Garden Pupdate -- I mean UPdate

I am, I know, not unique in filing this report:  It has been unseasonably cold and dull.  (everywhere, it seems?)

The peppers, basil and squashes are not amused. 

The tomatoes that are in the red tomato mulch are going great guns in spite of it, and have doubled in size (at least) since I put them in. The ones in the beds without the tomato mulch are not faring as well. It's a live, side-by-side test of the product, and once again I am convinced:  It's the best thing ever for tomatoes. Well, that and epsom salt and bone meal, and maybe a little lime. I do not get any kickbacks for endorsing this stuff, but I should! I'd be the world's spokesperson for red tomato plastic if I could.  Me, an endorser of unsightly red plastic to put on the ground -- I feel a smidge guilty about that, but NOT! 

I somehow did not get photographic proof of the tomato phenomenon.

The cold weather is good for the greens, though, and the asparagus and the broccoli and the radishes.  They're all growing faster than seems possible, really. 

The garlic is very tall, but has not yet sent out scapes. 

The new peas have germinated, as well as a few beans and Swiss chard. And the carrots!  I've never had any luck with carrots before, due to my horrible clay soil.  I had such rotten luck with them and they are so inexpensive to buy that I had not bothered to plant them in the raised beds before this year.  But this year it looks like that might all change.  

And we have some green strawberries.  Fingers crossed that we will get some sun to ripen them, and fingers crossed that the rabbit that is three times the size of Jeffies and has been hanging out in the yard eating dandelion flowers does not discover the lettuce and other delicacies up there.  (Yes, I know.  Delusional, I am.  A rabbit fence purchase is next on  my list.)   

This was dinner the night before last, served with crab cakes and smoked salmon.  Not too shabby, eh?

Mr. Jefferies helped me pick it.  He thought cutting asparagus was the NEW MOST FUN THING EVER.  He's a terrier, after all -- and terriers are ratters.  The scritchy noise that my asparagus knife made?  Like a Disney World ride for Mr. Jefferies.  He can't believe how many fun new games I've been showing him.  He wanted to chew on a spear, but I wouldn't let him.  Then I went over to pick the spinach, mizuna mustard, bok choi and lettuce.  He looks at me doing that, looks at my face and goes, "Are you serious?  We can DO this?! You are the COOLEST PERSON I HAVE EVER MET, Alpha Alpha!  I.love.this.game!"  He thereupon pulled out a small lettuce plant by its roots and chewed it up.

Yesterday he brought out his rawhide chew bone and buried it in the mulch.

Ah, yes.  It's an adventure all right. 

No sign of a toad yet, and maybe that's just as well with Mr. J around here, terrierizing the neighborhood.

 

Comments

[Luinelen]

It was actually unseasonably warm here in Finland for a couple of days. But now it's back to the (seasonably?) cold.

[Seanna Lea]

The weather seems all over the map here (70s+ for a couple of days and then back to not breaking 55).

I ordered grow beds yesterday morning and am hoping to get my first little garden plot up before the weekend. I'm hoping to grow mostly salad greens and herbs my first time out (though I did buy a little 6 plant flat of bell peppers). I love seeing all of the garden information in your blog even though I've never really been able to use it before!

[AnnaMarie]

I have finally realized I need to get a low fence for the garden. Not for the groundhog. For the Corgyn. Agatha likes lettuce.

[Carole]

My herbs are growing nicely - basil, parsley and mint. We pick up our first CSA share of the season on Friday. Yay!

[Paula]

:-) Sounds like you and Mr. J. are thoroughly enjoying each other's company.

[gayle]

I can't believe how far ahead you are. My lettuce is still sulking, the spinach is talking mutiny, and I think the swiss chard rolled back up into the seed...
We're hoping the soil warms up enough this week to plant corn and beans. Our lilacs are finally blooming, so it must be time.

[margene]

It's a whole new world!

[Carol]

Your carrots are going great guns. Mine are out but not liking the cold snap or something. Maybe a feeding is in order. LOVE Mr. J. He's taken to country life quite easily, yes?

