First seedlings

All tomatoes and the patty pan squashes germinated nicely, although the seeds were a couple of years old at least. They are growing way too fast in the propagator so today I potted them on and they will be living in my mini-greenhouse from now on. It's going to be warm enough in there and much better light than on my windowsill. One of the cucumber seeds which is still in the propagator is already peeking through but potting them up will have to wait until next weekend.


I'm almost tempted to start sowing the carrots, rocket, beetroot, etc directly outside but previous years have taught me that I am a bit too overenthusiastic and they like it a touch warmer than I think it is. Even though we've had smashing spring weather recently, it still drops quite low overnight. (Just spotted a soil/compost thermometer on sale at Amazon for £2.85... may have to invest in that). The pelargoniums which overwintered inside have now moved outside for the summer (still have to watch for frost but they should be ok).

In preparation for the tomatoes this summer, I also investigated better canes. The tall bamboo canes are ok as a tripod for beans and cucumbers but they don't really work that well for holding up tomatoes. I saw some spirally metal ones in Germany some years ago but never spotted them here, until two weeks ago through Amazon. I ordered different sizes, two 1.8m ones, and four 1.2m. The beauty is that you can wind the tomatoes around as they grow and you shouldn't need any twine (in theory). Also, they are galvanised steel so should be able to prop up even a plant fully-laden with fruit (a major drawback of the bamboo which regularly bent over and snapped). And I think they look pretty, in a modern-industrial way :)

June rains

The warmth and the recent rains have really moved the garden on from its pitiful initial state. Still not great but getting better. The cucumbers especially appear to enjoy this kind of weather and have had a growth spurt.



The rows of carrots, salad leaves and beetroot are also doing well, surviving the onslaught of slugs. I noticed that a cat has started digging around a bit (or is that foxes?), and on the other bed some stray potatoes are coming through. Still, suddenly I can recognise what the seedlings are supposed to be - and tell them apart from the weeds. Note to self: more weeding needed.


The patty pan squashes are filling out and are complemented by two self-sown ones. The "volunteers" may actually turn out to be be courgettes, or they may be patty pan. Time will tell which is kind of exciting. I have been finding lots of self-sown tomatoes, too - surprising, given how cold it was over the winter. There are some beans now, mixed results on those since as soon as they break through the soil they have their buds chewed off by slugs. Not the most promising year for beans, I have to say.


I am the proudest of my tomatoes and my raspberries. Tomatoes are nicely showing flower buds and are growing at an amazing speed. The raspberries have set fruit and I am hoping for at least one cake out of them (and plenty for the freezer).


Other fruits are doing well, too - I have three (!) gooseberries - ok for the first year and considering the plants came from Lidl - and a few greengages - not as much as last year but it goes in swings and roundabouts anyway. I hope the weather stays like this (sorry folks!) for another couple of weeks and then I am ok with it turning drier.

Lost and found

The sky cleared and I took the opportunity to clean up the garden, in readiness for shutting it down for winter. I am still leaving the tomatoes out in the vain hope of some ripening before the first frost. The raspberries are nearly finished too and I need to read up on when I am supposed to cut the canes back. Gave up on the beans.

As I was clearing the patty pan away I found a few that are just ready for a stir-fry and a larger, weird-shaped, yellow thing. Also a stray cucumber and some very green tomatoes, which are now nestling next to a banana in the kitchen.


The thyme has gone a bit crazy. Since I loathe running out after dark and into spiderwebs just to get a sprig or two of herbs, I am going to try drying it. The oregano didn't grow as big but I think it got a bit smothered by the thyme.


With everything put onto the garden compost heap and the canes put away, it suddenly looks empty. Plenty of space now though to put my home-grown guinea pig compost down! Soon, planning for next year.

finally...another harvest

Finally - some ripe tomatoes (plum, yellow and cherry) and some patty pan squash! I even found some more raspberries.


I pulled a few more white beetroot -- not sure how good they are going to be -- and a cucumber.

Not too thrilled with all of it and intend to make some changes next year:

• Grow fewer tomatoes, get them in earlier and in a sunnier spot.
• Patty pan is fine but grows too big and two out of the three I planted only produced male flowers. Maybe see if I can get a variety that is smaller.
• Dwarf zucchini - give up on them, grow proper ones.
• Don't grow white beetroot, grow leaf beet instead.
• The cucumbers have too many seeds and are too spiny for my liking. Look for a different kind.
• The beans are too stringy to eat as green beans. I'll harvest them later but I think I'll switch back to runner beans "Painted Lady".

A day of sunshine and thundery showers

For Sharon.

First raspberry

The first raspberry ripened and what a whopper it was! It disappeared into my mouth soon after this picture was taken...delicious!

