2009 Veggie Garden

[lazygardner]

So, how is everyone's veggie garden now?
(This has been a most amusing thread to read.)

[JaneG]

Well, Karma started this thread back in JANUARY . . . (what was she thinking?) . . . and we finally had dry weather last week for the first time in weeks, dry enough for the garden to dry out and get tilled! We've had nothing but MUD up until now.

So, I finally got some things planted . . .
Tomatoes, mostly for preserving, (I don't eat fresh tomatoes, yucky), so there are Romas and Amish Paste tomatoes for that. As well as some Celebrity for DH to eat fresh.
Peppers, lots of bell, green, red and yellow. Also banana peppers and some hot ones, jalepeno, hungarian wax. I will make salsa and pepper jelly with these.
Cucumbers and zucchini, from my seed order from Parks (the Parks order was Karma's fault).
Carrots from Parks seeds.
Winter squash - Acorn, Butternut and Spaghetti, both bedding plants and some from Parks seed.
Still need to plant pole beans, but am having a heck of a time finding seeds locally and I forgot to include them in my Parks order!

We tilled up a new patch because DH wanted enough room to grow sweet corn. So there are six rows of sweet corn from Parks seed, I ordered Ambrosia and Sugar Buns. Karma always has good-looking corn and I'm sure hers will be taller than mine by the 4th of July!

Now the watering and weeding starts . . .

[nanny_56]

Well, the maters are growing, in fact one plant has blossoms that I should take off. It is too small for maters yet. I added a Better Belle for sweet peppers. My parsley is sad right now and of my 3 dill plants I grew 1 is gone. Eaten by a mysterious critter that is eating lots of my new seedling plants I have put out...

I filled up the rest of my space this year with sunflowers and Yvonne's Salvia! I have always want to grow sunflowers I have 4 diferent kinds, inlcuding the REALLY tall ones ...at least 3 have been broken off...but I have more seeds!! LOL

[lazygardner]

Sounds like the two of you have a good start for our area, despite the ravages of weather and woodchucks.
I've got to ask, What is pepper jelly???? O-O

[kHT]

We are slowly moving what is in the greenhouse to the garden area. Beans, peas, zuc, cucs, matoes and corn are all planted in the bed. With the corn
breaking the soil this past weekend. We put the radishes closer to the house on the north side so someone wouldn't forget them.

[JaneG]

LazyGardener, pepper jelly is just like fruit jelly . . . except it is spicy, a combination of sweet and spicy. We eat it on crackers with cream cheese or with meat. It's made with about 4 big bell peppers, maybe 3 jalepeno peppers, and a LOT of sugar. You can google for lots of recipes.

[lazygardner]

I'm afraid most of my veggies will be eaten as I pass by the garden on my way to work or on the way back into the house. My oven is currently being used as a cupboard and four of the three eyes on the stovetop don't even work. If it can't be cooked in the microwave, it will probably be eaten raw. Its kinda sad but, I just don't cook any more. I guess I am an even lazier cook than a lazy gardner!

[kHT]

In just a few short weeks the corn is up!

[govgirl75]

That is one nice block of corn.

[fiveacrefarmgirl]

Our corn is knee high, all the rest just getting started, although its been in the ground for almost a month...tis been soo cool, peppers are peppering, and tomatoes are tomatoing....potatoes are ready to dig, herbs are ready to cut...my hothouse tomatoes are with tomatoe....

[nanny_56]

Tomatoes are forming...pepper plants have flowers...my squash plants have little squash...IT IS GOOD!!!

[kHT]

Progress report . . . . . growing and no messenger! As you can see we have just planted a second crop
of a differ variety for late fall picking. We are picking blueberries which you can see in the photo too!
I need to cut the bushes back some to get to the berries.

[JaneG]

You have such pretty gardens!!! Even the veggie garden!!! My corn is doing great, maybe just a wee bit farther along than yours . . . but I won't be posting any pictures of it because it's in the far back corner of the yard next to the burn barrel and drainage ditch . . and isn't pretty like yours. I have enough trouble keep the pretty gardens pretty, can't manage it with the veggies too. But they don't mind being the ugly duckling, and everything they produce will be devoured! I pull the weeds and the plants grow for me, that's our agreement!

Seriously Karma, I don't know how you do it!! Oh, and thanks for the recommendation. Our first planting of corn is Sugar Buns and Ambrosia that I ordered from Parks after you recommended Park Seed Co. Can't wait to taste them. It will be nice to have something other than the usual Sugar and Cream or Silver Queen that are so common around here.

[kHT]

Thanks JaneG, I just put one foot in front of the other and keep going until it's done! It's just a passion for this
simple housewife. Do keep me posted on how you like that new corn.

[JaneG]

We had a storm last night with strong winds and driving rain . . . anyone who's farmed in the midwest knows what "downed corn" is . . . well that's what happened to my patch of sweet corn, more than half of it is laying over. The wind was blowing from the southwest, it looks like something just rolled through garden and smashed it all down with the stalks pointing to the northeast!

We'll leave it and some of it will continuing growing and even develop ears, but it won't thrive. I guess it's time to put in another planting of corn!!!

Well Karma, now you OFFICIALLY have the best lookin' plot of corn . . . 'cause mine is really looking pathetic right now!!

[kHT]

Oh Jane, that is terrible!! What we do when that happens if put in PVC and rope/heavy string to set it up right and pray it makes it.

[Gardentoad]

I picked my first fully ripe tomato today.
It is a Celebrity.

I just had to share.

[JaneG]

Good for you!!! My garden is really slow this year . . . not enough of those hot summer days that the vegetable garden thrives on. We've had lots of cool weather and rain this year. My neighbor has 2 ripe tomatoes, mine are still green and marble-sized! The only thing we've harvested are a couple jalepeno peppers. I'm expecting Zucchini and Cucumbers any day now, if the sun will shine!!!

[nanny_56]

All the tomato plants have lots of green tomatoes on them. Have little peppers on the Poblano's, flowers on the bell pepper plant. And some crook neck squash is about ready for pickin'!!

[kHT]

Gardentoad, congrats!! Aren't those the best tomatoes around? It will be a while before we enjoy one here, lots of blooms!!