Somewhere around the 6th year of The Pickleman Family Garden on #hive. What started as a reclamation of lawn and repurposing to a simple garden veggie box has become and expanding and perpetual yearly tradition of exploration.
This edition, I am just started with the challenge of spending as little as possible and growing as much as possible.
Where we started...
Oh yah. It was a long winter and I took my time letting it get into spring before I did much about it.
Here we are a couple weeks in after some planting and mowing and fortifying. We are on our way to Veggietown!
Rain
We had a few sunny days after planting the seedlings and an almost emptying of the rain barrel for watering them every night. Seemingly at the perfect moment, the rain came and went. Over and over splitting time with the bright spring sunshine. Could be great for some growin'!
Tomatoes Galore
I let the girls pick the plants and where they went. Who am I to deny help and my little one has spent the semester in Green Industries class. I popped a huge muff of oregano from another bed to live with the tomatoes. Little did I know, they were about to plant 9 tomato plants ranging from Beefsteak to cherry. This is going to become a tomato jungle packed this close and I am going to have to do some serious pruning and vining. I have some expensive fertilizer to keep them going and am pumped for a bumper crop. Hope I don't jinx myself.
Peppers
I should have been named Zeke Pepperman for how much I love growing, eating and processing hot peppers. I couldn't find my favourite giant jalapeno variety but did find a standard one for a few bucks at a grocery store. One of the milder peppers I like to grow.
Among the hottest peppers I grow are Ghost Peppers. Some of the meanest heat you can imagine and the even smallest addition to a hot sauce makes it painfully almost inedible. I have some bottom branch knocking off to do as this is growing like a weed and everything below the first few flowers must go.
Squash
My girls are partial to spaghetti squash and zucchini. This is going to be a mess. Those leaves grow so big and they will battle for the end of the raised bed with the cucumbers. A couple yellow cucumber seedlings and a packet of English cucumber seeds planted in the corner. If I can get the cucumbers up into the sun and let the squash crawl around the ground, I might do alright.
Speaking of pickles, I have a couple sprouts popping in an area that has the most sun in the middle of the yard. I haven't had much luck with the pickles ironically so maybe this will be my year. Pickling them with a ghost pepper in the jar might make some wild hot pickles.
Greens & Strawberries
More rain and a past due mow and we are off and growing. I took the chainsaw to the tree and cleaned up anything under 8 feet so there might actually be more sunlight and airflow for the veggies. Raspberry and mint are already grappling for space in the flower bed and the lillies have thrown up plenty of green to start filling things in. Not a bad start to what hopefully will be a season of growing, eating and sharing.
We are experimenting with these little nets this year over the greens bed and strawberry patch. I am not sure how effective they will be with dogs and rabbits who enjoy going to war on my garden boxes. I have already walked out to find a rabbit under the net happily feasting on strawberries.
I caught him before he ate them all though and there looks to be plenty to go around in the next couple weeks.
Herbs are doing alright in the rail planters. Dill and cilantro, Italian parsley and thyme. With the oregano and basil, I should be cooking up some delicacies this summer and will have too much to dry for the winter.
Blooms
I have continued to collect pictures of all the flowers in the garden and yard. These peonies were planted a couple decades ago by the original house owner and still come up strong and early every year. They are just loving the rain and I haven't had to water them yet this season.
Even the gnome hanging out in the lavender seems to be enjoying the weather so far this spring. A good start to gardening season for sure.
Mom started me along my path of growing stuff when I was a kid. Motivated by so many blockchain blogging gardeners, I figured I would plant and share and learn as I reclaim as much grass space as I can. It has turned out to be a fruitful experience and I hope to inspire you to sow and grow no matter what your location or experience level is.
Wherever you are...JUST GROW!
I am honoured to curate for:
