Summer Fun and Summer Eats!!

Mmm the scapes are ready!! So are the golden sweet peas and the carrots. Ohh and the favas came in, no photos because we ate them that fast! We had two good nights of them and then they were done, quick but worth the wait. I guess planting them early is the key.

Last year we had problems with carrot fly, a horrible little bug who's larvae enjoy munching on carrot roots. From what I have read they are attracted by broken carrot leaves, and any trimmings, so this year I have a strict compost rule. The carrots bits that I had previously strewn behind me as I munched in the garden, must now be put in the compost, which is farther away. Unfortunately I have already noticed a few brown worm holes in the larger carrots... sigh. The only other option is covering the entire crop, for the whole season, and I hate remay. I have also planted some carrots with our onions, perhaps the onion smell will hide the carrots.

Some very respectable carrot thinnings! This was two weeks ago, they must be three times this big now! How do I forget in just one year that everything grows so fast in the summer???

We have had a very exciting summer up this way so far, parties and trips, lazy days on the lake, I really don't know when I'm supposed to be in the garden.

Hope summer is finding every one well!

Quick cut them off at the pass... the garlics are trying to 'scape!

This was the week for the alliums to bloom!  The white flowers above are evergreen scallions... we think they look like brontosaurus tails!  

Then the pretty purple chives, I hope they spread more, I'd love to have a huge clump.  Then there is the garlic, with the most delicious flower of all.  Scapes!!!!  Mmm scape omelet, scape and veggie stir fry, scape quiche and my favorite: scape pickles.  Long, tender, garlic flavored pickles were great at thanksgiving last year.

Another one of my absolute favorites is blooming.  Peas!  This is the flower of the golden sweet peas, I love all the colors on this plant.  Pretty golden stems, light green leaves, and those purple blossoms!  The green peas that I planted take a bit longer to start, their flowers are bright white.

The last shock to my system was this bed... 

The favas are b-e-a utiful!!!  They have loads of blooms, and they have no signs of black mold, which was the problem I had a few years ago.

Newest view of the plot!!

Garlic and peas are dominating the scene.  The plum tree has set some fruit but not nearly as much as last year:(

The plum tree is flowering!!!!

This is the most recent view of the garden, as you can see the blossoms are going all out.  The tree is beautiful, and smells like the inside of a bee hive, sweet but a little earthy.   Unfortunately the whole week has been rainy, bees don't really like rain, so I am hoping that the tree has been pollinated.  Cross your fingers if you like plums!  

In this photo it's sort of clear that I have dug over all the beds except two, so almost all of the spring heavy lifting is over.

I have to say I love this photo, because I have the tallest peas in the Tommy Thompson Gardens.  Yup that's a bit of pride....   By next month there will be no clear difference between the size of my plants and the plants in the annual plots, so I allow myself to enjoy this for a moment.  The peas here are called Golden Sweet, they have yellow pods which makes them super easy to find.  Next to them I have planted cilantro and beets, I've got to economize my space.

I guess worrying about the favas not sprouting was all I had to do to coax them out into the light!  They are such nice substantial sprouts!!

The rest of the garden is coming along, my first tee pee of Rattlesnake pole beans went in a few days back, the carrots are coming up well, and all the garlic is looking strong.  I like to plant a few types of vegetables in each bed.  For example the bed that will house the tomatoes is fully planted with carrots already, I just dig the tomato starts in among them.  The carrots grow along side the toms, and are even said to aide each other.  I generally give them a few weeks head start.  In the onion bed there are also lettuces, carrots, and radishes.  Pretty much if there is room I'll put something there, and most likely it'll be lettuce, carrot or a radish...  I really like those three. 

Just as I am getting accustomed to summery weather we get a forecast with frost in it.... I had almost forgotten how summer can turn to winter in a heart beat up here...

Parsnips on the table and seeds in the soil

I have seeds in the ground two and a half weeks early!   Wow!! 

 Today was a marathon of digging and planting.  After three days of warm weather the soil was thawed-out and dried-out, so I began turning the beds in my garden.  The forecast for the next few days has rain, so I knew I had to get a lot done.  I pulled the second half of the parsnips and turned in some good mulch. 

