizzaiolo]

Hair works until the next big rain storm. We gave up on that. When we had no neighbors we left a radio in the greenhouse playing music all night. That kept many of the critters from going in the garden next to the greenhouse. The part furthest from the radio we shared with the critters. Now we have a seven foot plastic-coated-metal chicken wire fence above ground and a 3 foot buried down 2 feet all around with the 7' fence. It keeps out everything except the birds and the bugs. So much for having a $$$ saving kitchen garden.

 

[RevA]

Kale anyone?
Planted far too much kale right out of the gate this year. I'm having it lunch and dinner everyday! Giving away as fast as we can.
Tomatoes are doing great. Have few different varieties of peppers as well.
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Steve

Anyone ever made kale wine?

 

[TonyR]

Not me, but sautéed with onions and garlic is outstanding. The same makes a really good pizza topping.

 

[GreginND]

The garden is growing well.

 

[Larryh86GT]

That's not a garden. That's a farm. Looking good....
Larry

 

[JohnT]

Simply awesome. Agree that definitely qualifies as a farm!



I feel like a true wimp showing a collection of flower pots on my deck!

 

[TXWineDuo]

This has been one of our better years, but now comes the Texas heat so the tomatoes lessen and the peppers kick in. Here are a couple of pics from this morning's harvest.
Also a shout out to all y'alls great garden pictures!!!!!

TXWineDuo

 

[CheerfulHeart]

I am so enjoying all the pictures and descriptions of the gardens! Next year my husband and I plan to plant a garden and also replace the fruit trees we lost to the drought here in central California. We want to wait 1 more year to give the acreage a chance to recover. We are really looking forward to growing peppers and tomatoes again. My husband makes amazing red salsa and sauces!

 

[JohnT]

Things are growing very nicely. My potatoes seem to be doing very well (we will see just how well in the fall) and are flowering (very pretty)

 

[Steve_M]

@gregind agreed that's a farm!
Love it!

Steve