Garden Report

Potatoes are waning but they're still impinging on the herb bed. As the sun lowers and the potatoes die down, the herbs should reclaim their full sun. In the back left, really tall milkweed.

As the garlic comes out over the last few weeks, the fall brassicas have been filling in. These are brussel sprouts, the first planted, into the space previously occupied by garlic 'Xian.' I've never grown these before, but have planned it for years. Notable this season is a lack of cabbage moths -not complaining!

 

Eggplant fruit coming on now.

Green beans, from purple to roma, prolific and easy as ever.

All peppers are fruiting, some large. Only difficulty is that the plants can hardly hold their large fruit and that I shouldn't be so lazy as to try to break a pepper off the plant instead of going for the pruner. What happens? Well, I break the whole pepper plant in half.

In complete opposite of last year, all our tomatoes are suffering blight. Could have come in on our purchased compost, or maybe because we planted in last years potato and eggplant beds. Hard to avoid poor rotation in a compact garden. Next year I think these beds will be garlic and the garlic beds will be tomatoes. All that can be done now is watch the tomatoes try to outgrow the blight.

More brassica as the Porcelain garlic 'Music' has come out. As two more varieties of garlic are harvested over the weekend, even more brassica will go in. Above is kale started from seed in the greenhouse.


These giant pompoms, hydrangea actually, were moved from the south side of the house last year. We planted them in a great arc around the curving lawn-driveway. They are quite garish, but they keep the plow truck and other skiddish drivers from driving over the lawn and garden in summer and winter (thanks to the long lasting dried flower sepals), and maybe they keep the deer at bay. Maybe.

And we've finally started digging into the soil for new potatoes. Above: Kennebec russet, Pontiac, and Yukon Gold. Thanks to the quantity of compost and straw they came out with little soil and easy to clean.

I've been very busy with many things, from door and sill replacement, old deck removal, job searching and applications, studio building projects, contractors and everything I can't stand about some of them, photographing, studio painting, my class Landscape into Art which runs on the twenty third of July, a bit of socializing, gallery going, and even a music festival in a corn field last weekend. Blogging has had to take a back seat to all this (as well as taking quality photos for them), but rest assured -I was able to plant half of my milkweed over the septic drain field and beyond yesterday. Progress.

Summer Solace

One of the benefits of getting to one's vegetable garden first, before summer's work begins in earnest, is not having to think about the garden at all when you are knee deep in summer's work. It grows itself, mostly, with an intensity only paralleled by the solstice's long day. 

  

One of the beauties of growing garlic is that it's harvest hardly coincides with any garden task other than weeding. By now, the first of the garlic is near completely exhumed (briefly hesitated to dredge up this word), and like any darkling, it mustn't be cast into the bright light. The first pulling is in the shade of the porch, but the full harvest is likely to be dispatched to the cellar. Here, in the midst of harvest, is Xian, a Turban strain, and one of the best for flavor and earliness. Turban's lodge, or fall over, as a way of telling unsuspecting gardeners that they need help -getting out of the ground.

At about the same time sizeable beaks are swirling above the Asiatic strains -here Asian Tempest and Japanese. These will be harvested next, not long after the Turban strains, and sometimes before.

Meanwhile the Porcelain strains have had their scapes (flowering stalk) cut, ready to be pickled or grilled or sauteed or...just don't leave them in the fridge too long before doing something with them. Behind the Porcelain are the Rocambole (shorter in the middle) and Purple Stripe. 

The French Grey shallots have also been pulled. I find that the height of the crabgrass is a useful indicator for timing the shallot harvest. Left behind are the Artichoke and Silverskin strains, those hardy bulbs that we use through next winter and deep into the following spring. 

When the the crabgrass first sprouts, it's the best time to get your peppers in, but I didn't heed the crabgrass this season. No, I put the peppers in a couple of weeks early -listening to the lambsquarters maybe. They're doing fine anyways, although I do think they are showing a little too soon.

