First sunflower
Quality control
High fashion
The calm before the storm
Cucumber and dill salad is on the menu for tonight
Pesto for days
5 for $2
If they don’t sell I’ll make pepper jelly.
Double trouble
Harvest wise, it was a great week. We were able to pick over 30 pounds of homegrown vegetables and berries. Weather wise, it was a little tough as it seemed there was at least one heavy rain storm each day. The storms don’t last long, but they can wreak a havoc on the tomatoes and we found that several of our larger tomatoes were split on the top. 🙁
The humidity though, the plants love it and each day our corn stalks are getting taller and filling out a bit more. The HH’s Uncle lives about an hour away and he said this was this first year {out of 10!} that he has been able to successfully grow cantaloupe. So there you go. Record temps and record rain make for excellent growing conditions.
Another great thing that happen this past week… Was that I noticed the sweet potatoes are coming back to life after having their leaves all munched off by pesky rabbits. So that makes me happy. The learning curve here is a steep one, but everyday is different and we are both learning so much.
The backyard vegetable garden tally of 2018:
Beets 16 pounds 14 ounces
Blueberries 13 pound 11 ounces
Cucumbers 15 pounds 8 ounces
Green Beans 1 pound 12 ounces
Green Onion/Scallions 12 ounces
Lettuce 11 ounces
Onions 6 ounces
Peppers 11 ounces
Sugar Snap Peas 1 pound 2 ounces
Swiss Chard 1 pounds 3 ounces
Tomatoes 13 pounds 7 ounces
Turnips 9 pounds 3 ounces
Zucchini 1 pound 13 ounces
Herbs
- Basil 1 pound 4 ounces
- Chives 4 ounces
- Mint 2 ounce
- Oregano 13 ounces
Total Food Harvested in 2018 85 Pounds 1 Ounces
Total Eggs Collected in 2018 {with 7 hens} 0 {the ladies are just 14 weeks old}
Total spent growing 85 pounds 1 ounces of food this year $811.00 {about $9.50 a pound so far!} 😉 The goal is to get this down to $1.00 a pound or less by the end of the season. What did I spend my garden money on this year you ask? Well, $399 on Manny and the rest on seeds, compost, grow light bulbs and small garden tools/supplies.
Are you growing a vegetable garden this year? If so, what are harvesting these days? Have you planted your fall vegetable seeds yet? If so, what will you be growing this fall? Curious minds want to know!
Have a great day everyone,
~Mavis
If you are new to gardening or just want to learn more about organic gardening, my #1 favorite garden book is The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
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LaToya says
The husband had 3 planter boxes last year, maybe like 8′ x 6′ – not sure, but good size. And this year he made three more. He tried corn this year and it was a bust. He let it go too far. When he harvested some to have for dinner, it was, not good, over done. And the rest of it already looks like Indian corn – fall decorating, I guess.
I’m annoyed that he didn’t plant basil this year. The girl and I love my homemade pesto.
We are getting boatloads of zucchini (of course), lots of different kinds of tomatoes, peppers, and we did onions this year and got some fantastic purple (I guess they are called red, but why? they are purple) and white onions, and we were successful with carrots for the first time ever.
We’ve gotten like 5+ gigantaur cabbages, and one good cauliflower.
Mavis Butterfield says
I have only picked 2 zucchini!!! Fist time ever with a low yielding crop. Are you still couponing?
LaToya says
Not really. I cancelled the crazy amount of newspaper subscriptions I was getting.
I do coupons.com, the the Ibotta app, Swagbucks, and work the rewards + coupons at Walgreens.
I had business meetings with both Fred Meyer and Albertsons after the coupon craze and they both were committed to bringing down prices to offset the end of the coupons. And I have to say, they really have. It’s really just knowing how to sale shop, and watching for the stock-up prices.
P.S. I’m going to Seattle next week on business and I’m excited to go to QFC. I remember you went there some and I’ve never been. – exciting! LOL
Debby says
We have 8 chickens that are about 2 1/2 years and got 5 baby chicks early April and I believe we got our first egg from the babies yesterday. It was on the floor of the coop and a lot smaller than the others. Hopefully the younger ones will lay in the nesting boxes.
Maria Zannini says
How many blueberry bushes do you grow? That sounds like a pretty good harvest of blueberries.
Mavis Butterfield says
We are picking 7 bushes. The birds have 4.
