Hello friends! It’s good to see you again.

Before I head off to Iowa for a quick visit, I have some great pictures to share with you from this week.

Ah. Lavender
Ah. Lavender

I warned you they are great, did I not?

Well I started out with my favorite one, so you’ve seen the best of the show. The rest are still interesting too, so you can keep reading without regret.

 

I’m finding that my favorite thing about the garden is sharing the bounty with enthusiastic partakers. Antonia once told me she knew for a fact she dislikes gardening. Well, it’s pretty hard to frown at a purple carrot you pull from the dirt. And you wouldn’t believe the crisp, flavorful crunch factor of a fresh, fresh carrot!

Antonia couldn't believe the color of her carrot!
Antonia couldn’t believe the color of her carrot!

Today Donald chomped on a sweet radish. Yes, I said sweet! Sure, they’re a bit peppery, Tess can attest to that, but when they are young and not yet hardened by age, they are delectable enough to eat like an apple.

Donald playing rabbit
Donald playing rabbit

Today I transferred five piles of finished compost into our holding bin, and I feel blessed to have all of this “black gold” ready for use! It’s like heaven for a gardener to have this rich fertilizer on hand.

An abundance of compost!
An abundance of compost!

And of course, out with the old means in with the new. In this compost pile, we are experimenting with compostable paper cups. We’re exploring new cost-effective, environmentally friendly options for many of our in-house cleaning and eating methods. If these paper cups break down satisfactorily in the compost pile, they will be a viable option for groups to use, saving on water to wash cups with. Additionally, the paper cups can serve as the “browns” in compost piles.

Colorful Compost Pile
Colorful Compost Pile

There has been a lot of transplanting into the greenhouse beds. The grow operation inside my room is dwindling in size, leaving me now with only baby basil plants. I’ll treasure the moments while they last!

Cherry tomatoes galore! Twelve transplants went in to pots today, and when they start producing we will be picking them like mad! The kitchen will have their very own plants, and the garden will produce tasty snacks for visitors.

12 Transplanted cherry tomato plants
12 Transplanted cherry tomato plants

Also entering the world of Glorious Greenhouse are eleven pepper plants. Ah! I can’t wait to taste the sweet orange and red fruit!

The first transplanted pepper plant!
The first transplanted pepper plant!

I just can’t get enough of this greenhouse. It’s getting warmer during the days, yet nights are still chilly and will be throughout summer. I’ve read that it is difficult, in our particular microclimate, to get tomato plants to set fruit due to the cool summers and cooler nights. That’s why I’m hoping this greenhouse produces some impressive results by keeping in additional warmth that tomatoes need.

Closing the doors just as it starts to cool down outside traps in all the warmth so the plants don’t chill overnight. Let me tell you though, with inside temperatures reaching 100°, we have to open those greenhouse flaps wide during the warm days, and pray the recent winds don’t tear the whole structure apart! It’s scary!

Can't get enough of this space.
Can’t get enough of this space.

All the compost labor and time spent planting and planning feels worth it when green comes out of the ground. As a beginner, it feels intimidating to try to grow food… who knows if anything is going to come up?

When you take the chance and put some seeds in the ground and give them your time and care, you may be astounded by the bounty of your efforts. We are well on our way, friends! And it never gets old!

Radishes, carrots, and beets, oh my!
Radishes, carrots, and beets, oh my!
Poppies, nasturtiums, radishes, sunflowers, turnips, carrots.... all in one tub!
Poppies, nasturtiums, radishes, sunflowers, turnips, carrots…. all in one tub!

 

 

One Response

  1. What a thrill to pick and share the fruits of your labor. Great carrots! It all looks beautiful. It will be interesting to see what happens once tomato plants reach the top of your greenhouse. It looks like they’re almost there. Thanks for blessing us with this blog. ☺️

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