Gardening in the Extension: May Update
My first foray into our extension is much smaller than I first planned. Winter ended roughly here. Joe’s brother, Jeff, after 11 weeks of hospital care died on Mothers Day. Over the weeks I was blessed with having my turn caring for Jeff. It was a bitter ending to accept. Despite Jeff’s original intention and everyone who worked for a better outcome, death proved itself stronger.
The Saturday Joe and I created the garden bed, it felt so good to bring more life to this earth. The sod filled the hole left behind where the ash once grew. I edged the bed, but Joe did the heavy work with the tiller. I followed with quick organic amendments rather than slower compost intended for months of February, March and April. I also purchased a good number of plants, rather than starting seeds under grow lights. Nonetheless, I am pleased with the look of interplanting root crops with flowering crops and various flowers for edible, medicinal, insect repellent, and vase appropriate uses.
Along the street perimeter are lettuce raddichio and flowers and onions. I put in a few poblano peppers (ancho chilis after smoking!) and cutting flowers. In front I have planted some beets. I had a few seeds left over after edging our patio garden with beet seeds. Behind these are a mass of mustard and arugula. Along the back perimeter are more brocolli than our family alone can consume–but they are so fun to pick. Interplanted with the brocolli is celeraic and rutabaga, as well as cutting flowers for the kitchen table. I accented the corners of this bed with cabbage and kale. The cabbage is thriving. Two of my kale have disappeared–I assumed to critters.
You probably have noticed a small circle of hay around the corner. Evelyn and I dug a second much smaller bed. I will plant our pie pumpkins there after they have gotten of sufficient size as to be more resistant to critter nibbles.
In the center are botticelli beans, a red speckled bean about the size of fava bean. My original target bean was cannelli or edame/soy, but I did not order these ahead of time, so I purchased what was on local racks. I hope they are a good soup bean. Oh, and I did mix in some bush french green beans. Yes, there are some flowers in the middle. They should not reach full height until after the bean harvest.
All for now
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