Edible Garden

I'm not a huge vegetable gardener.

Mostly because for the first three years on this property, groundhogs ate everything I tried to grow.

Now that I got rid of our old shed, they have no place to hide and consequently, no place to live.

The buffet is closed.

We're just starting to eat the lettuce and radishes now. There is nothing so nice as free, yummy lettuce. Completely free of chemicals. I love it!

I noticed the peas are starting to bloom. 

 Such a beautiful flower.

One of the wettest seasons on record. I don't think my tomatoes are happy.

Trying some interesting heirlooms this year: Bloody Butcher, Charlie Chaplin, Kellogg's Breakfast, Sugar Plum and Big Rainbow. Also planted 2 Sungolds and a Brandywine.

Bought a tomatillo plant to try. I see a bug on it.

I just love salsa verde.

I'm in love with the colors on the purple cabbage leaves.

Even planted some strawberries. Fingers crossed I will get to taste these. I even put up a little fence, my feeble attempt to keep out the varmints.

"The first gatherings of the garden in May of salads, radishes and herbs made me feel

like a mother about her baby - how could anything so beautiful be mine. And this emotion

of wonder filled me for each vegetable as it was gathered every year. There is

nothing that is comparable to it, as satisfactory or as thrilling,

as gathering the vegetables one has grown."

- Alice B. Toklas

Gardening Gene?

Is there a gardening gene? I'd like to think so. I got it from my Mom who got it from her father. I hope to pass my green thumb on to my own daughter because I think gardening is one of the most important things a child should learn that is not taught in school (in fact I strongly believe it should be taught in school - see Edible Schoolyard).

I didn't always like to garden. Growing up I was forced to pick beans, weed and shell peas. I would have rather been doing just about anything. I'm so glad now that my mother instilled in me a love and knowledge of gardening - and ecstatic that she gave me her old tiller!

We were over at my Mom and Stepfather's place last night for dinner. Everything we ate, except for steak, was fresh from the garden - zucchini, red & blue new potatoes, string beans, carrots, tomatoes. Most of the veggies she grilled which really brought out their natural sugars.
Here are some photos their garden. It's HUGE over 3 acres. They sell a lot of their fresh, organic produce to restaurants in the West Chester, PA area. Of course family and friends are welcome to take all they can eat for free:)


Rows of heirloom tomatoes as far as the eye can see!


Sunflowers for beauty and to attract pollinators.


My niece and brother-in-law picking beans to take home.


Would you look at those gorgeous carrots!


Zoe and her cousin, Ethan, catching up to us. After dinner we always have to take a walk in the garden to see what's growing and pick what we want to take home.


Even my Mom's old dog Uno eats her veggies. Here she is getting a string bean!

Blood, sweat and dirt...

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."-- Claude Monet



I have been so busy in the yard I haven't gotten much else done. I'm so proud of my new flower garden (mostly perennials) that I thought I would share a few pictures. My wonderful husband bought me a weeping redbud that is in the corner of the boomerang shape. I can't wait to see it bloom next spring!


This was the garden half way finished. I wish I had taken a before photo. When we moved in nearly 2 years ago there was an oval garden in the back that was entirely over grown and a butterfly bush that had a lot of dead wood that I cut off and put a large saucer in for a bird bath. This year I enlarged the space around the butterfly bush and connected the two beds in a large boomerang shape.



Here's the finished garden. I have a lot of plants in there that will grow tall and spread such as shasta daisies, lupine, black eyed susan, yarrow, coneflower, dianthus, salvia & baby's breath.
Also planted a knock out rose, two blueberry bushes, glads, spirea, lady's mantle coral bells, scotch broom, meadow rue, borgae, obedient plant, sunflowers, spiderwort, morning glory, geranium, portulaca, foxglove and more!


Veggie garden is getting big. Just added a small patch behind it for cantaloupe and watermelon. Instead of bamboo poles for tomato teepees, I thought I would try using large branches.


Guess who's going eating lots of salad this week? I have three varieties, like this romaine, to choose from. My favorite is red sails but the black seeded simpson is ready too!

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One more gorilla photo from last Monday! Thanks for all the comments. I'm sorry if I'm not able to always comment back but I do appreciate hearing from other bloggers.

Scenes from the Garden

A male ear of corn perhaps? I didn't grow this but bought it today at Roots Market down the road from me. The variety is called "White Out" and was the best corn I've had so far this year. Unfortunately I had to geld this strange ear.



Some gorgeous sunflowers!

Lovely zinnia.

I have cherry tomatoes galore. This year I planted Sungold, Sweet 100 and Sunsugar varieties.

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Coming soon, a new sheep sign! Just in time for Halloween. I think I will add it to ebay tomorrow. Check the link to the right.