Gardening

I picked our first goodness from the garden in town the other day - no, not anything I'd planted, it was a volunteer head lettuce that had come from seed from last year.  At any rate, it was lovely to have some fresh greens of our own.

My little salad garden here is coming along nicely as well and we can start harvesting some of the greens.

The peas are coming up nicely as well and I look forward to this wall being covered in peas for E to snack on.

My town garden is slowly starting to look like a garden. I always love to take photos of a garden when it is planted and then at times throughout the season.  It never, ever ceases to amaze me how things grow and the abundance we get from the ground.  In a very short time I won't be able to get through these pathways without brushing tomato plants loaded with tomatoes.  It truly is magical what can come from some seed and a patch of dirt.  I love this quote from Thoreau -
Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.

I too always expect wonders from seeds and I am never let down, I think seeds are truly magical.  Although I am perhaps just the teensiest bit let down about how my tomatoes and cukes look so far this year.  We've had very wet, cold weather so far this year compared to what we are used to and my warm crop veg are really showing their displeasure.  I've started giving them some nettle fertilizer in the hopes they will perk up a bit so we'll see, I think they'll start growing with enthusiasm as soon as it gets warmer.  Until then...no photos of the tomatoes! ;-)  Cold weather crops, like these cabbages, are quite happy though.

I'm also very excited that I was able to get some Sieglende seed potatoes at the Farmers Market last weekend.  I had already planted the rest of my potatoes but once we'd been introduced to the Sieglinde variety by a good-food-loving friend (via the Jamie Oliver roasted veg recipe), I knew I had to grow some.  They are E's favourite potato variety now.  My potatoes are planted in cages made from wire and I will just keep throwing more leaves on top as the plants grow (instead of hilling them with dirt).  It is a pretty good space saving way to grow them.

And, I've also been having a bit of fun with "honey holes" and planting squash and potatoes down on the front bank of this property.  I like to try to plant food wherever I can (no sense in limiting myself to a "proper" vegetable garden). ;-)  I always think that the worst that can happen is that things don't grow but...might as well try.  Right!?!  So these squash (as well as some pumpkins, potatoes and tomatoes) have been given a home on a bank in the hopes that their vines will grow down the bank and supply us with lots of squash to fill our coldroom.

They also have a lovely view of the lake so hopefully that will encourage them to grow even more.

I hope your garden is coming along too!