On other news the tomatoes are growing tall and a bit lanky - probably because I mistakenly planted them in a more shaded spot than I anticipated it being (putting the potatoes in the sunniest spot *sigh*). Oh well, I'll know for next year.


I think the last few warm days, plenty of water and the black plastic covering helped the Patty Pan squash a lot.


Rest of veg doing fine. Beets growing (may harvest one or two soon), cucumbers doing their thing.

I swear you can actually see the beans growing if you stand there long enough.

String Theory

Had enough time (and motivation) today to put some string up for the mange tout to climb on. Not before time, they are stretching up. Not the prettiest of constructions but I hope that it'll get covered up soon.


I also put some cucumbers, patty pan squash and zucchini in pots to plant out in a few weeks. While I was at it I also sowed some pole beans directly - if they don't get going I'll have plenty of time to sow more - and I left some space for more in a couple of weeks.


Other than that there are now definite signs of growth in the potatoes, raspberries and white beetroot. The greengages appear to have set fruit and barring any infestation or weird weather it looks like there will be quite a few in summer. The herb garden is doing fine - although the lemon balm a bit too well. Anyone got any ideas what to do with it other than make tea?


Had no rain and sunny weather for quite some time and I should have watered the vegetables earlier. I think the forecast for tomorrow is showers but I'll give it a good soaking later on nonetheless.

first frost warning

... FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 9 AM PDT SATURDAY FOR THE COAST
RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON... CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON... LOWER
COLUMBIA... GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA... CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY...
SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY... WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE... WILLAPA HILLS...
I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY... AND THE GREATER VANCOUVER AREA...

Which meant a quick trip to the garden to rescue what is possible before everything dies. Surprisingly, there were some good-sized zucchini and luckily they did not succumb to blossom end rot which happens so often when it gets damp and cold. Tomatoes are not ripening anymore but we harvested lots of green tomatoes for making chutneys and fried green tomatoes. There may be another batch of green beans (the ones that weren't forgotten and therefore grew to monster size) but I think it'll be only a small handful next week. I also nipped off the aubergines at a very small stage but they will be super in some stir-fry instead of being lost to a frost or rotting. Harvested enough large-ish carrots to actually get a taste of them before the guinea pigs get through them, and some more cucumbers. Got about 6 small ears of corn, which have now become the favourite piggie treat, husks and all - just as well, since there is not much on them.

The garden definitely has seen better days. I wonder if I get to harvest a winter squash before shutting teh garden down for the winter, they seem so small.

In the end the predicted frost didn't materialise in our area (although it dipped below freezing just outside Portland) but autumn is definitely here. Getting out to the garden before it gets dark is getting more difficult during the week. It was cold and my fingers started to get numb.

on gluts and a few other things...only few, mind

I had to deal with the first mini-glut of zucchini. It's surprising how quickly you can run out of things to do with them, except palm them off on unsuspecting friends. I do enjoy them grilled, also made some delicious roasted beet and zucchini salad. Still, if you have 7 of them in the space of a week, it's either zucchini every night for dinner or bust.

And that's not considering that other things need harvesting too. I still have some mustard greens in the fridge and more stuff on the way. Tonight after watering (hot, hot day!) I harvested a lemon cucumber (apparently they only grow to about tennis ball size) and some few assorted things. On Sunday I had a very nice basket of produce together, including a few broad (aka fava) beans. The Orient Express cucumbers are delicious.

More zucchini and patty pan squash on the way. I have an eye on a tomato which may finally ripen over the next few days. There there are finally little peppers and even little aubergines (aka eggplants).

I finally remembered to sow the winter squash last week. I'm always amazed and surprised by the ability of squashes to grow so quickly. Maybe that's why I always end up with gluts...

Since all my large plants are blocking off the whole of the plot, it may be nice to view it from a different angle. You can see the sunflowers sporting some heads soon to open, how well the greens are doing and that the beans are getting a move on. The next glut is just around the corner...

Harvesting

The first zucchini harvest! Instead of one, I actually got two today which were of good size. In addition I also took some more rainbow chard - the last batch was delicious chopped up into some scrambled eggs.

I am still waiting for the patty pan summer squash to blossom but it seems to be putting on lot of leaves. Not as pretty as the zucchini's marbled leaves (shown on the right) but nonetheless very attractive.

I am very excited about the cucumbers, its little spiny beginnings showing. Lots of flowers also on the lemon cucumber but nothing concrete yet. Right next to the cucumbers are my mustard greens which seem to handling the hot weather very well so far. They need thinning out again, so even more greens for supper soon.

The main event of the afternoon was putting together some support for the burgeoning tomato plants. The are now too big for the wire cages and I was too cheap to buy the wrap-around ones for $4 each. Little bamboo frames and string will have to do.