Peggy says
Wow, your garden is amazing, you are giving the neighbors some deals, I hope they are taking advantage of them! I love the pants tucked in the socks, you are ready for mosquitos for sure, and that’s how we had to go berry picking when I was a kid and it was hot and humid in July, but the rewards were well worth it! I’m both impressed and amazed at how you keep such detailed accounts of everything you do gardening, I imagine that’s how you’ve been able to make things work to what the most of us find so difficult, I wish I had an organized, or even somewhat organized brain!! 🙂
Diane says
My garden has been a total bust the past two summers due to family members being in the hospital in June. To salvage this summer as I refuse to be without my garden for two years: I’ve put tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets on the south side of the house. They went in late, but seem to be thriving with the house being a heat sink. It is also the best area of Sun that I have in the back yard. Yesterday, I’ve prepped a spot for a Fall garden. I have to decide if I should sow seeds directly or if I should start in trays. Trays would allow me to do some extra work on the soil as my spot hasn’t been used in some time (just growing weeds, sorry to say). If anyone has any advice for soil amendments for a first time garden space, I’d really appreciate it. In the past, I’ve grown in raised beds where I put in my own mix thanks to a recipe from Mavis.
In any case, it’ll be a small garden this year. That said, a small garden is better than NO garden at all. Thinking of beets, turnips, kale, maybe some purple sprouting broccoli and when it gets a little cooler spinach and other greens. Also thinking of adding strawberries for next year. I had thought of them this spring, but could not get the variety I wanted. They had sold out in the fall. Who knew! So if I can get them, I guess I’ll be planting strawberries this fall as well. It’ll feel weird to me planting in the fall. I do have concerns about them establishing themselves. Gardening, always a mystery and an adventure.
Happy gardening!
SandyF says
Silly question:
How do you bake when it is soooo hot and you have no air conditioning? I am forbidden to bake while it is so hot. (100 daily)
We have central air, but I have a 1927 stove, so it acts as a heater.
I am itching to bake. I guess I just have to stalk some local bakeries…
Mavis Butterfield says
I guess I figure, it’s so hot anyway a few more degrees isn’t going to matter. HA!
Susie says
Sandy, we live in Florida and so we definitely don’t like turning the oven on in the summer, even WITH A/C! Our solution (and it’s awesome) was to get a large electric roaster and plug it in out on the porch. They are only about $35-$40 and we love it. We use it to roast our holiday turkeys, of course, but I use it several times a week to roast/bake fish, chicken, brownies, casseroles, etc. Ours is an Oster 20 quart. It can hold a 13″x9″ pan, which surprised me. I’ve recommended this solution to many of my FL friends and they love it too. Hope that helps!
E in Upstate says
Don’t forget if you can, the roaster helps with the cooking of the food prior to canning. From applesauce to roasting bones for bone broth to roasting tomatoes for extra depth flavors, the roaster is a major go-to appliance.
Lisa says
Hi Mavis and family and LUCY…. So I’ve been following your blog for almost a year and, well many of your goals are mine too…. I am persevering against the bugs and modern day difficulty of wanting a simpler life, cheaply and being just generally self sustained….. but none of that is why I’m commenting now LOL I need a LUCY update! How is she fairing? How you doing in dealing with this and how happy is she and y’all? Love and blessings 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Lucy is doing great although she played outside MUCH more in the Spring. I suspect she will be out all day again once the weather has cooled down.
Lisa Boshoff says
Genetic but thanks… unfortunately that answer doesn’t cover the humanity aspect to or realistically that I thought /REALLY HAD HOPED your blog was. Okay, now and again, (as i hadn’t committed before)we’ll use your blog your as tool to get me and my family to where we want to be without your humanity. Thanks
Mavis Butterfield says
What?
Susie says
Well, THAT was weird! 😀
Lisa says
You are absolutely right to ask “What?” I asked myself that this morning! I apologize and am truley sorry for such an uncalled for response. I unreasonably expected more . I was wrong in every way.
Mary Ann says
Wow. Just wow.
I guess you expected to be best friends? This was an uncalled for post, and that’s being nice.
Shari Harniss says
We’ll try and manage with out your 100% approval…
LaToya says
IKR? LOL!
TF did that comment mean? I’m laughing in my office.
People crack me up …
Humanity. She said humanity.
Teresa says
Looking good there Mavis! Tomatoes look delicious! Love love love the pic of the chickens. I think it would look nice in a frame. Keep up the good work. Love your blog!
