I like imagining my garden (or as is the case here in Alexandria, gardens) is a sort of empire and I need to keep track of the many, various, diverse plants and their situations. In that light, here is a partial list of plants I’ve grown or am growing this year with a word or two about how they’re doing.
Radishes – Beautiful to watch them grow, red globes peeking above the ground, they grew well then turned woody, equally fast. Wish I liked them.
Spinach – A decent crop but not quite as much as last year. Planted three times as much but got equal or less than last year. What I planted last fall did the best. Loved eating it for Saturday breakfast with eggs and bacon.
Chard – It appears as if something is eating it, but just nibbling. Maybe a deer? We’ve had a few messes so far.
Lettuce – Just finishing the last of it, a good long productive season. Wish I’d planted more; we never got tired of eating it. Odd-looking, green and red mottled Speckled Trout Romaine did well. Red leaf was very vigorous. Stumbled on a very nice curly green leaf variety that stayed tasty and didn’t bolt, until just about now, later June.
Garlic – Tops are starting to die back now but they grew extremely well. Hoping the cool, wet spring encouraged large bulbs, that the bottoms will be as glorious as the tops.
Onions – Didn’t plant Walla Walla seeds nor purple sets early enough. Next year, plant in early spring with lettuce. Enjoyed some green onions. Hope to get some dried. Egyptian (Walking) Onions struttin’ their stuff all over the place. So pretty to watch them form their aerial bulbs, then lower them gracefully onto the soil to form a new colony.
Leeks – Started from seeds, they’re doing well. Not sure I started them early enough either. Or maybe they take months? Possibly should plant in the fall.
Bok Choi – Planted three remaining seeds from a packet I bought two years ago. Produced three plants precisely. Did I say coles were tough for me? Not Bok Choi.
Broccoli – One of the pleasant surprises of the spring, my Piracicaba broccoli did beautifully. I’m going to pull it soon since it isn’t producing much any more and because evil bugs I don’t know how to battle have arrived, but I don’t care. We ate a lot of broccoli, far more than I ever imagined. Tremendous fun watching it go from tiny pin-head seed to two foot plant with foot-long, dusky green leaves.
Beans – Healthy green bush bean plants are beginning to form buds. Planted one green and one wax variety, Dragon’s Tongue. Some volunteer pole beans are growing in Smith, a fun and amazing thing. Didn’t plant beans there this year because of a really bad bean beetle problem last year. I’m letting the vigorous vines grow, propping them on a tomato cage, a pole I stuck in the ground, and a couple are growing on a sunflower plant and a stalk of corn. We’ll see.
Cucumbers – Starting to flower. A few plants in Smith developing wilt. Need to find an organic cure for that. The Muncher variety in the Lorelei look lovely. May plant a bush variety at the base of okra I intend to plant where the broccoli is now.
Corn – I’ve gardened since I was 15 (I’m nearly 52 now) and I’ve never, ever grown corn. Shame on me. Three staggered plantings, all doing well. The first is thigh high. Stunning how fast it grows. Corn stalks have a presence.
To Be Continued