All in all a very successful afternoon but it was very hot. Had to do an emergency stop cycling home buying limeade since I had run out of water. Such is life... :)

one out, one in

Today hit 90 Fahrenheit/33 Celsius, with the forecast tomorrow for similar weather. Had to get out to the garden before my lovelies would all wither and die of thirst.

At the fence, my helping committee awaited me. This time I wisely only let two in at a time. When one of them had to go, another one was allowed in. A little boy got quite upset that he didn't get to help water. I'll look out for him next time.

Somebody has finally started on the plot next to mine, in fact they cleared it of most of the weeds. Unfortunately, some of the pile ended up on my plot and on top of some of my vegetables. No lasting damage done but they could have put it on the other side where nothing has been done. I'm happy though that the garden is being used. I also see lots of evidence of other gardeners finally getting a move on.

A few updates on cucumbers, tomatoes and corn.

First the corn. Still surviving! Growing, even.

The tomatoes are setting fruit. Shouldn't be long before some ripen. This shot is of Costoluto Genovese but I also spotted a few smaller ones on, I think, Early Girl and Velvet Red. The plants are growing so fast and so big I may have to get some cages for them (Back - lie down - shoo! /dork).

The cucumbers are now nearly reaching the netting (well...stringing) and so are most of the beans. I just have to get them through this mini-heatwave. The lemon cucumber is nestled between some of the tomatoes so it is slightly more shaded and has started to flower.

All these pictures were taken before watering so it looks a bit dusty. Things are hanging in there rather nicely. I may start harvesting some more greens at baby stage before they bolt almost immediately. I am letting the broccoli raab and the arugula (aka rocket) set seed to save me buying more for a later sowing. The zucchini still amazes me - how can a plant grow so much overnight? The borage I planted alongside to insure extra pollination is also keeping up with it.

more planting

Today I got a worthy replacement for the loss of my English cucumber - "Orient Express". I'm going to nurture this little puppy to make it through. Let's see if coffee grounds can keep that nasty something away that killed the last plant. Again, I am trying to trellis it. There is more space so I may actually get more cucumber plants since it seems to be a challenge now.

Looking around the garden centre my eye also fell on some Swiss Chard "Rainbow" and some fava beans. It may actually be a little bit too warm already for the fava beans but it's worth an experiment. The spending spree ended with some seeds of mustard greens "Wild Garden Mild Mix". Everything was bedded down and tucked in.

As the plot takes shape I am now noticing some empty spaces that could be filled. I am contemplating more peppers. We eat a vast amount of them but they are expensive grocery items. Maybe also lettuce; I was too hasty in turning down some free starts earlier in the year. I feel a trip to the garden centre coming up again...

after a week away...

Apparently in my absence the weather was warm but overcast most of the days. Just as well considering I couldn't water. Yesterday and today were getting hotter. A quick check tonight revealed that everything was more or less ok, except the broccoli and some of the rocket had gone to seed. Still, I resowed some before I left and those seem to sprout (and there may be even be some carrots - yay!). Something seems to have eaten the English cucumber that I planted. Still, that means that I need - need! - to go to the garden centre for a replacement. A bit of cardboard had blown into the garden and covered up some of my collards. Still, they seem to have hung on to life. The squash and zucchini has germinated. The beans are coming up. Am I a bit to positive? ;)

More planting

Today was nicer weather after a week of rain, rain, rain. The temperature had also dropped to nearly 50 degrees on Friday. It didn't seem to do the plants much harm, in fact, the sprouting broccoli seems to like it a bit wetter and cooler. Been harvesting it (delicious with garlic and olive oil with pasta or in a stir fry!). Also, the four strawberries I got so far were the sweetest I have ever had. The arugula is also very popular. I had almost forgotten how good home-grown food tastes.

I picked up an English cucumber plant at Garden Fever but since today was such a sunny day and I didn't have to lug around a lot of stuff I decided to cycle to the plot. It's a actually a fairly straightforward ride that can be done quite easily in 30 minutes.

Nobody at the garden which was a bit surprising - I would have assumed that the place would be hopping. I planted the cucumber underneath the bean poles to try if I can trellis it. Re-sowed some more collards and sprouting broccoli. As the soil is warming up I thought I'd try sowing the corn and also the summer squashes. If it doesn't work out I have more seeds. Let's hope it stays warm but moist for the next week, as I won't be able to water it for nearly a week.

I'm pleased with the growth so far (except the dang carrots...). I am also trying a few more ways of animal husbandry through selective planting. The marigolds I planted mid-week are very cheerful (got a whole crate cheaply) and they should keep aphids away. I also planted borage near the summer squash to attract more pollinating insects. And the coffee grounds definitely seem to work - none of the strawberries has been nibbled by slugs yet.