Broccoli? Yes! And from seed no less. In spring? Yes! And no cabbage moths to boot. A quick, small-headed variety seed-started on May one and hardly two months later boom -broccoli. Go figure. I've got some of those very same starts in their deep cells holding back growth inside the greenhouse. They'll be put into the garlic beds as they clear.

Green beans? Not so fast. I seed-started these in the greenhouse on May one and planted them out a two or three weeks later. Nice flowers, no beans yet.

Cucumbers before June 21? Why, yes. I purchased a cell pack of four Spacemaster cukes from Shady Acres and planted them in pots raised well off the ground.

They won't ever reach the ground, that's why they're called spacemaster. They do put on an impressive display of cucumbers and have produced a handful of medium sized eaters before the solstice. I've seeded my own, too, to replace these after they give up.

Tomatoes, well that's asking a lot, isn't it? But among our six strains (of three varieties -plum, grape, and, uh, heirloom beefsteak?) these grape tomatoes, called Red Pearl, are way good producers.

 

In fact the deer are warming up for BBQ season by snacking on our Speckled Roman plum tomatoes. I grew these at the Beach Farm, and deer aside, expect them to do really well here.

Dill, cilantro, basil, and at the very bottom, cutting lettuce. In the background -common milkweed that has grown in this spot for eons, or at least since this house was built, so maybe the late nineties. Infringing on their bed are the potatoes. They are so big they require their own post. Look for that.

The Warm Welcome

This is what I think of when I feel the chill of autumn.

Or maybe a string of pearls -the puffball, or rather the giant puffball, Calvatia gigantea, growing in the back woods among the hog peanut.

These are the things of late September and early October.

 Not basil!

 And green as can be green beans!

 Eggplant that simply won't quit.

And tomatoes that continue to produce -only now beginning to show the wilted leaf of cooler nights.

The vegetable garden here is as green as my beach farm plants were in late July. A rarity, maybe? Not the norm, say some. The coming five days are looking to be quite autumnal -blue skies, cool air, days in the lower sixties, nights in the lower forties. This should bring an end to the vegetable patch, and not a moment too soon as the garlic seed is on its way, and more front lawn needs to be tilled under. But wow, what an exquisitely long growing season.

When People Ask Where The Good Food Is

...I usually tell them its right outside.

Four heirloom tomato plants have produced more than most any I had ever planted at the beach farm.

I've been looking forward to the German Stripe, the latest to size up and ripen.

Japanese eggplant, 'Kyoto,' have been exceptionally prolific.

I put my green bean seeds in a little late, but still, they are producing now. 

Although my broccoli starts were a failure. Too late, as always.

But I was saved by this guy (sorry to say that I lost his name with a piece of paper) and Anderson Acres. You see the sign, to the left, that says start your fall garden. Yes! Getting starts together at the right time in summer is challenging given busy summer schedules and difficult weather. Hardly any garden business has starts available at this time of year, probably because there isn't much market for it. I'm so glad to have found them at the Minneapolis Farmers' Market in stall 311.

I bought a handful of these lettuce starts, broccoli, cilantro, parsley, and basil.

The fall lettuce.

Betsy's dill, the pickler that she is.

Our local hardware gave away (really, for free) many vegetable starts in July, most well past their prime. I focused on those sturdy sorts that do well in cooler weather -chard and kale. Small and weak when planted, they are now doing fantastic. We eat them every day.

A four pack of heirloom peppers from Shady Acres (whose stall Anderson Acres occupied at the farmers' market) has become quite a bounty of peppers. I've never had such luck. One plant has eight large peppers!

And they're beginning to turn red.

Of course, there are still tomatoes ripening.

These "cherry," or is it "grape," have been fantastic. The name I believe is 'Juliet' -a little sweet, little tart, and meaty -that is the key for me. I do not like watery small tomatoes that pop when you bite into them or crack after heavy rains. These I pick and eat right there in the garden.

