1) We planted mostly heirlooms, and you can't expect those to be the fastest producers. We are looking for flavor here, and flavor takes time!
2) We have already had radishes, broccoli, peas, several handfuls of delicious bush green beans, and holy-cow-a-lot-of-basil! No, we aren't seeing bumper crops of any of the above except basil, but ...
3)...this is our first year of gardening in this space! And our first year gardening in the ground and not in a square foot garden with made-up soil or in other containers. It is an entirely different animal to have ripped up sod in March, tilled in horse manure compost (with which there were clearly several issues) and then find out that the space isn't nearly as sunny in July as it was back in March.
So, with that in mind, I'm going to just enjoy what we've had and tuck away lots of learning from this practice year.
Pole beans are so fascinating to me. My mom grew scads of bush beans when I was growing up, and they were delicious! But I was curious, what do these pole beans taste like? How can beans grow so differently and still be called by the same name? We don't have flowers on any of ours yet. These are the ones at our main garden, which haven't grown as fast as the ones we planted in my SFG.
A good-sized Brandywine tomato! This particular plant already has 6-7 large green fruits. They are all cat-faced, but that's normal for this heirloom variety. I grew one plant in a pot last summer and I think I only got 3 tomatoes in the whole season. They were the best tomatoes I've ever tasted. This year I have six Brandywines, and each plant already has fruit. I'm excited!
Gardener's Delight tomatoes. These are cherry tomatoes and they are growing like wild, along with Juliets and Sun Golds. Like weeds, I tell you. The vines are already 6 feet tall. I'm going to have to get creative with staking pretty soon. We will probably have a bumper crop as long as I can keep this pest from eating them all now before they ripen!
He's worse than squirrels! He ate 4 green tomatoes the last time I brought him to the garden.
Not the prettiest eggplant blossom that I've seen, but I'm just thankful that this plant has survived to flower. I can't say the same for the other two plants. RIP Black Beauty Eggplants, you were taken too soon.
Watermelon vines. These were slow to take off, probably because the area they are in is more shaded than expected. Ali Baba variety from Baker Creek Heirlooms.
Pumpkin vines! Can't wait for these pie pumpkins this fall! My other squash plants (delicata and some other winter squash) mysteriously disappeared, but the pumpkins seem happy!
This yellow summer squash plant is NOT happy, as something seems to be making a meal of it and my zucchinis. I'm not sure that we will have a crop this summer, though I did finally see a blossom on one of the four plants today. Maybe one will pull through.
I can't wait to take photos of my new cucumber trellises that my Dear Husband Chris and Garden Landowner Chris (different people) put together for me last Sunday. Next time!
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