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.

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...

Winter-sown project update

The cabbage has done very well in this system, I only wish I had started some other brassicas like this too.  I think since our forecast is going to have rain for a few days I will transplant today, so they have a chance to get established.  

Last summer we planted two varieties of hops in the garden; Centennial and Brewer's Gold, they grew very tall and produced loads of flowers.  We planted bare rhizomes, they just looked like twigs...   This year they have already sent out new shoots and have spread a bit.  They are very vigorous and the vines can grow to twenty feet tall.  Hop gardens are very beautiful things, tall rows of green, they look like giant's hedges.  We'll select three or four shoots from each crown and pinch back the rest.  Since we only have two plants we wont have the lovely green rows, our hop garden might end up looking like a big green arch, or a bit of rickety stick and string construction with hops growing on it.

This photo above is of the garlic bulbils (top set garlic clones) that I planted last fall, they are on their way to becoming cloves, I hope!  I didn't realize how many I had planted, there must be thousands..... eek!  If this works as planned I might need to get a second plot.

Last I have a little fava question.... how long do they take to come up???  I planted them with the peas very early this month and not even a rogue one has come up!!  Am I being impatient? (Most likely)  Or is there a fava trick I don't know?

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!!!