Wednesday, June 17, 2009

How Does My Garden Grow

I got brave this year with some help from my son-in-law and planted a slightly larger garden that I had last year. A little more variety, but missed planting a few things too. But, considering how much luck I don't usually have when it comes to growing things, I am really ecstatic to post these pictures of my garden today!

First off, you must take into consideration that my son-in-law didn't get the old sandbox filled and the soil/mulch mix spread out over the sandbox till the first week in June, so I was really late sewing anything. And the fact that as of right now, everything I planted there -via seeds -is now coming up! WOO HOO!
Here's an overview of my entire garden. In this shot, you can't see EVERYTHING that's coming up so I took some other shots to show you all of the veggies in process here.
From left to right here's a row of corn, some cucumbers and the first row of green beans. I planted the cukes and beans about 2 1/2 weeks ago and the corn, just got that in there last Thursday. On Sunday, I didn't see any trace of the corn; Monday there were two or three little green nubbins poking up and yesterday -a whole bunch was up and almost two inches high too! Today, it looked like they'd grown a bunch just overnight! Amazing.
Two rows of green beans of two different varieties but I don't remember their names now but don't they look nice from this shot?
However, on closer inspection of the beans, you'll see there is some kind of blight affecting the leaves. I googled "beans-blight" and got information that this is one of three kinds of blights that affect green beans and it tells a bit of how to prevent this from happening -get disease-free seeds (how can you tell if the seeds are disease free or not) and don't plant beans in that spot again but nothing as to what one can put around or on the beans to prevent this from spreading, getting worse, killing the plants or even if the beans do produce, are they harmed by the blight and thus, not edible? So many questions.
My row of peas looks pretty nice, don't 'cha think?
The 1/2 row of beets is nice and thick -looks good so far too.
And here's the 1/2 row of carrots I planted too. There doesn't seem to be that many of them that came up but they look okay to me, so far.
And, some leaf lettuce -the kind my Grandpa always grew. I could hardly wait in the early summer till the lettuce was big enough to pull some leaves, along with a couple spring onions and then, chop the lettuce, slice theose green onions really fine and top them with a dressing of vinegar, water and sugar! Yummy! My favorite kind of toss salad, bar none.
Now on this one, you're gonna have to get a magnifiying glass to see the tiny, teeny little green specks in the middle of the dirt there which are onions that just came through today. Yesterday, they weren't even visible! Normally, folks here get onion sets and put them in the ground long about the early-to-middle of May and since these were planted from seeds, just last Thursday I think, I was really wondering if they would even come up at all, since I was so late planting them but to my surprise, when I checked the plants today, there they were, starting to come up!

Now, everyone hold your breath and hope for the best for my plants and for me!

Anytime I try to plant anything at all, much less this much and of a vegetable garden variety, it is always a crap shoot whether anything will grow at all, whether any veggies will actually appear on the plants and if they will grow to a decent size too then.

Right now, I'm crossing my fingers and toes, watching to see how my green garden grows!

Yeah, I'm a poet and don't know it, 'cept my feet do, cause they're Longfellows.

Okay, enough of the dumb humor tonight. Say a prayer for my poor little plants, will ya please?

8 comments:

lattégirl said...

It is so satisfying to make things grow. If things continue at that pace, you'll be up to your eyeballs in vegetables in no time.

Shelby said...

Ahhh what a great garden!!! I don't have one this year.. and I'm so sad about that... maybe next year. Do post more about how it grows this summer!! I absolutely love gardens.

Alex the Girl said...

God gifted me with not one, but TWO brown thumbs...if I ain't killin it, it wasn't alive to begin with. My daughter, on the other hand, just has to stick it in the ground for it to grow. Maybe I should get her to plant and tend a garden for me. I love garden fresh green beans and carrots.

Your garden looks like it is off to a great start. Keeping my fingers crossed that it keeps growing green.

Maggie May said...

You look as though you are an expert gardener! Hope the slugs don't get there.
If I had more room, I would like to do the same. I tried to grow lettuce in pots, but what with the scaffolders & the roof renovations, they haven't done too well.
Might try again next year!

Kanani said...

growing my own vegetables and fruits was one of the most rewarding times in my life. I miss those days. I was really lucky to have had a house at one time where the former owner had set up 9 boxes with fine soil. I literally went in and had it set out for me!

I know your garden is a great source of peace and pride. As it should be!

Sandee said...

I've got a green thumb with house plants, but a garden is something else. It's that cross pollination thing that I can't quite figure out.

Good luck with your garden. Have a terrific day. :)

Suldog said...

More power to you. I have been magnificently unsuccessful in growing things. I've kept a poinsettia alive for about three years now - that's my biggest success. Everything else dies.

Anonymous said...

Your garden looks great. I have one tomato plant. :) I am looking forward to my home grown tomatoes though!