Allotment Update 02/04/13

Well I have been to plot B195 a few more times now and worked the ground a bit more. As it is such a large area and the weather not cooperating it has been difficult to accomplish as much as I would like. The work I have done over the past two weeks has been to dig and turn the soil, and remove as many of the weeds and their roots as possible. I did attempt to fix the largest retaining wall, but discovered it was a task I needed to leave for another time, or when I have a few people to help me. On Sunday I had my friend John assist me with digging and planting some early season vegetables, and start the sorting of bricks that had been piled on site. Anyone that works with me over the growing season will be payed with vegetables, as long as it is a good year for crop growing.

As I stated in my last post I would provide photos of new developments.

Carrots, radish, beets, beans, peas, parsnip, onions planted in these rows

The salvaged bricks(240) from the pile to its left against the hill

Courgette(zucchini), cucumber and pumpkin planted in these mounds

Where the carrots and other seeds are & one of the retaining walls I need to replace

The largest retaining wall I attempted to fix(near the gate), but decided to leave to a later date

Vegetable Garden 2012

Seeds purchased for the 2012 Vegetable Garden:

Basil
Beetroot
Broccoli
Carrot
Courgette(Zucchini)
Cucumber
Dwarf French Bean
Parsnip
Pea
Pepper(Sweet Mixed)
Red Onion
Rocket
Spinach
Squash(Butternut)
Tomato(Roma)
Thyme

So far I have planted the tomato, basil, spinach, pepper, carrot, parsnip, broccoli, pea, thyme and red onion.

First tomato seedling

Tomatoes in January when first planted

Tomatoes in March

Basil in March

Thyme planted only one week ago

Peas planted one week ago

I was a little ambitious and excited to start my planting, as I am each year, and because of this I am unable to keep my plants outside because of frost. I will be sure to plant later in the season next year so the house isn't overtaken with plants.

Vegetable Garden Update #6

One Weeks Harvest

All you see in the photo has been harvested over the last week. Too much zucchini and spaghetti squash has grown and I do not know what to do with it, so I have been donating it to people. The cherry tomatoes have a great taste, and I used a variety of tomatoes in a pasta sauce last week.

The garden is starting to wind down now, and the only things left to pick will be the swiss chard which will survive through frost and snow.

Craig

Vegetable Garden Update #5

Harvest of the Day

Spaghetti Squash, that I did not plant but sprouted from seeds leftover from a purchased one, Zucchini, Green and Yellow Beans, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes and Peas. I am hoping now that a few Tomatoes have ripened the rest start this coming week as I do not want them to rot.

Craig

Vegetable Garden Update #4

Harvest of the day

Yellow/green beans, hot peppers, peas and spaghetti squash

The mystery plants that started growing early on in the year have finally produced fruit and/or vegetables. What I thought was a melon from the previous post, is now believed to be Spaghetti Squash. Looking forward to trying these as they have sprouted from seeds from a plant bought from another vendor, and they look hearty. When Emma is here I will make a Spaghetti Squash Shepherds Pie from Chef Chuck Hughes, as I remember this episode from the winter months and it looked delicious. The zucchini's that have been picked have been donated to other people as I do not know what to do with that much, and my mom has made a wonderful Italian casserole style side-dish with tomato sauce, basil, onion and a topping of bread and cheese. The Italian casserole gave you a feeling of summer and a desire to travel to Italy.

More to come next week,
Craig

Vegetable Garden Update #3

Today's harvest: zucchini, yellow & green beans, peas

Garden looking to the East

Garden looking to the West

Mystery plant, could be a melon

Zucchini plant, notice all the flowers, and there are a lot more that have that many on them as well

Tomatoes

The garden has grown incredibly well since we have been receiving rain over the past week and a half. The tomatoes should start ripening in the next week and be picked in another two. There are now peppers on most of the plants and they will be able to be harvested in the coming weeks. More updates to come.

Craig

Vegetable Garden Update #2

First harvest of the year, and many more to come. I have been picking lettuce for a few weeks now, but today I picked some beetroot and the zucchini that I posted last week, so decided to take a photo of what the lettuce looks like.

Lettuce varieties, beetroot, and zucchini

More to come over the remainder of the summer, and into autumn.

Craig

Vegetable Garden Update #1

First Zucchini of the season

The rest of the plants are doing very well, the carrots have finally started to grow strongly, but not as many as I was hoping for considering last year they grew so well. Will take photos and keep the updates coming as the other plants start to produce vegetables.

Craig

Vegetable Garden

In 2010 I planted my first vegetable garden that I tended to mostly on my own. For most of my life our family has grown vegetables, but there were quite a few years that nothing was planted, and last year I decided it was time for me to learn how it is done. Well it is now 2011 and a new growing season is upon us. Unfortunately the month of April was really wet that I was not able to work the soil, and plant the few things that like the cooler temperatures at night. Along comes May and it is still not cooperating with me, but I at least start to work the soil by hand, as the rototiller is in the shop. Finally in June I have planted half of the seeds, and once things were a few weeks into the growing season I planted the other half of the seeds.

Garden viewed from the West

Tomato plants in the foreground, pepper plants to the right, beans and peas in the background, zucchini and mystery plants on the left.

Garden viewed from the East

Beets with mystery plant in the foreground, radish in same row as beets, varieties of lettuce on left, dill, beans and peas in row on right.

Radish

Beans(yellow or green)

Dill

Tomato

Thyme

Basil

Flat leaf Parsley

Rosemary

Zucchini

I wanted to make this a progress blog of the vegetable garden, but as I am a procrastinator it has been nearly a month since the garden has been planted, and you have not been able to see it progress from seedlings to maturity, but I will continue to post photos every other week, especially once the plants start getting larger and vegetables on them.

List of vegetables:

Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Flat Leaf Parsley
Variety of Tomatoes
Variety of Peppers
Variety of Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Dill
Carrots
Zucchini
Beets
Radish
Red Onion

Craig