With more to come.

The woods has not produced its usual bounty this year, except for the morels early on. Maybe we've missed them, having been so busy with work on the house and field. Of course, we'll keep looking.

Lawn Of Plenty

It was about mid-May when I decided to carve five small rows into the front lawn for this year's vegetable patch. It is the sunniest, flat space on the land here. In the distance, the driveway and a hedgerow of Hydrangea arborescens -a solution to coarsely articulated snow-plowing and a mass of foundation plants in the way of a future house project. Seven weeks from the day the tiller expressed itself, the vegetables are taking advantage of our long, northern days.

My first round of green beans didn't arrive, quite possibly because I didn't water the seeds enough or maybe due to three year old seeds. They were all French beans, ones that trialled well, hmm -three years ago. So I bought new seed from the big box (so many home projects!) and planted those. Meanwhile it had been raining heavily for a few days -that's when some of the old seeds showed up, 'Velour,' I think. So far no problems with bunnies -or deer, raccoons, hedgehogs, and whatever other vegetable munching varmint one can have. So lucky -that's all it is.

One four inch pot of flat leaf parsley has become eighteen by twelve inches of parsley -use it daily.

One four inch pot of cilantro has become two feet by twelve inches of cilantro -makes a nice pesto!

The garlic is still green, but I know well enough to start harvesting them. As these go, their rows fill with herbs, green beans, and eventually those brassicas I fully intend to start one of these days...

Four pepper plants from a cell pack of four heirloom varieties. This one set fruit super early.

A cell pack of Japanese eggplant have provided us with an orb -not the usual thin and elongated fruit. What gives? I do prefer the way less seedy elongated varieties. Oh, Japanese eggplant doesn't always imply elongated fruit? These are 'Kyoto,' a round eggplant, and I ashamedly renounce my ignorance!

One four-cell pack of, hmm, I forget the name, but cucumber. I do recall it saying compact, and this one is definitely compact. We grew them in pots, elevated off the ground in metal pot stands that happened to be here. A couple of things to point out: these four plants in two pots have been productive for their size and have not succumbed to mildew. They have yet to reach the ground and have many flowers per vine. I recall googling the variety at the nursery, Shady Acres! Ahh, they have a plant list- It is Spacemaster. Pick them pickle size for best flavor.

A word about Shady Acres. Heirloom. That's the word. Seriously, Minnesota has some catching up to do when it comes to organic garden supplies and heirloom vegetable starts. It is very difficult to find what I came to expect -even at Larry's on the corner in Brooklyn (Best Deal on Bloodmeal!). I edify every nursery I come into contact with, including Shady in regards to fertilizer choice. I heard about Shady Acres from my neighbor who is busy trying to grow Minnesota's largest pumpkin, and was grateful for the recommendation -they carry heirloom vegetable starts. For me this means they have a variety of tomato beyond Rutgers, Beefsteak or Early Girl for the person who simply didn't get to starting his own.

Potatoes. They grew incredibly tall, so high that they could no longer be soil-mounded. Then a week of heavy thunderstorm rains, about seven inches in all, ensured that they would lay flat until they turned back up toward the sun, which they have, albeit more prostrate than before. They have been flowering for a few weeks now, with new potatoes sure to be available soon. I've decided to wait on those, aiming for the bigger potato of the future.

The tomato plants are some of the healthiest I've grown. Again, an heirloom variety pack from Shady Acres provided the starts. Ours have been in the ground for about five weeks, have grown over thirty inches tall, and some are producing tomatoes. We also have a grape variety, four plants in total. We won't get a ton of tomatoes out of four heirloom plants, but this year required low input, experimentation, and observation.