Most recent addition to the garden series time lapse

 In the bed closest to the plum tree I planted greens, radishes and favas, as well as lettuce and kale to transplant.  I planted crops that like sun but are quick, in 'the shade zone' because by the time there is shade from the tree, these crops will be done.

Nero di Toscano (kale) with Pirat (lettuce)

4 varieties of nameless saved lettuce seed from last year

Pak Choi

Bloomsdale Longstanding spinach (seed is from '07)

Plum Purple and Halestone (radishes)

The Windsor favas are on the end and will not be shaded, I know they take a while

Two beds down....

Golden Sweet peas went in, next to a mystery snow pea that I love!

Purple Top turnips went on along side the peas. I'm trying to get a quick crop in.

Bull's Blood and Red Ace beets went in there as well.

I have my fingers crossed for all of these seeds, but have more of each of them incase they don't come up.  

So far I think I'm off to a solid start, so many early veg varieties, and I am digging around in the garden on April first!!!!

My kit and booty

An update on my little green houses:

Cabbages-  these look so great!  They are up and lively, they don't have true leaves yet, when they do I'll start hardening them off a bit quicker then transplant then straight into the ground!!!  Woohoo!

Leeks- haven't seen any:(

Onions- I see a few but they are super tiny, don't think they will get to the right size any time soon.  Not a big deal, it was a great learning experience.

Spinach- 3 are up, no true leaves yet... 

And so it begins!!!

From Soup Peas to Pea Soup

Last year I chose a few new varieties of pea for my garden, one of those was a soup pea called 'purple podded' or 'capucijner' pea.  Mainly I was interested in having three different colors in the pea patch, I was only mildly interested in saving the dried peas to make soup.  Good thing I did, the soup was the best I have EVER had!  The first photo shows the beautiful color of these peas in the garden last summer, then the peas in the pot, with some ham from the Rockville Market Farm, a little onion, celery and carrot. Easy Peasy!!!

 

My biggest surprise was the texture of the finished soup, the peas stay whole, and retain their shape.  Unlike split peas they still had their little seed coats on so they didn't mush down too much.  I hadn't believed that I would be able to taste the difference, but the flavor was almost smokey, and super rich.  These peas were a real treat and something I will be growing this year.  I set aside the best looking seeds to plant, I also marked out pods last summer that produced more than eight peas and saved those, to try and perpetuate a productive line. Hopefully the peas will be planted in the next few weeks.   I love it when crops come full circle.

In need of something green

So obviously not a current photo from my garden here in northern Vermont, but it is a cheery one none the less that thankfully makes spring feel inevitable.  

To me these peas in particular are an important symbol of regeneration as they are one of the plants whose seeds I save and replant.  This cycle I have always thought is very comforting, I don't have to rely on anyone else to offer this variety in order to grow it again next season.

I had piles of peas drying everywhere, all sorted by variety, color, number of peas per pod etc.  I was inspired to try my hand at crossing peas in 2008 by one of my favorite blogs: Daughter of the Soil.  I can't wait to see if any of my crosses took!

I was inspired today to mention seed saving after I read a post by Stuart over at Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas.  He posed the question : Could you garden for 12 months without spending a cent?

My first thought was of course I could, but then I realized that I do have to pay my fee to the Tommy Thompson  community garden, and I need to buy mulch.  Probably I would have to shell out at least $100 for the 2009 season.  That is if I don't buy sets of baby plants, new seeds, tools, extra compost, or stakes.  In 2008 I spent $256.57, yes I kept track (even of the pennies) I was petty curious how much money went in to the garden compared to the amount of veg that came out.  

My second thought was that the aim should be a more permanent self sufficiency, not just a year or two with out cash inputs but a life long garden that is conventionally free.  Maybe I have been living in Vermont too long but to me that feels like the true goal.  Perhaps we should try having  vegetable gardens with out all the stylish tomato equipment, or expensive watering systems.  Could you survive a season with out buying some sexy new garden gadget??? 

 I was very glad to see this question of low input gardening raised in such a public way.  To me it highlights the importance for all of us to look at the things we think we need and reassess every now and again.