Yesterday I spoke about finally getting garlic scapes out behind the deck, where I planted organic heirloom garlic last October. I haven’t had the chance to talk about the rest of the plantings, and what I am seeing out there daily.
Like the cucumbers.
There are blossoms on the marketmore slicing cucumbers. The pickling cukes are larger, but have no blossoms yet. This slow start to spring has set most of us back with seeing production in our gardens, but we are slowly getting there.
The garlic I put in containers didn’t do so well. Between the small critters constantly digging at it in the pots, and the temperature fluctuations, most of it died. I did get two stems of spring garlic, out of the twelve cloves planted. The twelve plants in the ground will give me scapes this week, and garlic in about three-four weeks. I will be curing garlic in the back room in the cellar. Cool, dark and dry. What garlic needs to dry out.
You will notice in the background, the spirea is blooming finally. So are the kousas, and hurray! the bees are back.
I hold my breath every spring, hoping I don’t lose my pollinators. I need those little “busy bees” to get veggies and fruit. Let’s just say Sunday was a good day as I saw dozens of little bees enjoying the flowers behind the house.
As for the herb garden, the thyme has come back thick as a carpet. So have the rosemary bushes. And, of course, the mint varieties.
Thyme is such a great herb, so easy to grow. Snip some off and add to whatever you are making for dinner. It seems to go well with almost everything.
Ruby chard. The second planting. In the planters by the back door. Interesting that the bunnies aren’t coming up here. They must have more than enough to eat down in the yard and meadow, so they don’t bother my herbs, greens and flowers.
Finally, all 48 tomato plants are surviving and thriving. Crossing my fingers. I haven’t lost any of them, even those that were puny and looked susceptible after the cold spell. I may truly be putting out a roadside stand to sell them if they all stay healthy.
I leave the wildflower border to attract bees. The morning glories are just starting to come up, but the wild violets are getting thicker. It looks like this cool wet spring is good for my garden.
Let’s hope we keep up the good growing conditions. I am so ready for homemade tzatziki, fresh tomatoes and all those other treats of summer.
hocofood@@@
AnnieRie Unplugged 
Looks lovely. I think I may have stopped the nibbler who took down my first round of herb transplants to nubs and attacked half my tomatoes.
And all that despite thriving re-grown celery across the way! Grrr. I sure prefer a cool wet spring, since I know it will be hot enough for the tomatoes soon enough.
Thanks!
Do you grow dill? I have a lot of trouble with that.
I haven’t tried dill. Parsley doesn’t work very well and I think I would have the same problem with dill. It gets too hot in mid summer for some of my herbs that I try in containers.
Whatever is in the herb garden off the patio is susceptible to bunny damage. They don’t really bother the basil, rosemary and thyme although something keeps digging in the dirt around the garden right now.
We have wild varieties of parsley all over the property. They get nibbled on.
I grow mint and chives in pots. Both do well. The mint, as usual, escapes and spreads.
My inspiration for the corner herb garden is the Conservancy’s herb garden off the farmhouse. Mostly perennials that spread together and look and smell wonderful.