I finally had my first real harvest this week. After a winter of picking a little here and a little there, there was suddenly this abundant basket of veggies. Kohlrabi, Blue Dwarf kale (which makes the best chips), Monet Salad Bowl (a butter head lettuce with pink tips), sugar snap peas, green chard and even a white pumpkin growing out of the compost!
Kohlrabi
Fava beans
This haul felt particularly exciting because it was the direct result of a change-up in the water source. We realized the water we were feeding the beds was somehow tied to the house water osmosis system, which is no-bueno in the plant nutrition department. Now the garden is booming and dinner planning is suddenly easy and even fun.
I’m happy with how my trellises for summer planting turned out — it’s always a search to find designs that are functional, but still pretty. My gardeners helped me put these trellises together. At 5’1 you need a little help when building something 6′ high. After drilling holes in 4 x 2 wood planks we wove garden twine to create a trellis wall.
Vines can get pretty wild and crazy so trellising the tomatoes helps to not squander valuable space. I’ve been diligently snapping off the sucker growth and pruning non-flowering branches, encouraging them to grow up and not out.
This back area, formerly known as the “junk garden” is where I had been planting in tree boxes last year. We rototilled the soil and surrounded it with chicken wire. It’s the showdown with those rascally rabbits that make me feel like a true farmer. So far, everything is growing beautifully.
What’s showing-off in your garden these days?
This gives me an idea for my pole beans which are glomming onto my boxwood hedge because they have outgrown my skimpy trellises.. I need to go higher .. Thanks, par
I am green with garden envy Val! I have given in to those rabbits who eat a hole in every strawberry in sight! My back area is where my new blueberries are bursting away from those nibble noses…. xo C.
YOU ARE AN INSPIRING MASTER GARDNER !
Cynthia! I’ll loan you Penny for the day, she’s the best and foiling bunny plans. Big kiss -V
Great, P! I can’t wait to hear about your success! kiss -V
THANK YOU, THOM!!! 🙂
What do you like to do with your kohlrabi?
Always inspirational! Thank you. Just picked my first salad from the garden this week thanks to your great blog!
Hi Mariangela,
I usually roast kohlrabi — here’s the recipe http://eat-drink-garden.com/?s=kohlrabi It really is delicious.
Cheers!
So glad to hear it, Susan!
Beautiful garden! It looks like you have been pruning your tomatoes really heavily. Do you find that the tomatoes produce more that way? I am timid with pruning my tomatoes because I’m afraid the branches I cut off will eventually produce flowers. Please advice!
Yes, they seem to produce beautifully, Viktoriya. Make sure you pinch off the suckers seen in the photo. Good luck!
I see that you use upside down tomato cages to trellis your cucumbers. How do you keep them from toppling over? Just found this site and I love it!
Thanks Sheri! I use garden staples to hold down the tomato cages. Let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck!
Valerie, did you know you can plant the suckers you trim to create a new tomato plant, it will take 30-90 days depending on light & heat for suckers’ fruit to ripen. So useful & thrifty in Spring to propagate heirloom plants.
Great tip, Brenna! Thank you!!!