What is remarkable is the health of each plant. No visible disease, no wilt or cankers, no blossom end rot (can we thank high Cal-Mg soils?), simply robust plants. Look at that impressive stem. It helps to be gardening in a spot that has yet to see any vegetable growing. We haven't had any Colorado potato beetles either, so here's to hoping that our little clearing is protected by the woods and wetlands that surround it.

Lastly, the bug-eating army of amphibians can't hurt. And what of the pansies? It hasn't been a very warm summer so far, but plenty of days in the lower eighties. Here it may be that pansies just won't quit.

Last Chance Redux

Remember this from the other day? Cracked tomatoes. What comes with cracked tomatoes is diluted-flavor tomatoes. Thanks a lot rainstorms. Incidentally, the Black Russian tomatoes had more flavor than the Black Krim. I figured them for the same. Figured wrong.

We had to harvest anything near ripe, anything with even the faintest blush of color, because we are a day or so away from leaving town. I even took two really large but totally green fruit. August is a terrible time to leave the vegetable garden, but it's the best time to get away.

Finally we discovered what the 'Indigo Rose' tomato looks like ripe! It's gorgeous, really, with a red bottom and black-purple top. Taste? The jury's out, as I'd like to try more than one and not after too much rain, but it was mildly tart, with an almost green tomato flavor. Fun fact: This tomato has been hybridized as a high anthocyanin tomato. Anthocyanin is responsible for the dark coloring, and only appears on the top where the fruit receives direct sunlight. It appeared to me that this tomato was a cross between a more or less "wild" or "old world" tomato and a more highly bred tomato thanks to the dark coloration that recalls other nightshades. Turns out this is true.

The 'San Marzano' tomatoes are doing excellent, although the vines are not quite as large as last season.

I seeded these a month ago. After three weeks of not sprouting, I gave up on them -too hot for romaine seeds I said. Then, on the day I transported the seed tray to the beach farm, there they appeared. A week later they look like mini-romaine. I should have seeded more!

The carrots are up and well, while Larry's leftover broccoli isn't too shabby. My starter tray brassica -the prized purple cauliflower and Romanesco broccoli, are barely surviving the onslaught of cabbage worms. The cauliflower has been transplanted into the beds, new irrigation lines trained on them. I poured some fish juice onto the small Romanesco sprouts in hope that it energizes them into out competing any worms that evaded the two finger pinch.

Basil, green beans. Successive plantings of green beans saves us from overload. Smart. Should've been doing this all along. Vacationing, however, means picking fancy French filet beans too late. French beans don't tolerate being over-sized, whereas their American counterparts are pretty comfortable with it.

And here our box of tomatoes, most eaten that night, the rest given away. Tomorrow we leave, cats in tow, for Minnesota and all that awaits us there. I'll be scouting for old-fashioned manual farm tools, studying tractor implements, and keeping my eyes on the woods in search of mushrooms -it's been too long. It was near this time two years ago that I found the large Laetiporous cincinnatus. This time, we eat.

Decamp

As we prepare to take off for a few days camping on the coast of Maine, we must make sure the garden is fit to survive a week's neglect. It was hot at the beach farm yesterday, the wind from the west, and had only an hour to make sure the irrigation was still in good order, the fruit picked, biggest weeds pulled.

Good luck fall broccoli and cauliflower, lettuce and fennel seedlings. Placed at an intersection of several irrigation sprayers, these will need to toughen up while we are away. 

Indigo Rose they call it. Lots of them, none near ripe. 

These are called Speckled Roman, but I would've called them Jupiter.

All sorts of little red orbs plucked lately. Notice the flocking on the back one? That's the Velvet Tomato, its vine a blue gray fuzz. It's taste is mellow, more sweet than tart, but not real sweet.

The first planting of French beans. Nickel, in the middle, has started producing. The flavor is the best so far, a floral note over the green bean. Velour on the left, producing heavily now, a touch bitter green in flavor, and good looking. Easy to pick because they're easy to see, the purple pods also stick to the vine, running the risk of pulling out the weakly-rooted plant.

