Memorial Day Harvest Monday

The garden has been more productive so far this year than any other. This is a very special May edition harvest Monday. We got our first Sungold cherry tomato today. That, and all of the other tomato plants have good sized regular tomatoes. We will keep our fingers crossed that the great squirrel incident of 2011 is behind us.

We have been in lettuce and spinach for about the last month. I would guess a couple more weeks is all we can squeeze out, especially since it is getting hotter. Again this year I can't say enough good things about Baker Creek's Rocky Top lettuce mix. It grows early to late and produces lots and lots of lettuce. Their spinach also produces over a pretty long season. Ours is going to seed and is still producing good tasting leaves. This year I also tried an old french romaine. Since we don't have lots of sun it doesn't produce heads but we pick when the leaves get large. The flavor is so much different than the grocery store types. 

The basil and Italian parsley are really taking off in the heat. 

We have been eating peas for the last couple weeks. They are coming to a close. I bet there is one more big harvest before I turn that bed under for the peppers. And drumroooooool!

Plant at Christmas, harvest scrapes at Memorial Day, and harvest at Fourth of July. Over the last week or so I have been able to harvest a couple pounds (we have a lot of garlic planted) of garlic scrapes. Last week I made a fantastic green garlic pesto with them. We have enough for one more big batch. If only for this reason, planting lots of garlic is well worth it. 

Early May Garden Tour

I don't want to say it too loud, but the garden probably looks the best it ever has at this point in the season. All of the beds are up and running. This year we are putting pickling cucumbers in 4 of the beds.

Boy can we grow garlic. We used up the last of our frozen stock so it is time.

I was gone last week and got a little behind on the greens. These need to get significantly cut back.

This bed has some tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers. 

The peas are all blooming. Last year I did a pea rack which worked well but required a bunch of maintenance. This year I am trying a simpler approach. You can see the drip hoses. I got these installed early anticipating a hot and dry summer.

The last bed is more tomatoes and cucumbers with radishes interplanted. My peppers are just hanging out in the herb bed waiting for the peas to finish. Buying peppers in April was probably a bit ambitious. 

Don't scare it. The sungold cherry tomatoes actually have tomatoes. It has been pretty wet so hopefully the squirrels will leave these alone. 

Not a bad harvest. Greens and spinach are plentiful, radishes are coming, and some of the softneck garlic is ready. 

Prepare to Be Amazed

Last weekend I surprised Sam by taking her to an extra special place in Kansas City. Here is Sam at the world's oldest waterbed store, which is also America's oldest futon store. Aren't two for ones great.