Start of my garden journaling routine for 2011!

So 1.5 months has past since I posted last, and MY how things have changed.  Honestly I spend so much effort in the spring to get the garden ready, that I almost feel like I want winter to come ... NOT!  Ok- but I have been super busy this year. I think the difference is that I taught ALOT of classes this season to try to inspire and ignite the home food gardening passion :) in people.  More on that later- back to my garden!  I also added 16 new beds to my garden, soo.....that probably has added the exhaustion I feel.  I think the reason I love keeping this garden journal is so I know how much gardening I am capable of!  I have to remind myself that I work full time, have Broden age 5, Skyla age 1.5, a house, a husband, and friends to spend time with.  So listen, if you are reading this, if I can do it, ANYONE CAN!

So here we are, end of May, and I have been eating and gardening for a few months now!  Hot weather veggies went in around May 10th or so .... and today I shoved in the last few tomatoes that volunteered themselves, and I don't have the heart to compost them!  So here is the round up of what I have done UNTIL THIS POINT:

In the kitchen garden (KG) I current have the following growing:

• Bok choi
• 2 beds of Egyptian walking onions
• Okra
• purple kale
• golden beets
• red beets
• cilantro
• parsley
• cutting celery (a variety Gale loves....it is sweet)
• asparagus
• 3 types of eggplant
• rattlesnake pole beans
• cabbage
• 4 types of lettuce
• swiss chard
• Suyo long cucumber
• Mici cucumber
• strawberries
• dills
• 2 types of peas (estancia and xxx)
• New Zealand spinach
• Curly blue kale
• Calendula, marigolds, petunias
• Assorted potatoes (in grow bags)
• Artichokes
• sunflowers
• bush beans
• lots of onions!
• spinach

So until the spring stuff starts bolting, things are abit full!

In the pumpkin patch area, I am growing: (note the stink bugs loved the pumpkins so much I am not planting them this year.....)

• Purple Viking figerling potatoes
• Red russet potatoes
• Rainbow tomato
• Egg Yolk cherry tomato
• Chocolate mint (from Julie's house!)

In the 'main garden' I decided to plant things that I don't need to check on that often.  I find with little kids I just don't have time to go down to the garden (it isn't that far .... but every second counts!) So I growing:

• (3) beds of potatoes, red norlands and a bunch of classic keepers ( German butterball, Katahdin, Green Mountain, Red Pontiac, Russet Burbank)
• (3) beds of tomatoes: Juliets,  Mexico, Japanese Black Trifele, Kosovo, Opalka, Black Russian, Striped Roman, Green Zebra, Black Cherokee, Virginia Sweets, Black Icicle, Mr. Stripey, Black Sea Man, and a few others I will remember later!)
• Drying beans- both pole and bush
• (1) bed of garlic
• (2) beds of Asparaugs.  Planted this year, 3- year roots
• (1) large Rhubard bed (2 types)
• (1) bed for bush delicata
• Peppers - Thai Hot and Serrano
• Strawberries
• and some TBD squash

Overall I am VERY happywith my main garden because last fall I composted all my healthy dead vegetation on all the beds, so to start teh winter they were all 3-4 ft high.  Then over the winter they fell abit, I added 6 inches of composted horse manure, laid down soaker hoses, AND covered with landscape fabric!  All this means, NO WEEDS, HAPPY PLANTS, and little maintenance for me :)  I also mulched all the aisles with straw and I just love the soft look of my garden.

So can I say, that is it!  ha! 

Other things of note:

• New Zealand spinach reseeded itself, sweeet!
• Heirloom petunias reseeded themselves, I then planted with tomatoes, in hanging baskets, and by the stairs to the house
• Bought too many tomatoes at Gale's....
• Not growing sweet potatoes unless I grow them from my sweets. I honestly don't eat the potatoes much, but LOVE the leaves!

People who made this garden possible:

• My dad, for building me the best kitchen garden EVER! And for reinforcing my deer fencing!  And for finding straw on teh side of the road for my paths!
• A friend name Julie was wonderful to give me 7 bales of straw (albeit moldy) but perfect for my paths!
• George, for providing me a massive amount of 'black gold' and dropping it off with his dumper truck, WHAT A LIFE SAVER!
• My mom for planting flowers around the pond, great for pollinators, and for people who say I only grow vegetables!
• Gale, for growing the best tomatoes and veggie transplants EVER!

Ok, next post will have actual garden updates on a ROUTINE basis!