14 April 2011

garden update: year two!


Our little plot is in its second year. Some old friends are settling in and new faces have appeared. I'll get into more detail in a future post, but here's generally what's doing.

:: OLD FRIENDS ::

garden update mid-April 2011
blueberries | I moved the two plants out of containers and into the ground.
they like it, along with some coffee fertilizer.
lots more blossoms, clusters and (hopefully) fruit.
hope some of it makes it inside the house.


garden update mid-April 2011
cavolo nero | kale, I heart you.
so much so that I re-planted you twice this winter/spring.
damn you slugs.


garden update mid-April 2011
'windsor' fava beans | making baby beans


garden update mid-April 2011
'alpine' strawberries | they may be tiny but are they good.
and, unlike regular strawberries, they give fruit all year long.


garden update mid-April 2011
leafy bed | kale, 'sea of red' lettuce, rapini, chard, tiny dill seedlings


garden update mid-April 2011
'laxton's progress' peas on branches | we had to remove an old plum tree
from our yard, but I kept all the branch trimmings for exactly this.
i love this look.


garden update mid-April 2011
plum branches | thank you, old tree


garden update mid-April 2011
leafy bed | more peas, too


garden update mid-April 2011
the big bed | fava, shallots, garlic and (more) peas
garden update mid-April 2011
'ashmead's kernel' apple espalier | first tier in place
I'm going with a slightly bowed shape (palmette?)
I think it's pretty graceful.


garden update mid-April 2011
'ashmead's kernel' apple espalier | second tier starting to sprout




:: NEW FACES ::

garden update mid-April 2011
lisbon lemon | nice and tart, like i like 'em


garden update mid-April 2011
potato box (1 of 2) | either 'yukon gold' or 'red pontiac'
i haven't labeled much this year! yikes.


garden update mid-April 2011
rustic arugula | very nutty and peppery


garden update mid-April 2011
even more peas! | I decided 3 pea plots weren't enough.
soooo... i'm testing out a new space above the patio with
some blue-podded beauties. obvs., we like peas.


garden update mid-April 2011
'wine country mesclun' | so pretty


garden update mid-April 2011
perennial herb strip | 40 or so feet of new plants:
various lavenders, thymes, mint, scented geranium, sage & curry plant.
we have really clay soil, so all 11 spaces had to be dug out (ouch)
and amended liberally. it's the year of digging.


garden update mid-April 2011
oh but aren't they pretty | digging, what digging


garden update mid-April 2011
curry plant | silvery needle leaves and they taste like... yup, curry


garden update mid-April 2011
new climbing rose | 'gloire de dijon'
i randomly saw a picture of this rose once, bookmarked it,
then finally found a grower who sells them. not easy.
to me, the petals look like gathers and folds of soft fabric... it just slays me.
smells heavenly too.
hopefully someday our back deck rail will be smothered.


:: NEW PROJECTS ::

garden update mid-April 2011
the big dig | since Kim asked for it, here's a 'before'
actually it's a 'during': what I dug out today.
(inspiration here)
you'll get your full 'before' soon, Kim!
it's delightfully heinous :)


4 comments:

  1. Wow! So beautiful, Blake. Thanks for sharing the before photo. :)

    I would love to do an apple espalier since we don't really have any space to plant trees. Also, I have a few of those curry plants that I planted awhile back, but I don't know what to do with them. Do you know anything about harvesting them? I love it when I'm watering and catch a breeze of curry though...

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  2. Hi Kim, my garden center had a sign next to the curry plants that said the leaves taste best uncooked, just thrown into a dish. I sometimes make a curry potato salad... so, instead of adding curry powder to the mayo, I might chop up some curry leaves and add them in raw. Aren't they fragrant? Some plants, I smell them if I step on them (while watering too), but the curry leaves seem to always be fragrant.

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  3. Thank you! I've been meaning to look it up for ages but then forget.

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  4. you're officially my gardening idol...

    xx

    ReplyDelete

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