The Garden 2013

Instead of millions of tiny posts, I will put all the garden updates for this year on this one post.

2013 Garden

I am trying several "new" things this year.

Getting started earlier.

More plants in less space by using better planning and lots of compost and crop rotation and mixing.

Sun tunnels. For warming the soil and extending the season.

Early 2013

Made hoop row covers from rolled plastic pipe and painters 3 mil plastic sheets.
I used cut sections of pipe as clips to hold the cover on the pipe and rebar and similar metal spikes for anchoring.

Last fall, I planted crop cover and so, I mixed it under to prepare the rows for planting.

The only thing that I grew and harvested through the winter was the swiss chard. I did cover it with the hoop cover in the harsh parts of this winter (we are talking upper 20's  harsh for this maritime foothills area).

April

I remodeled the strawberry beds.
The moles loves to make their way through the strawberries. The strawberries don't like that too much so..
I dug up all the berry plants and built raised beds with hardware cloth on the bottom. The project took about 4 days. In the rain. but, hopefully, this will work.

Later... It worked. Moles attacked but, the plants stayed safe. Can't say that for the path.

I just LOVE the look of red-veined swiss chard - SO Pretty!












April 18th

Everything is coming on nicely in the garden and out.

Tomatos are getting on well with the cover crop.

 The berries are doing fine minus the loss of 1/3 of the blueberry plants.


Some flowers for the spring. Camellias came in just before a frost hit and most got burned orange. But, there are plenty of buds left.






Spring surprises in the orchard. Including the fruit tree I discovered in the deer meadow near the garden shed. We removed it, pruned it dramatically and plopped it in the orchard to see what would happen. Well, what do you know....? The darned thing is blooming. I can't wait to see what it produces!

 After a strict pruning last fall I was hoping we would get more than one sad little lilac bunch as was last year's show. It worked and now that sad scraggly lilac bush is filled with buds on every branch tip! Looking forward to putting then in a vase in the house to fill it with that intoxicating fragrance.



On the wild side.... 

the forest has already given us delish nettle and we are looking forward to supplying our pantry with another year supply of homemade jelly!

August 1 2013

From about the start of June till about Mid July, I was out of the garden with travel, illness and remodel work in the house. Oh boy! The garden got WILD!

The re-located fruit tree didn't produce any fruits this year.

Tomatos are coming along well. the romas are in faster than the heirloom polish.

Strawberries - are huge but the fruits did not do so well because I was unable to prune them and they set out runners.

Blueberries did not do so well either. They are still small little things but only set out about 6 berries among the 3 of them.

Rasberries did GREAT! the Tulameen was wonderful and the Caroline had a decent spring crop and has put on a great deal of flowers for the fall.

Huckleberries - I got about a gallon this year. Could have gotten more but they started early this year and I was gone and ill.





I planted a few pototos and got 2 measly lbs but I guess that is not too bad for my 1st try.



I tried to get a few hazelnuts before the jays got them. I left a few on the trees and noticed the jays getting at them about August 1st and managed to get one off the tree. It's husk was a bit thinner than the previous and the meat was firmer.






Onion harvest - I think I needed a different variety. these were tiny and had a hard stalk from the flower. I tried removing the flower but did not seem to help.










Ginger did OK. I got 2 roots that were sizeable and the rest I put back in to make more.
I waited till the tops were dead and left the one in there that had the flower. I can't wait to see the flower it makes.

Gladiolas looking good!