The weather here in the Pacific Northwest has been crazy warm this past week. With temps in the upper 70’s low 80’s the garden is beginning to come alive. True, cooler weather is in the forecast for this week, but that burst of warm air has been wonderful for the plants and seedlings.
Our little raspberry patch is finally filling out and taking off this year. I transplanted raspberry canes to the area two years ago and with all the tiny blossoms beginning to form, I have a feeling we’ll have a bumper crop this year.
The radishes are starting to come in…
And the fava beans are flowering. While I don’t think I’ll be serving liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti anytime soon, I do plan on drying the giant legumes to use later this winter in some hearty soups. It’s been a few years since I’ve grown fava beans and I’m looking forward to the harvest.
We don’t have drip irrigation for the giant galvanized stock tanks on the back patio, but hand watering seems to get the job done. This year I planted a few dwarf sunflower and basil seeds around the base of the tomato plants as well a few pink petunia plants at the edges of the container. I’m hoping the petunias cascade down the side of the stock tank, we’ll see.
Lucy inspecting her strawberry patch.
Lucy LOVES her berries and checks the plants daily. 😉 Funny dog!
Later this week I’ll transplant the cucumber, zucchini, butternut and pumpkins I started from seed out to the raised garden beds. I like to start them in containers every year because when I direct sow the slugs tend to get to them before the young seedlings can beef up a bit.
And last but not least… Blueberries. Our bushes are jammed packed with little buds this year. We planted 9 bushes the first spring we were here and I think this year we’ll finally have enough to make a batch of homemade jam.
Gardening… It’s a pretty RAD hobby. 😉
What’s popping in your garden these days? Anything in particular your’e looking forward to this growing season? I’d love to hear about it.
~Mavis
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Emily says
In true HOA fashion planting anything edible is forbidden.
And in even truer fashion, I am selectively ignoring that rule. I have a container of lettuce growing, two big planters with a mix of snap peas and green beans, strawberries, quinoa, purple artichoke, spearmint, parsley, basil and I just bought a small black crim tomato plant yesterday as well as a pumpkin vine (jack be little?). From seed I have nasturnium, 4 oclocks, lupine, bunny tail grass, marigolds, zinnias, and black eyed susans. From bulb I have popping up elephant ears, iris, and dalias.
The installation of a privacy fence for my patio is not coincidental. 🙂
I can’t seem to stay out of nurseries either. I’m running out of dirt! What a lovely problem to have, no?
Mavis Butterfield says
The fact that planting anything edible is forbidden is just plain nuts. Seriously, what’s the deal with that? Is there some sort of wild animal problem? Wowza!
celina says
I had a flower box at the front of one of my houses, and everyone marveled at the tall plants with purple flowers all over….. and in the fall they died…lol potatoes plants….i had the best crop I ever had.
Pam says
I just planted my garden here in Michigan this past weekend. I could have planted my beets, radishes and carrots a couple weeks ago but it has been so cold and rainy I put it off. I only have 5 raised beds in a fenced in area and ended up running out of space. Because of the deer I cannot plant outside a fence unless I want them to get all the goodies lol!
Mel says
Our tomatoes are growing like mad despite some awful weather (the plants are under cloches, which they seem to like), and we just planted pumpkins and winter squash last night. I love both, but I’m also excited about some of the new things we’re trying this year. Our dwarf blackberries are leafing out, and our ginger seems to be settling in nicely. I’m especially hoping the ginger does well because you can apparently replant some of the root at harvest for it to grow back the following year. Our artichoke is also finally starting to form little artichokes. I grew it last year from seed, but it didn’t produce. It overwintered under a cloche and seems to be finding its stride now.