Our garden in pictures

[Cecropia]

This is the garden at my parent's house, about 10 miles away from our apartment.  They let me have over half the garden this year.

Those are sugar snap peas running along the back side (40').  They are about 5' tall and still flowering and producing like crazy.  Soon it will get too hot and they will die off.

The tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers nearest the camera are not ours, but we will gladly share any extras.  Baby cucumber just starting out:

On the other side of the garden, we have some lovely rows of swiss chard and beets:

And right here are also four rows of bush green beans, just starting to flower.  My mouth waters in anticipation!

I'm trying scarlet runner beans this year, a different edible species (Phaseolus coccineus).  They are starting to climb the peas and will take over the trellis once the peas have died.

I am also trying zucchini for the first time this year.  One plant - and it's a monster already.  Everyone says they can't keep up with their zucchini plant(s).  That's why I have amassed an arsenal of tested zucchini recipes in preparation.  Do your worst!

Here are the melons, still pretty puny.  Those little green balls are immature apples falling from a nearby tree.

 

So what did we haul away this time?  Some swiss chard (see my previous post)

 

and a mess of peas.  We get this much or more, 2-3x a week.

 

Here is the "garden" of four self-watering containers, back at the apartment.

Lots of these baby tomatoes - can't wait.  I like paste tomatoes best.

 

And the peppers are on their way, too.

 

[twinpicks]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 1:13 AM

Wow! So you are close to nature - I hope to one day be able to grow a vegetable patch.

twinpicks

[Lb128f]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 1:17 AM Sweet!! And, yummy!! Good job!!

[tomatoqueen]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 1:32 AM I am soooooo jealous. I have lots of plants, but the Texas heat arrived a month early and is baking my plants. I have canned beets, but nothing else. The tomatoes are being eaten alive by spider mites. Normally, I have great luck, but the heat is a killer this year. The garden and your plants are GORGEOUS!  Hey, try cooks.com for lots of recipes. Our temperatures have already hit 100, so I am planning my fall garden instead of picking things from the spring garden. I am already planning my garden for next year.

[Jeangenie]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 9:05 AM great garden! Want to come over and help me out now? :)

[evasmamma]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 10:45 AM

wow, I'm so jealous right now! Right now we're growing, lima beans, squash, corn and red bell pepper. But because of the flood we had, some of it didn't make it =(

Your veggie garden is great though! I'm sure those beans taste wonderful!!

[karintha]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 1:03 PM awesome--thanks for sharing your beautiful garden

[CarrieH77]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 3:51 PM

Oh... how wonderful!!!

 

I love the idea of a garden... but as my husband ever so sweetly points out -- I kill any plant I touch.  I'm going to give it a good hard try this fall/winter and next spring.  I really want to have fresh veggies!!!!  I'll even sweat a little for them.

 

Your garden is so pretty --- and it looks delicious!

[stefanierios]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 4:58 PM

OMG!  Wow!  I love and envy your garden.  Mine is not near as beautiful.  My small plot of peas got eaten by rabbits when they were only a few inches high so no peas.  My corn sprouted early because of the outrageous hot and dry spell at the beginning of june so no corn.  I only planted 8 okra plants b/c I've never done them before and didn't know what to expect, but they are awesome, but I only have a little bit and I'm sure the rabbits have started nibbling on the okra and my squash plants.  Everytime I notice a new little squash, it disappears.  Dang rabbits!  They've finally discovered my garden after 4 years.  The heat pretty much killed all hopes of tomatoes this year, so no tomatoes.  I planted a huge amount of peppers this year, and they're starting to produce, but hardly any of the jalapeno plants are starting at all.   The early June heat also killed my mesclun lettuce and spinach. 

 I'm kinda disappointed in the garden this year, but last year I had enough tomatoes to can about 8 quarts and 8 pints, plus about another 8 pints in the freezer.  I'm going to be relying on the local farmers market for my vegetables this year.  I already canned 8 pints of local beets.

What material did you mulch with to keep the weeds away?  Are you fertilizing or just using rich soil?  Are you spraying with pesticides?  I don't use anything in my garden, which could be why it's kinda pathetic this year.

[MoonPenny]

Jul. 1, 2008 at 6:33 PM It looks beautiful!  You have quite the green thumb!

[tracelle]

Jul. 2, 2008 at 5:38 AM Healthy, healthy, healthy.    What a delicious joy to feed your family such fabulous food.    I have to go now and make a salad.   See ya.