Summer in the garden

I have been too busy with real life, to keep up with the blog, but here's an over-due report on what's been going on.

A few weeks ago we held a workshop "Seed to Flower" with Star Elementary first graders. 43 kids total - together in the garden! We managed well, working in two groups - planting seeds and painting garden labels that the kids could take home with a seed packet.

All the seeds have germinated and the sunflowers and zinnias are growing well! Huge thanks goes out to my helpers: Anna, Rhonda and Heidy! Also to the Star Elementary first graders and their teachers!

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The garden annex has already given us a crop of beets and potatoes.

Onions and garlic need more time, but we should get another crop of potatoes next week. Deer got in the garden on day and chomped on winter squashes and sweet potatoes, but I have since put more fishing line on the posts - so keep your fingers crossed that they will stay out from now on!

Beautiful moments from the garden:

 Yesterday Anna helped me build a trellis for cucumbers. I decided to try something different this year, instead of the tri-pods we've been using. We used monofilament to tie the bamboo strips that I cut. I then tied up the vines - to keep them off the ground. There are already cukes on the vines! CSA members - you may get your first taste of cukes for the year next week!

 Same goes for squash - it is coming along nicely. This year I am trying a new variety - "flying saucer" - it looks striking already. There are also a few "costata romanesco" plants that have made it.

I'd like to also say THANK YOU to Eddie and Angela, who's garden has supplied the CSA with lettuce for last few weeks!

There is no doubt - summer is here!

It's a'growing...

Well, we have had an unusual spring this year. We've had it all - the hot and the cold days, the beautiful summery evenings and the near freezing temperatures as late as just a few days ago. I don't remember it ever getting that cold so late in the spring, but then again - I have not been around here all that long:)

The gardens are growing:) The CSA is starting up next week. As always I am starting the season off stressed - will I have enough variety and volume to get through this year's CSA?!?! All I know is - it always works out some way or the other. Where one crop fails - another will produce double, and we just have to go with the flow. The hardest thing is to plot the timing and order of plantings. I'm not very good at it, but have gotten better over the last few years.
We're starting the season with Pac Choi, Swiss Chard, some salad greens and herbs. Hopefully there will be some Kale to harvest as well.

I keep forgetting to take pictures of the garden, but here are some flowers in a bouquet, that are blooming now.

This particular orange "Knock-out" rose is my absolute favorite! I bought it, a distressed plant - way past it's planting time, 3 years ago, on sale. It looked so sad I did not think it would make it. Plus, I'd always heard how hard it is to grow roses... Well, let me tell you - it is a monster now - I prune it back severely each February, and it comes back more ferocious than ever and blooms from mid April through November, granted we don't have bad frosts. It smells heavenly and the color is the most cheerful range of sunshine! I don't do anything special for it, other than put some banana peels by it's roots every now and then. The Japanese Beetles do a job on it too every summer, but it just keeps coming back happy and thankful:)

The russian sage in the forefront is also a favorite, and the snap dragons keep coming back each year:) I think those were planted with some of the first kids that took a workshop with me.

The "Annex" is looking good! It is full now, potatoes are about to bloom, and I've already had to snap back the first garlic scapes. It takes a lot of cardboard to keep it mulched...

Phil and Anna built a compost bin for the garden a few weeks ago, so it's starting to look good:)

So far (knock on wood) the fencing has been helpful and has kept the deer out. Flea beetles are quite rampant - they love potato leaves. Maybe I will go and sprinkle some Diatomaceous Earth on them next week. I planted some Butternut, Banana and Spaghetti Squash and a variety of small melons there last week also. Keep your fingers crossed:)

Some on the things that have been planted in the original garden include: Cucumbers (White Wonder, Harmonie and a Lithuanian variety, forgot the name) Squash (Flying saucer, Patty Pan, Costata Romanesco), Lettuces (Wild Garden Mix), Carrots (White Satin, Atomic Red, Sugarsnax) Beets (Cylindra, Merlin), Radishes...

I'm probably forgetting something.

Tomatoes will go in in the next few weeks, the peppers and eggplants will follow.

Some of the Tomato varieties include: 

Dad's Sunset, 

Pineapple Tomato 

Defiant

Cherokee Purple

Japanese Truféle or Triféle 

Speckled Roman 

And a new variety I'm very curious about: Indigo Rose 

There are many more varieties. Most of the seeds I have saved from previous years, but always try something new. The "Indigo Rose"  and "Defiant" are the trial ones this year. Indigo Rose is supposed to be open pollinated, so should be able to save seed for next year. Defiant is the only Hybrid this year, and will not produce offspring true to the mother plant as far as I know...

Another new this year is a ground or husk cherry or tomatillo: Variety Goldie:

Small orange berry with a husk.

A conversation piece at markets, well liked by children. This old-fashioned tomato family member bears 1/2- 3/4" sweet golden berries inside papery husks, resembling small, straw-colored Japanese lanterns. Another name is "Cape Gooseberry," and the flavor is similar: quite sweet and a bit wild. Plants are profusely branching, prolific, and drop ripe fruits. Fruits can be eaten raw, dried like raisins, frozen, canned, or made into preserves, cooked pies, and desserts. 

Thanks to Johnny's Seeds for the seeds, and images!

It is bloom time

Plum is in full bloom. Peach is following close by and pear is chasing both.

Look closely. Who do you see on this picture?! I've identified those as Harlequin bugs.

Stinky, ferocious, un-relentless buggers. They usually show up sometime in June.

Well. It is NOT JUNE! But those guys were on my overwintered Arugula, having 

a party. Squashed them all.  It is only a glimpse of what awaits us this summer.

Greenthumbs everywhere - beware - this will be the buggiest year yet to remember.

Mushroom logs are done.

Our annual Mushroom Workshop was this past Saturday. Twenty one people participated this year.
Hugh Martin did a presentation about mushroom growing to get everyone up to speed with the Shiitake mushroom and how to grow them in one's back yard. I had prepared a mushroom-lentil-barley soup and mushroom pies for the tasting and we also learned about re-hydrating dried mushrooms and sauteed those so that everyone could get the taste of what's to become about a year from the inoculation of the logs. Greg Bender walked everyone through the details of the inoculating process and shared his many years of experience growing the Siitakes.

Shawn from Dezern Farms drilling the logs. We used some angle grinders this year instead of drills - and it made this part of the process a breeze!!!

Greg Mender instructing how to fill the drilled holes with sawdust spawn using the palm style inoculator.

Dean Yates and his grand daughter working together. This can be a fun family activity!

Thank you everyone who came out this weekend, I hope you had fun! Thank you Greg and Hugh for all your help! Lets hope we all will be eating yummy mushrooms off those logs next year!

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I would like to bring your attention to an event that is taking place very soon in Raleigh.

The Guinea Fowl International is having their seventh "Small Flock Poultry and Guinea Fowl Conference."

Clicking on the link will take you to their web-page with more information!

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Please don't forget to sign up for the STARworks Garden CSA this year. It's promising to be better than ever.
Happy spring everyone!

They have emerged