Maxibel and Soleil have finally begun producing. Soleil is looking more healthy now, sizing up, although still small compared to the others. Maxibel has good flavor, second to Nickel. Soleil hasn't produced enough yet to be well-considered.

Rabbit bites. The rabbit like the green bean tops, but not the beans? Excellent.

Too many cukes on the dancefloor. When we get back I will need to thin these.

Visited by several swallowtails now. They love fennel.

A minor haul, which is good, because these don't travel. Gave most away.

Summer travels in a paper bag. A hot car, sun light, and a plastic bag are deadly.

Frenching It

This year I'm experimenting with French filet beans, or haricot vert, or Freedom beans if you're feeling rather 'merican. I've read they are difficult -is that what makes them French, or is difficult but rewarding the French raison d'etre? Either way, these beans have proven both difficult and easy, and the season's only just begun.

'Maxibel' on the left and 'Soleil' on the right. Soleil is decidedly difficult, it has not grown more than 6 inches since planting, looks pale and generally not vigorous. I've thinned the row last week and it appears better this week. I will give it credit for being a yellow filet, as all yellow beans tend to be less vigorous and susceptible to disease. Maxibel, so far so good, but waitin' on your beans.

The second planting of Maxibel and Soleil, seeded three weeks after. Something has nibbled to nothing the tender tops of Soleil. Not looking good for Soleil.

On the left, 'Fin de Bagnol,' center 'Nickel,' and to the right 'Velour.' Fin has been the fastest grower and already has some harvestable beans, but is struggling with leaf hoppers. Nickel is deep green and just began to produce flowers. Velour is a purple-skinned filet growing not quite as tall, but healthy, with a more open habit.

It does have lovely flowers and the beans are a deep purple with a fine pubescence -therefore Velour.

This week we have a handful of Fin de Bagnol beans. Taste is not unlike the larger American-style green beans, but more tender -finer. What I've read makes these beans difficult is their incessant harvest requirement. Don't miss it or your French beans become English or worse. Here you can see the mottling on the leaves caused by what I think are leaf hoppers. The damage looks Whitefly, but I didn't bring in any plants that weren't seeded by yours truly and I've seen the hoppers. They were here before when this was the garlic bed. Hasn't yet seemed to affect productivity.

The second seeding of Fin, Nickel, and Velour. Something nibbling here, but I have not found the pest. I'm starting to believe it is a rabbit. I've never seen rabbits around the garden, but this year I've seen them nearby. A gardener told me she has seen one hanging out near my beans at dusk. Hasenpfeffer anyone? Oh, no, it's a cute little bunny. I would never, but I do have bird net just as good for beans (and strawberries too) as it was for tomatoes.

Change Of Season

The sun is now setting earlier, yet it feels that summer has only begun. That the peak of summer sunlight does not coincide with the peak of summer is a celestial twist, an affirmation of the skewed order of things. And here a divide in the vegetable kingdom, more pronounced this year than others, and maybe due to the warm spring and wet month of May.

The lettuce have peaked, with outer leaves folding down toward the soil. We've only 5 heads remaining, but wow, what a productive 20 square feet.

Cilantro now fully bolted and flowered, the young to return in a month's time. I wish I cooked enough for all the cilantro that can be grown in 2 square feet.

Snap peas, slow to start, but invigorated by the month of May, are finally letting go of the cucumber trellis. Fennel, finocchio romanesco, is close to flowering and bulbs are being pulled. Carrots here?

The French beans, first planted in the Turban garlic beds. Second planting was last Saturday.

Asclepias syriaca in bloom; scented evenings at the beach farm.

 Always worth a closer look.

The Thin Green Bean

Very excited that each and every one of my 5 cultivars of French filet beans are up and doing well. This seeding is a grand experiment in growing what is known as a difficult bean and succession planting -I'm timing the seed plantings to the day. Next planting -June 23.