- While we enjoyed a small but surprising amount of cherries, blueberries and strawberries in the early part of the summer, the birds soon discovered them and we haven't had any in more than a month now. However, our aronia berry bushes are fruiting. I don't quite know what to do with aronia berries. No one will really eat them. We've been trying to do more smoothies but haven't been too successful in that. I have included them in those. Mostly I have been eating them on my oatmeal with a little maple syrup. They are super, super healthy so I've got to learn to incorporate them into my diet more effectively.
- We did have a surprising little peach harvest on one of our new trees. The two nectarine trees aren't productive yet, but we had a little boon of peaches. So I harvested them, blanched, peeled, sliced and froze them. I hope to make a gluten free paleo peach crisp soon. Maybe tomorrow for Granddad's birthday.
- Our vegetable garden is not that productive. I'm disappointed. I think I am just not paying enough attention to the soil. I do think we have nitrogen deficient soil. I've been putting coffee grounds sporadically around the various plants. We've gotten a steady trickle Italian plum tomatoes and some cherry tomatoes. But we've only had one big salad tomato (which was absolutely scrumptious) and hardly any of the other tomatoes. What happens is they are growing very slowly and not ripening. I am sure I need to do research into how organically to help them out. But my brain can only handle so much information and I am scattered in all the different things I am doing rights.
- No melons have started growing. None. They flower, but no fruit. Same with the pumpkin in the front yard. What gives?
- I planted two bell pepper plants. One fruited one pepper which went bad on the plant. The other gave me one pepper that we ate. That's it. Then they got diseased.
- I planted two cucumbers - one bush and one vine. The vine one got attacked by some kind of pest. The bush one has been the most productive thing in my veggie garden. We have gotten really delicious cucumbers off of it. I am going to plant that again next year.
- I got one cutting of lettuce from my butter crunch spring planting.
- The onion chives, basil and mint have done well. Hooray!
- I harvested a bunch of tiny bitter carrots. We ate a few in salads where they were mixed in with lots of other things and salad dressing to make them palatable. Then I just forgot about the rest and they went all soft. I'm not sure how to keep carrots crisp. So I dumped them in the compost.
- We planted corn and I think chipmunks ate all the kernels because nary a one came up.
- We planted a bed of sunflowers. So far only one had blossomed. Next year I am going to plant sunflowers in a regular garden bed and use that 5th raised bed for veggies.
Fall Garden plans:
- I am not giving up! I took the old failed bed for corn and planted it with a new kind of carrot and radishes for the fall. First I added some composted manure and organic topsoil. I am trying to germinate them under burlap. I just planted this yesterday morning. We'll see!
- I bought 4 little arugula seedlings and just planted those where I had the carrots.
- I am trying to germinate romaine and another type of butter lettuce in the fridge. I have three cardboard egg cartons which I planted with seeds and then stuck in the fridge for 4-6 days. No germination so far though. Then I am supposed to plant them in the bed and cover with mulch to keep roots from getting too hot.
- I also plan to try broccoli and red cabbage. And sugar snap peas, at some point in the near future. I am going to have to take out some of the unproductive tomato plants, amend the soil and then plant.
- Even though I feel like a crappy gardener, I am undaunted (so I tell myself). I need to persevere. I think I am only going to learn by doing. I just don't take instruction well from reading about stuff. Watching videos helps some, but mostly I think the only way for me to learn is by experience.
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