My First "Real" Garden!!!

Wow -- Congratulations!!

What are you making from your harvest? It looks like you're getting in a good assortment of hot peppers.... yum!

LOL at "finally picking more than just cukes & beans".... a little zone envy here... I'd love to be picking cukes & beans! :-)

Thanks critter! Are you at least close to picking cukes and beans?

I have teeny cukes on a 'Patio Pickles' plant on the deck, but many of my other cukes were taken out by agents unknown.... LOL... I've got a second round of starts sprouting up now. Bean plants are looking decent and will hopefully be blooming soon. :-)

Meanwhile, we've been "making do" with cukes from the farmer's market.

Kanita, that photo could be an advertisement for a farmer's market! The colors are beautiful and just looks so........fresh! Congrats on your haul. It's worth all the hard work isn't it?

Debra

PS Is Kirby still around?

Debra - THANKS! I t is so worth the work. I was so excited running around and picking things. I haven't seen Kirby at all, and I have been looking for him/her. I guess the swiss chard got boring because it has less holes on the new leaves, hardly any.

How's your garden coming along?

Critter - Cool, in about a week you'll have pickling cukes!

I don't have a vegetable garden this year - other than a planter box with two tomatoes, parsley and rosemary. I do have a few little roses, coneflowers, lily of the nile, butterfly bush, etc. Our big project this summer has been laying new sod - and lots of it. Keeping it watered and alive keeps me busy! If I can get my DH to build some raised beds this fall/winter I hope to have vegetables next year. Enjoy yours!

Debra

kanita - just found this thread. You are doing great!! Keep up the good work; be very careful and stay safe! ~ Suzi :)

Thanks Suzi!!!

More pics from the garden. Corn is coming along in the earthbox

Bell peppers should be turning soon.

Basil, tomato & pepper patch.

Celebrity Tomatoes

Shallots

Serrano Peppers

Fantastic! I'm impressed with your produce, then when I remember where it is you are gardening I'm really impressed. Awsome.

Debra

kanita, your gardens look awesome. I might have to move my veggie garden to a community garden next year, so it's good to see that you're making it work.

Thanks Debra & Kurtwall. I love my garden, I am having so much fun with it.

Gorgeous!!! How exciting that you're starting to harvest in earnest, too!

Keep pinching that basil -- it looks great! It doesn't need more than 2 pairs of leaves on a stem or branch, and when you pinch above that second pair of leaves, the stem will branch and you'll have even more basil to harvest the next round. If you stop pinching, it will flower and go to seed, and then the leaves start tasting bitter. You've got enough plants for some serious pesto and sauce making! :-)

Thanks critter! I didn't know that it only needed two leave. I've been only taking two or three leaves at a time and pinching any blossoms I see trying to grow. Pesto is definitely on its way!

Um, that's two *pairs* of leaves per stem, although on some of the upper branches of a larger plant I've been known to pinch the stem above just one pair of leaves.

Pinching the stem is definitely better than harvesting by just picking leaves, as pinching promotes new growth and branching. You'll just be amazed by how much your plants will grow once you start harvesting them!

Have fun! :-)

Okay, I cut off 2lbs of basil today, and I figured you meant 2 pair of leaves per stem, just my bad typing. Although, I left more than 2 leaves per stem. I had patches of basil all over the garden.

I went to Trader Joes today to get pignoli nuts and extra virgin olive oil.

k

Woohoooo! You're gonna be rollin' in pesto! Remember, it freezes well... and if you freeze it in an ice cube tray, you get nice little portions (just pop them out into a freezer bag once they are solid).

That reminds me... I've got a gallon or so of basil leaves that I need to process this evening.... :-)

My chocolate bell peppers are finall starting to change colors, I am so excited!!!

that is so pretty kanita.

Here's another view.

Thanks Ms_Merae. These are growing in a container. The peat pellet that had this peppers had fallen in back of a large container on my balcony and I found it months later and put it in a pot. I can't believe how well its doing and that it actually gave me peppers!

Edited to correct misspelling.

This message was edited Jul 12, 2006 10:33 AM

Lemon cukes are coming along as well.

Continued to new thread:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/627170/