Thursday, August 30, 2012


I picked a sink-full of beans again and there's still tons out in the garden. I usually just pick what needs to be picked because it's getting too large, leaving the smaller ones to grow a bit bigger, in order to have fresh beans at all times. Once they're picked off the plant I try to do something with them ASAP. I planned my bean planting this year perfectly. These are off the second group of bush beans we planted about two weeks after the first, and this is the second flush from those plants. One more flush to go with these plants. The pole beans are producing a slower, steadier supply, with a few ready now and a whole lot more to come. I will be planting more pole beans next year than bush beans. I prefer the beans, they're easier to pick and produce a more constant supply. They also add architectural interest to the garden, always a plus since I like my garden to be a feast for the eyes as well as our stomachs. 



Wednesday, August 29, 2012


Lacto-fermented dill pickles. I grow little pickling cucumbers for dill pickles. I am currently in the process of lacto-fermenting every vegetable in my garden right now since I was able to sample my 8 day old fermenting beans and realized how fabulous they are. On the agenda: dill carrots, beans with jalapeño and dill, sauerkraut and maybe kohlrabi.  

Monday, August 27, 2012


Beans all ready to ferment. I did some with dill flowers and some with coriander flowers. 

Friday, August 24, 2012


One of my nicer bulbs of garlic. I'll be keeping this on for planting. 


More garlic. The larger box is for eating, the smaller box is for planting. Still lots more to clean too! 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Random Veggie Report.


Am I ever growing a pile of kohlrabi next year. The only downfall is that it takes up enough room in the garden while it matures, totally worth the wasted space in my opinion. Our first year growing it was a complete success. Super tasty stuff, I haven't made anything with it as we have been partial to eating it raw. 


One of our three asparagus beds, this one was started from seeds last year. Happy first birthday!


First year growing Edamame, soybeans, I'm excited to steam these guys. What a snack. 


Our corn is doing really well. 


My main melon. It looks dirty because we turn the melons to keep the side that is touching the dirt from rotting or just not looking so great. Some people put a board under the melon and when growing on a trellis you can make a little hammock for the melon to hang out in. 


Another melon well on it's way. 


Pumpkin vines are notorious for reaching. I always plant my pumpkins on the outermost edge of the garden so it can go for it. 


Pumpkin travels. 


Baby Pumpkin. 


Inside the cold frame which stays open constantly now. We are still eating swiss chard, kale and green onions that were planting in March. 


Tomato jungle. 


Jalapeños. 


I put my bread outdoors to rise on sunny days. 

Pink.


I never planted double hollyhocks, I guess Mother Nature did. 


I think the bees may have a thing for the echinecea. 



The landing. I can't help but make airplane noises when I see this. 



It was quite the show. I have two large clumps of echinecea and both were covered with bees. 


They say pollinators like pink and purple tones in flowers, although blue seems quite popular too, I think they may be right. 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

No Beans.

Picked a few beans today...


I'm going to steam, blanch and freeze some of these and the rest I'm going to lacto-ferment. I will let you all know how that goes. 


The bushes the beans came off of. 


The pole beans are starting to produce too. I noticed the beans started at the bottom, a few got away on me before I noticed. 


For scale I'm about 5'9. I'm also chewing on beans. 

Friday, August 17, 2012


This years garlic harvest, just needs to be cleaned up a little and roots trimmed. We are planning on saving even more bulbs for planting this year in hopes that we will grow enough garlic for next year. Realistically, I find the garlic doesn't last much past March without sprouting, so growing enough to last us until March is the goal. Always planning ahead. 

Thursday, August 16, 2012


Our turkey hens in front of the sunflowers I am growing for our chickens. They are a giant variety and should have a pretty good sized flower on them when they are finished. I only wish I had room for more this year, I tucked these into a small unused garden space. 


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Good Morning!

I love my mornings here. My boyfriend goes to work earlier than I do which means I get the pleasure of taking care of the poultry and walking the dog. The mornings are really special. I still get a thrill out of collecting eggs and poultry are surprisingly happy to see you first thing,  I would even say the turkeys are affectionate, as for the hens, well they're not mad anyway. 
The garden always looks especially nice in the mornings. My boyfriend picks lettuce, beans and peas, as well as anything else in season, to make his lunch before heading to work. I often eat breakfast standing in the garden, picking peas, beans, lettuce and herbs before cooking myself an egg. I love checking out the garden first thing since when things are really growing and forming you can honestly notice a difference from one day to the next. Things really do grow and pop up overnight. 


The very first thing the turkeys do in the morning is go outside. We put them in at night to protect them from predators 


They love being outside and would sleep out there if we let them. Our hens are really good to put themselves to bed at dusk so we assumed the turkeys would do the same, however they had different plans. We have had to make them go inside after they have been all piled up together outdoors, already sound asleep. 


One side of the garden. My garden will never, ever be without pole beans again. I love the giants. 


The other side. I am allowing a whole bunch of stuff to go to seed in the cold frame to collect the seeds. Gardening can cost you next to nothing if you save your own seeds. 


Our version of a three sisters bed. Only moss would grow in this back corner despite it being one of the sunniest spots in the whole yard. I made a lasagna bed back there over the winter by laying down cardboard and layering chicken manure, eel grass, compost and leaves. I covered it with a small amount of top soil in the spring and planted corn, soybeans, all our squashes, melons and cucumbers after the risk of frost was over.   


Pumpkin flowers are so pretty. All flowering veggies are pretty although pumpkin flowers stand out because of their large size. 


My main melon. Going to start melons even earlier next year in hopes of getting some kind of yield. I'm hoping to have a green house for all my seed starting. 


More pumpkin flowers. We have a lot of pumpkins forming and some are a pretty good size already. Pumpkins are a fantastic veggie to grow and are often under emphasized. Pumpkins are good for much more than just a jack o' lantern. They store forever, they are super nutritious, super delicious, make great soups, stews and other dishes, you can save and eat the seeds and they grow like crazy, usually producing many pumpkins per plant. 


Baby cob of corn. 


The pumpkin trying to escape the bed. I'm hoping it does not wrap itself around that rhododendron and try and take it down. 


The soybeans are huge at half the height of the corn. They're also loaded with beans. 


Onions from seed. They take a bit longer to really get going, however they still form nice big onion bulbs that are, In my opinion, a superior onion to those grown from sets. They are often described as longer storing, rounder, more flavourful and less likely to go to seed than those grown from sets. 


Pole beans. Thinking we'll be needing a few more tee pees of these next year. Extremely happy with their performance and appearance. They're beautiful! 


Dying potatoes in the middle. We've been eating them for awhile. There is nothing quite like a potato from the garden. 


Jalapeño in a container. I tried so hard to focus on the peppers and still so hard to see. Regardless of what it looks like here, this is loaded with peppers. Salsa and mexican food in my future.  

Friday, August 10, 2012

Green Bean Season


It has arrived. From here on in almost every dinner will have a portion of green and yellow beans. My green beans are performing better than the yellow. The green grew quicker, were ready earlier and are producing more. Bush beans are prolific to say the least, we'll still get lots of yellow, however next year I may plant predominantly green. Can't say I have a preference taste wise, they're both one of my favourite veggies. I may say every veggie is one of my favourites, they pretty much are when they're from the garden. 

Wednesday, August 8, 2012