Oh, How They Grow...
The summer is off to a great start with weeks of super hot and dry weather. Garden beds are all thriving, veggies and flowers growing like gang busters.
Has been hard to keep up with the watering with weeks upon weeks of heat, but thankfully Mother Nature came through for us again, with a great big downpour last night.
Borage - has the best blue flowers ever. The flowers of this herb are great for salads, cakes, cookies or freezing in ice cubes for a lovely addition to your sparkling water. The small, young leaves taste like cucumber and are fab in salads, drinks and more.. the bees adore this biennial plant!
Nasturtiums - great additions to the organic garden. They add a gorgeous pop of colour and work as lure crops for aphids. Plant near any plant that tends to get lots of aphids, like cabbage or kale, so that they go to the nasturtium instead of the crop. Also, said to be one of the very best companion plants for attracting the good bugs that eat bad bugs.
Garlic - lift from the garden when the bottom three leaves are brown (first week of July here) ... Lay out to cure in a shady, well ventilated area for about 3 weeks. Then, gently brush off any remaining soil, and rub off the loose outer skins. Trim off the roots, and cut down the stem.
I like to leave the stem a few inches long so that it is easy to take that stem and give it a crank to open up the bulb. Some leave it longer so that they can hang it up in the pantry, while others cut it right off. Is simply a matter of personal preference.
Eggplants - Have cute baby eggplants on the Morden Midget! This heirloom is a compact, sturdy little plant that produces loads of small purple eggplants that fit into the palm of your hand. They are tasty and never bitter!
This is my first time growing eggplants in the garden beds instead of pots. I am pretty sure that I would have had fruits earlier in the year had I grown them in pots, as they love heat, and those black pots really soak up the sunshine... however, we are having a lovely summer so far, with lots of heat, and so they are thriving. Eggplants thrive in hot and dry conditions.
Green Globe Artichokes - Yummers! This one is almost ready to pick!
Zucchini's - Three size of the blooms amazes me!
Tomatoes - the heirlooms are ripening so quickly, am bringing in a basket daily! Here you see, going clockwise ... Sasha's Altia, Beaverlodge Slicer, Paul Robeson, a smattering of assorted cherries, and Plum Lemon in the centre.
The garden in mid July ...
Has been hard to keep up with the watering with weeks upon weeks of heat, but thankfully Mother Nature came through for us again, with a great big downpour last night.
Nasturtiums - great additions to the organic garden. They add a gorgeous pop of colour and work as lure crops for aphids. Plant near any plant that tends to get lots of aphids, like cabbage or kale, so that they go to the nasturtium instead of the crop. Also, said to be one of the very best companion plants for attracting the good bugs that eat bad bugs.
I like to leave the stem a few inches long so that it is easy to take that stem and give it a crank to open up the bulb. Some leave it longer so that they can hang it up in the pantry, while others cut it right off. Is simply a matter of personal preference.
This is my first time growing eggplants in the garden beds instead of pots. I am pretty sure that I would have had fruits earlier in the year had I grown them in pots, as they love heat, and those black pots really soak up the sunshine... however, we are having a lovely summer so far, with lots of heat, and so they are thriving. Eggplants thrive in hot and dry conditions.
Green Globe Artichokes - Yummers! This one is almost ready to pick!
Zucchini's - Three size of the blooms amazes me!
Tomatoes - the heirlooms are ripening so quickly, am bringing in a basket daily! Here you see, going clockwise ... Sasha's Altia, Beaverlodge Slicer, Paul Robeson, a smattering of assorted cherries, and Plum Lemon in the centre.
The garden in mid July ...
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