It was a very wet and cold spring, to be followed suddenly by a very hot...spring. Ah, Virginia. Because of finals and such I was a month late getting the crops in the ground. May 15 this time , although I did plant the potatoes in the last week of march. Also, I added a Fuji apple tree as well as a red delicious apple tree to replace the one I had to cut down. Not to be left out, 2 blueberry varieties were also planted to replace the azalea's that died.
The driveway bed has been extended an additional 32 square feet. Baring any major changes to the property (a tree coming down) this should be the furthest extent of the garden.
On with the pictures, I will provide rolling commentary as usual.
This is the fuji apple tree leaves up close. Sadly they are suffering from cedar apple rust, even though there are no cedar trees around, but there are apple trees. Apparently Fuji apples are susceptible. The red delicious is not however, and it looks fine. Meem oil is on the way to spray on the leaves.
These are the blueberry bushes. Look at those blueberries, look at those holes in the leaves. Guess what they are? Yep, Slug Sappers. Meem works there too, they also "sluggo" works as well. Guess what I already have? They want a war, they got it.
This is the whole grander from the foot of the driveway up. Potatoes up front. They are doing very well up there, I have never seen them this healthy looking. I did pay for the seed potatoes though, but these are impressive. Let's hope the tubers are as good.
A more close up picture of the potatoes. Yes, that is cow poo they are growing in, which The Littlest Giant loves to play with. "cow poo, crush." :)
Eggplant with parsnips on the side. Still waiting on the eggplant to do....something. I am not very successful with that crop so far.
Evening sun sunflowers and peanuts. They peanuts that didn't get eaten seem to be doing well. They have really cute little yellow flowers on them too. Besides the apples and the blueberries, these are the first plants to flower this season.
This is the second of 2 beds dedicated to the 3 Sisters this season. This was planted at the beginning of June. No hills this year, they just washed away last time and I don't want a repeat. I might just do a full fledged milpa next year depending on how this goes. Well, minus the 8 year fallow period.
The first of the two 3 Sisters plots, this one now has beans that were planted when the second plot was planted. The beans are still growing faster than the maize even though I waited a month. I think next year I need to get the maize in in April and then wait till June for the beans, I have already had to untangle some as they were choking the stalks.
Amaranth and sunflowers. I used to think, "no way can the amaranth grow to 3 meters." It's almost 2 now. I think it can. The sunflowers are a second planting as the robins took all the seeds from the first one.
Peppers. Back to front: jalapeño, banana, yes those are tiny bells which I had to replant when it was good and hot out, like 100 degrees, and I have completely forgotten the last variety. I will edit that later. I am so glad the bells came up. I basically have to wait until its really hot, or start them inside next year.
Watermelon to the left, muskmelon (honeydew) to the right. Growing quite nicely and flowering.
Some intensives here. From left to right: tomatoes, carrots, 2 huge onions from last season, tomatoes, carrots, tomatoes, evening sun sunflowers. Carrots and tomatoes are apparently companion crops like the 3 Sisters.
What is not shown is Ye Olde Pumpkin Patch, which currently has nothing but did have spinach and lettuce. Both grew well, but because they were so far in the backyard, I was lazy and didn't harvest all the time. The spinach was great, not enough lettuce grew to get a sample. Dunno why. They went in the same time the potatoes did, but I will do them earlier next year, or even plant them in the fall. The pumpkins get planted here (and in the 3 Sisters beds) Independence Day weekend. That's it for now.
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