[faerielady]

I've decided to indulge my big dog's love of digging and tear out half my back yard this year, replacing it with garden beds. I already planted potatoes in tires in the center of my back yard where the grass is the thickest... I hate lawn turf, it has no viable purpose except to guzzle water and demand mowing.

Besides, I need a LOT more room to garden...

[Leslie]

I don't know about Terriers but I do know that cats and toads are not a good combination. I've ended up at Emergency Vet's twice (different cats) with IV fluids and anti-emetics. Dr. Mel? You here? What's the word?

[mary lou]

I have to have a side by side pic of the area in my garden I left fallow last year and did lasagna (found in your blog) mulch as it cover while it relaxed. The difference in the broccoli in that area and the ones a foot away look like a buy this, sucka ad in Gardens Alive.

[marianne]

Heee, I love hearing the Mr.J tales! I can well imagine that expression on his dogface "are you serious?" This is going to be one hell of a delightful Summer!
Must get some of that red tomato plastic!

[Teej]

*grin* For what it's worth, it's been warm and pleasant in southeastern MN/west central WI. Windy, but with a not unreasonable balance of rain and sun, so I can't really complain. Well, except about how the weeds grow faster than the seeds and plants, but I suppose that's my own fault for not mulching in the raised beds.

If it's not too much trouble, could you post pictures of your asparagus plants in more detail? I planted year-old roots this year for the first time and followed the instructions, and they're quite ferny as expected, but I'm unsure of whether it's okay to fill the trenches in around the ferny bits, or if that will mean they'll have a hard time coming up next year.

[Vicki]

Aw so much fun!
Man, I'll tell ya, if it hasn't been raining here it's been WINDY as all hell, and cooler than I'd like.
The wind is good for drying clothes on the line... and there's a load ready to go!
; )

[Wanda in AR]

It has been warm here in Arkansas so hopefully the warm weather is on its way. Today is cooler and rainy after several days of sun and upper 80s

[Julie]

My carrots are just not happening -- even in the raised bed. At least everything else seems to be doing pretty well. I'm inspired to try garlic next year after seeing your photos -- so lush!

[(formerly) no-blog-rachel]

My Beagle, Trouble, likes to help with the green bean harvest. She LOVES her green beans (though she'd happy to help pick and eat almost any vegetable). It's nice they like to 'help', no?

[Beebs]

I wonder what Mr J thinks will happen to that rawhide bone. And if he digs *it* up whenever you're harvesting your stuff.
He's very cute.

[Rosalia]

Hi Norma,
Love the mix of knitting and gardening. Garden is looking good. I was wondering, I am growing some garlic and its my first time - - how long do you grow it before picking? My garlic plants are about half the size of yours, but they are looking good. Looking forward to hearing from you. Keep up the good work.
Rosalia

[Tish]

"Terrierizing"! Love it.

[thea]

you may need to work on a green sweater to continue the theme.... but keep it away from Mr J. I think bones aren't the only thing he'd snack on.

[Kristen]

Oh carrots... Go, carrots, go!

[Cookie]

Love the army of carrots you've got this year.

Consider deer fencing, Norma. You can grow light weight climbers on it and it will help keep out more than just the bunnies.

[Judy]

My dogs will eat half the garden if I let them. They eat the peas and beans off the plants and unfortunately found my raspberry bushes last fall. It's hard to beat them to the harvest some times! Mr J is quite a bit smaller though. He shouldn't be able to eat much.

[Tracy J.]

Lovely stuff. Mr. Jeffries seems astonishingly well behaved - my dogs (well, my parents' dogs, close enough) would have destroyed that entire garden in two minutes, flat.

It's been weirdly cool here, too, but since that means it isn't the 90 degree humidity soup it ought to be, I am thankful.

[Sarah]

Our gardening assistants are the stray cats. Two of them go particularly wild when we try to do any real amount of work. Shovels and rakes are favorites of theirs. When we weed, it is the closest they get to allowing us to pet them.

[NessaRose]

We lost one of our dogs after he bit a toad. Apparently toads are poisonous to dogs.

NessaRose

[ann]

Terrierizing?!! I LOVE IT!

[sandy]

"PUPDATE" ROFL!!!!
Beets? Do we have beets??

[Hat]

Your plants all look so healthy Norma. Do you not have ANY pests and diseases?