Thursday, August 1, 2019

A Look at the Garden on August 1st

According to my notes from the last couple of years, the garden is behind in growth and production this year.  'Tis not surprising considering the slow start it got in our cold cool spring and early summer.

Here's a look at some of it on this first day of August.


Even though a lot of the asparagus patch has gone to ferns, I'm still harvesting fresh, crisp and crunchy, nice sized stalks about every other day.  I've got as much as I want in the freezer and these smaller harvests give us just the right amount to eat fresh.


August 1st and the shell peas are just now ready for the first picking.  Well, at least they're looking good.  I'm thinking I'll start harvesting tomorrow.


Not having the field garden where I usually plant our beans, I put one eight foot row of green beans in one raised bed and another eight foot row of yellow wax beans in another bed.  Methinks they really like growing in this new spot.  This shot of one of the rows is a full four feet wide and loaded with blossoms and some itty-bitty beans.


Beets always grow well for me.  These guys in the photo above look like they're ready to make an escape from the garden.


The Morning Glories planted around the tepee trellis haven't even reached the top of it yet, and I've spotted only one lonely bloom near the bottom.  Plus, they're getting munched on by some creepy-crawly that is making lace out of their leaves.  Poor Morning Glories.


Garlic is starting to show brown and dying leaves but isn't ready for harvest yet.


The slicing cukes are blooming like I've never seen before.  There's even one little cuke doing its best to be the first one big enough to harvest.  In a couple of weeks.  (Can you spot it?  Look to the left center in front of a yellow blossom.)


Here's the field garden we planted out to barley after we got no germination from the buckwheat we first seeded.  We'll plow it under as a green manure before it goes to seed.


The Scarlet Runner Beans have finally reached the top of this garden trellis.  


These vibrant red blooms will last almost until the frost kills the vines.  So colorful.

That's all to show today.  Hope your garden is giving you a bountiful harvest and you've been eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables from it. 

12 comments:

Michelle said...

Yep, lots of fresh eating but not enough to do much preserving.

Mama Pea said...

Michelle - Well, my friend, you just have to expand your gardening space for next year! (Yeah, like you've got time for all of that!) ;o)

Leigh said...

I always love seeing your garden. Each bed has it's own personality. I love a thriving garden.

SmartAlex said...

Nice cucumber blooms! And those bush beans look awesome. Mine were the best ever last year. I saved some seeds and planted them along with the newly bought seeds to see how they do. I can't believe you are justnow harvesting peas. Makes me feel a little better about my slow tomatoes.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Your plants are so big and lush. What do you do for fertilizer? I thought I had put down enough bagged composted manure (the kind you buy), but I don't have nearly the size of plants that you do! I have beet envy! -Jenn

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - Thank you! My garden feels so very different this year. I really cut back (sniff) and without the area of the field garden (sniff, sniff), had to squeeze different plants into different places. It looks good now, but I think most things are not far enough along to make it before Jack Frost makes an appearance. But we'll be thankful for every little bit of harvest we get.

SmartAlex - I know! Peas are supposedly one of the earliest harvests but mine don't make it much earlier than the beans. And as for tomatoes . . . cannot grow them to maturity here until we get some kind of a hoop house or greenhouse for help! Yours will do fine, I'm betting.

Jenn - Thanks! Our only fertilizer is the compost we make right here on the homestead. Papa Pea does such a great job with what we have to work with. I think once our plants start growing, they know they've got a very short season so they go like crazy to make it! I thought of you when I pictured the beets. Don't know why they won't do well for you. :o(

Susan said...

My garden is way behind, too. My garlic crop is downright pathetic this year - the first time, ever. The only 'crop'that seems to thrive is the weed crop. I love the flowers on the runner beans - they are so vibrant! I planted sweetpeas this year and got one plant. One. Sigh.

Hummingbird said...

I too planted green beans in a 4x8 raised bed. I planted bush beans. Needs no support, said the packet. WRONG! The plants are flopping all over the place. I am hating harvesting them with a passion! I spend so much time thrashing around search for the beans. Next year, back to pole beans and support! Sigh, back out there later this morning. Wish me luck!

wisps of words said...

A first of the month post!

My son next door, harvested his garlic last week or so.

A new bunny appeared and is eating his lettuce. His fault, he needs to cover it! Duhhh... -evil grin-

Grab those beets!!! They are going to run away, one of these nights!!!!!!!!! Maybe on the Full Moon!!! Grab 'em!!!!!

Lynne said...

Your gardens do look so good. The vegetable you get I bet will be yummy, and so good for you and Papa Pea . I think your yield is alot from your patience and hard work. Next year you'll have the field garden producing too !! Super job!

Pam said...

Considering I have NO garden, you are doing great. I love the pic at the top of your blog!

Mama Pea said...

Susan - My Sweet Peas are pathetic this year, too. :o( They started out good, but now the vines seem to be drying up and dying. Not a lack of moisture so I don't know what is happening. I've had two blooms so far. Double :o(!

Hummingbird - Yep, although I prefer bush beans to pole beans, there are some years when the bush beans don't seem to have any "starch" in them at all and lie down like lazy lumps! That does make picking difficult. Good luck with finding your bean bounty in your tangle!

wisps of words - I've read of others harvesting their garlic already. Just one more thing that my garden is always a little behind on. But I don't think it will be too long before mine is ready.

Lynne - Thanks, Lynne. When I realistically look at the time I've put into just the raised beds this year (and the fruit trees and strawberry patch and blueberry patch and asparagus patch), I'm kinda glad I've had the rest from the usual planting of the whole field garden. (Uh-oh, that lazy person inside me is trying to get out!!)

Pam - Gotta confess some days that's exactly how I feel! ;o}