Mel says
For sweet potatoes, the leaves can actually be harvested to eat as greens, so it doesn’t make too much difference if something or someone eats them. They grow back, and it doesn’t seem to affect production.
For tomatoes, we have had torrential rain this year, so our tomatoes are not so much splitting as flat out exploding on the vines. I’ve been picking them early to let them ripen inside, but the rain has really given the plants a beating. We’ve had early blight issues for the first time ever since the rain is splashing so much soil onto the leaves. Next year, I’m covering the soil and building a trellis between raised beds so the plants have support even when the rain thrashes them around in their cages. If anyone is looking for a tomato that tolerates high winds, floods of rain, and early blight without splitting or slowing production and while making a phenomenal BLT, I can’t recommend Summer Cider enough.
Kathy says
My garden here in the PNW consists of 3 zucchini plants, some potatoes, 1 tomato plant, and green beans. Not alot but more than I did last year and hopefully, less than I do next year. 🙂
Marybeth says
We have had some crazy weather lately but my garden overall seems to love it. I think I am having my best year ever with cucumbers and peppers. This year we tried purple bell peppers and they are so pretty. I am picking the wax peppers and jalapenos everyday. I just got my first few red tomatoes. So Yummy. I will hopefully be canning some by the end of the month. My zucchini so far are a bust. I have beautiful plants and even hand pollinated several flowers but still nothing. My peas are finally done so I am hoping to plant more at the end of the month for a fall crop. Carrots are looking great. My herbs are doing awesome and I have been drying a bunch for over the winter. My pole beans just started flowering so I will be enjoying them soon. I may have planted too much lettuce as Hubby is getting burnt out on salads. I already planted a second crop and have lots of baby lettuce plants. I am hoping for no gaps in lettuce this year. I have been sharing with family , friends and coworkers all of my excess.
I planted 5 blueberry bushes last year. I cannot wait until I get a haul like yours.
Debbie - MountainMama says
Wow, I wish I lived near you, I’d be hitting up that roadside veggie stand weekly!!!
I posted pix of my veggie garden yesterday on the blog – mine is a lot smaller than yours, but we do ok, filling the freezers with soups and sauces and veggies for the winter months!!
Susan says
Our garden is doing great this year! It’s funny how different things do well some years, and some not so much!
I am harvesting lots of kale. I make kale chips for my family and kale pesto too. Not a huge kale fan myself, but kids and grandkids love it!
Pulled up all the beets – 2 rows. I NEVER have luck with root vegetables, but this year the beets took off. I have canned 18 pints of pickled beets and made 18 jars of various sizes of beet jelly. Also made some beet green pesto.
Did 12 – 12oz. jars of Dilly Beans from the green beans (and ate a bunch) We have a rabbit explosion around here and they are getting in and helping themselves to green beans 🙁
The little yellow tomatoes are just ripening, but the regular reds have a ways to go. Tons of them, though. I planted 36 starts from the hoophouse – all growing nicely.
Potatoes are ready to dig already. Dug a few for dinner the other night. Should get out there and dig the rest this weekend.
Excellent year here for squash. I have an overabundance of zucchini and yellow squash. I have been making GALLONS of Spicy Zucchini Soup and freezing it in 4 cup increments, dried a bunch, froze the shreds for bread later on, gave some away….and STILL have a mountain of it that I picked this morning 🙂
Corn is tassling, jalapenos are growing, picking lettuce for salads, my sunflowers are 8 feet tall and gorgeous! I planted the red/orange ones.
I need to figure out what to plant to replace the things that are coming to an end. We planted early and it worked out. You just never know.
Mavis Butterfield says
Wowza Susan, YOU HAVE BEEN BUSY!!! 🙂 Only 2 zucchini here {so weird!} and I am totally freaked out I am not going to time the corn right.
Susan says
We dug the potatoes today – 52 lb. of red and 8 lb. of volunteer white 🙂
2 full 5 gallon buckets
Mavis Butterfield says
Nice!!! 🙂
Marsh says
I have a huge garden. Picked and froze two quarts each of sweet corn and cauliflower today. Harvested two large wheelbarrows of onions. Will prepare them for storage in my root cellar over the next few days. We picked and had two meals of sweet corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, cauliflower and broccoli today. I’m in MN.
Mavis Butterfield says
2 wheelbarrows on onions! That is crazy awesome. I would be over the moon if we could harvest 2 wheelbarrows of sweet potatoes.