ex gardens

It’s time for Harvest Monday, where gardeners from all over celebrate all things harvest related. The weather here has been hot and dry, and with excessive heat warnings for every day all last week. I’m doing the minimum amount of gardening work outside, and watering late in the afternoons when the sun is less intense. So far the garden is holding on in the heat, and rain is expected in the coming days. I got quite a few cucumbers from the greenhouse last week, plus enough summer squash to keep us supplied for fresh eating. I also made a baked dish using spiralized yellow squash and zucchini and topped with a mix of ricotta and parmesan cheeses with chopped fresh basil added. morning harvest squash nests with cheese The raspberries are winding down even as the blackberries are beginning to ripen. I got enough for us to eat fresh last week, and we will begin freezing extra blackberries as they come in. raspberries and a few blackberries The blueberries are trickling in and we...

It’s time for Harvest Monday, where gardeners from all over celebrate all things harvest related. The weather here has turned dry, but with that came excessive heat warnings for our area and much of the U.S. I’m doing gardening work as early as possible in the mornings, usually before I eat my breakfast. The garden is still ramping up production, and this week I got the first eggplants from the container plantings. There will be more soon, and the plants are loaded with blooms and setting lots of fruit. We typically get several pounds of eggplant from these before the in-ground plantings begin to bear. Fairy Tale and Gretel eggplant And raspberries are still keeping us well supplied. I have to say they have been thriving on neglect, as I have done very little to them since planting other than to trim out the dead canes when they are done fruiting. raspberry harvest It’s not going to be a great year for the blueberries though, but my wife found a few ripe ones which we shared. W...

This is another installment about growing vegetables in containers. Click on  Gardening Tutorials to see more in the series.  I have been growing eggplant in containers for at least 15 years now. It’s a great way for those without a garden spot to grow them, or for folks like me who want to get a jump on the season before the plants in the garden start to bear. Eggplants love the heat, and the soil in containers warms up before it does in the garden. It’s also a good way for short-season gardeners to grow them. container grown eggplant I did my first tutorial about growing eggplant in containers back in 2012. I’ve been growing them in containers every year since then, but I have changed my methods a bit. I originally only used large plastic pots, ones 12 to 16 inches in diameter. But in recent years I have started using Smart Pot grow bags as well, and they have proven to also give good results. container eggplants To grow eggplant in containers, I start with a pot ...

It’s time for Harvest Monday, where gardeners from all over celebrate all things harvest related. Our harvests are getting more and more variety in them now, and last week the first summer squashes were ready to bring in. This batch included the yellow Tempest, Green Machine zucchini and 2025 AAS Winner Green Lightning pattypan. I grated up one of the yellow ones and one zucchini and sautéed in olive oil for a side dish, which is one of my favorite light treatments for the squashes. summer squashes squash sauté In the fruit department, the raspberries are still coming on. I get about a custard cup full every two days, which is plenty for me and my wife to enjoy for fresh use. They are holding up well despite our rainy conditions. raspberry harvest I also pulled a few more of the spring planted kohlrabi, this time the purple Kolibri and the white-skinned Beas. The slugs are having a field day with the skins but once peeled they are crisp and juicy inside. We have been enjoyin...

It’s time for Harvest Monday, where gardeners from all over celebrate all things harvest related. While the asparagus season here is now officially over, new crops are ready to harvest and eat. I pulled the first of the spring planted kohlrabi last week, one each of Terek and Kolibri. In April I set out about 30 kohlrabi plants in this bed behind the greenhouse, and I plan to set heat-tolerant lettuces in there as I pull the kohlrabi. Those plants are ready to go in as soon as there’s a spot for them. I had good luck last year with the summer lettuce, and hopefully they will do as well this year. Terek and Kolibri kohlrabi And the first raspberries have started ripening too. It’s a mix of varieties, and I really can’t remember which ones other than Caroline. I know they have been tasty, and we have been enjoying them on our breakfast cereal and muesli. raspberries I also pulled a few of the lettuces I had growing behind the greenhouse. They were getting a little long in the too...

Today I want to show some of the things we have blooming here in early June. The perennials around our birdbath are beginning to bloom. We have Heliopsis, Echinacea, Catmint, Stokesia and Tall Phlox planted around it and they are beginning to flower. birdbath The Heliopsis is stunning, with variegated leaves and golden yellow flowers. Heliopsis Sunstruck Several of the tall phlox are blooming, including this Fashionably Early Flamingo plant covered with flamingo-pink flowers. Fashionably Early Flamingo phlox We have quite a few Bee Balms planted, and they are beginning to flower too. Bee Balm Bubblegum Blast Bee Happy Bee Balm We have several coneflowers planted in our Sun Garden area, and one called Big Kahuna is flowering now with its mango-orange blooms. Big Kahuna coneflower The red flowered yarrow is blooming too, and ones with yellow and pink flowers should be opening up soon. Common Yarrow can spread and be invasive, but these newer cultivars are more well...