Another Garden Update

**Winnie** · 08-14-2010, 07:18 AM

Well it's been a while and the garden has come on. Here's a few more pics of what's going on.
#1-3 stuff growing away
#4 Todays haul. Not massive, but plenty for me!
#5 the harvest of Shallots, it totalled 4lbs. Not bad from 25 sets.

**crashdive123** · 08-14-2010, 07:44 AM

Looks great Winnie.

**Rick** · 08-14-2010, 07:48 AM

Gosh, don't apologize for that. It doesn't have to be massive. As long as it's enough for you to eat off of and put some away that's all that matters. Looks great to me. Nice job on the raised beds and the plants!!

**Winnie** · 08-14-2010, 07:51 AM

The only disappointment is the quantity of winter squash. from six plants there are only 9 squashes. I'm going to try a couple of different varieties next year, ones with smaller fruits. These weigh about 5lbs each. Too big just for me.

**oldtrap59** · 08-14-2010, 05:30 PM

Winnie it looks great to me. Good use of a backyard. Have you ever tried acorn squash? They are small. They store well and have a good taste.

oldtrap

**Winnie** · 08-14-2010, 06:22 PM

Oldtrap, I've found a variety of small squash to try next year, called Celebration, it's an acorn type and also a small Pumpkin called Wee B Little. Both store well and both are a bush variety. This year was pretty much fill the beds up with whatever would grow. Next year I'll be more organised.

**your_comforting_company** · 08-15-2010, 12:16 PM

those turnips and mustards got my mouth watering.. YUM!
you call those "shallots". are they like onions? I think we call them pearl onions or scallions.
It all looks delicious to me. Those mustards are ready for pickin and eatin! A dash of pepper sauce... I can't take it anymore! I'm going to fix lunch!

**2dumb2kwit** · 08-15-2010, 12:59 PM

Dang.....that looks like some good eatin', to me!

Isn't it funny , how a garden makes a house look so much more like a home. Maybe it's just me, but there is something very comforting about a garden.

**Winnie** · 08-15-2010, 03:04 PM

I know exactly what you mean 2D. Now I have this little veg garden, I also have a morning ritual. After the first cup of tea, I make the first cup of coffee. Still in my jammies, I go out with the girls and enjoy the quiet and look to see how things are coming on and make a mental note of anything that needs doing later.
YCC all the greens are for winter/spring picking. They overwinter really well and are a welcome treat. I'm not sure what you'd call Shallots. You plant one and it divides into lots. I've saved some to plant this autumn and hopefully the longer growing season will yield bigger bulbs.

**Chris** · 08-15-2010, 06:09 PM

Here is my garden update.

carrots: eaten by groundhog
cabbage: eaten by groundhog
beets: some harvested, some got eaten, second planting all nibbled on already.
zucchini: squash vine borers, but still got some
cherry tomatoes: some harvested
butternut squash: taking over front yard, will be good harvest
sweet potatoes: leaves repeatedly eaten by either groundhog or rabbits, expecting tiny tubers
regular spuds in containers: doing okay, we'll see
spinach and lettuces: finished long ago, about half fed the groundhog
grapes: late frost seems to have hurt production, or drought, or birds, or something. Had a bunch of immature grapes, now they're all gone.
Pear tree: not as good as last year
raspberries: worst year in 5 years
kiwi: late frost did it in
cherry tree: too young still, next year we get fruit
asparagus: cherry tree grew too much, shaded it, maybe plant hostas instead
strawberries: slugs got a lot, groundhog some, okay yield, not as good as last year

....

This has not been a good summer. June was all cloudy and rainy, july was all sunny, hot, and no rain. So when we had water we didn't have sun, and when we had sun we didn't have water. Plus we had multiple late frosts, and that groundhog has figured out my fences. If my wife didn't think he was cute he'd be shot.

**LowKey** · 08-15-2010, 07:21 PM

Doesn't the wife like to go out to shop or visit with friends or something. That groundhog could 'move on' during one of those brief absences....

**Pal334** · 08-15-2010, 07:58 PM

Nice crop there Winnie. Our season has been a disaster, first too much rain, then too much heat. But keep plugging away, nothing better than ones own fresh veggies

**Winnie** · 08-16-2010, 04:02 AM

It was the other way round here.Hot and dry, now cool and wet. And late frosts were a real pita. Planting was delayed.

If you can't shoot the Groundhog, Chris, get some Chickens. Mine take exception to anything that can eat veg being in the garden and chase them off. I think their thinking is if they can't have the veggies, nothing will!