watchthegardengrow

6.24.2007

deer tongue lettuce



i think that now we know why this lettuce is named after deer. sure the leaves look a bit like their ears... but that's not it. it's that they really like to eat it. it's their favorite gourmet snack. that and endive.

they don't like the spicy stuff tho -- avoided the mizuna + arugula with the nose of a true snobby epicurean.



yesterday morning john and brigitte chased a deer out of the garden.
and yesterday afternoon john and kara fixed the fence.
it's been waiting for a month -- two rolls of black plastic mesh fencing resting on the pile of drainage stones by the garage.

hadn't even noticed the lettuce bed...
what had been big beautiful heads of lettuce ready to pull out and eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner were munched down right to the quick.

i guess i could thank the deer for helping us with two items on the 'list of things to do': fix fence + succession plant the lettuces. HAH!

in response, i planted a few new rows of arugula + endive. today replant some lettuce + prep the tomato beds.
tomorrow: re-lay plastic between the beds and line them with the new chip mulch fresh from the 'wood chippah'

the fence looks great. john put up the fence while i cut the old rusting chicken wire. and every day i'll do a little bit to connect the old fence with the new.

6.14.2007

last year's garden








some veiws from last year.

6.10.2007

things to do

To do :

Transplant basil
Transplant parsley
Transplant celeriac
Transplant leeks
Transplant cucumbers
Transplant tomatoes
Transplant spinach
Transplant marigolds in tomato beds
Transplant peppers + eggplant
re-seed direct pole beans
re-seed direct bush beans
re-seed direct shell peas
thin mizuna
thin beets
thin chard
thin collards
thin kale
thin turnips + parsnips
thin carrots
thin zucchini + squash
thin Japanese cabbage
succession plant arugula
order nasturtium seeds
order mesclun salad seeds
weed strawberry bed
weed herb garden
weed asparagus
set up and plant potatoes
get red plastic for tomato beds
lay down plastic + mulch on walkways
repair fence
research pest control (birds and snails)
plan water irrigation + pump
eat salads, chives + strawberries

6.09.2007

the early bird...

gets more than worms.

this morning from my window i saw the birds picking and poking in the bean bed in the garden. earlier in the week i noticed that a new bean plant pushing up out from under the thick soil with its leaves trying hard to shed the heavy red seed shell. but yesterday it was gone. plucked out of the ground. a small hole in it's place. this morning i was resolved to try again, plant some more seeds so that the birds could have some as they hunt and peck for worms.

this year's garden has been all about second tries.
the cucumber seedlings the strongest of the lot early on then dead. no real explanation. the soil too rich not enough drainage? left out in the sun too long - burnt? left out too long in the day till the sun already gone -- frozen? whatever the case -- dead on their stems with leaves shriveled, they stopped trying. start over -- decided to do a direct seeding in the ground, bought a few hot-house plants to plant side by side to have some fruit in july, and planted seedlings inside as well.

tomatoes are now strong and thriving in the sunny days -- and we have double the number of seedlings as we have space in the garden because early on it was unclear that anything would rise from my first planting. i even bought new seeds thinking that my storage of last years was lacking.

almost everything is in the ground now. we are waiting for the soil to warm up for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. we are eating salad every day: arugula, japanese cabbage, mizuna or vlita, crysanthemum greens, and crinkly cress.