The Modern Victory Garden

Things are progressing in the garden even if the weather has continued to be rather cool and gloomy.   The raspberries and strawberries are starting to spin off a few ripe berries, which we have (of course!) promptly gobbled up without any picture taking or weighing.   That’s how it usually goes with the berries.   When it comes to these sweet sun ripened beauties - you just have to live in the moment and savor them right then.   We also enjoyed the first harvest of a few young carrots and sugar snap peas this week.   Here’s a picture of them with an onion and some broccoli side shoots harvested on Tuesday night for the purposes of making a stir-fry for dinner.                

The carrots are still quite slender and small yet, but they are beautifully formed and should continue to fatten up into nice specimens.   The sugar snap peas are the first small harvest of what will be many more plentiful harvests to come.   The shelling peas are also fattening up and it will not be long now before it is time to do the big annual harvest, shelling, and processing for the freezer of the big pea patch.   In fact, if we got a few days of abundant sunshine, it could be as soon as this Sunday but the weather forecast is not giving me a lot of hope on that score.   I just have to keep checking them and adjust my schedule to their timeline (whatever that ends up being).   

The tree kale/collard plant is getting really tall now and filling out nicely.   I have several cuttings of it that I have been rooting out and I noticed this evening they are sending out new leaf growth.   It appears I was successful!   I intend to do another round of cuttings soon and propagate as many of these as I am able before winter arrives.       

The corn patch is stunted this year due to the prolonged cool and cloudy conditions this year.   All this means is that the plants are not as tall as they typically could get, but they are otherwise quite healthy and are producing tassels and the first silks.     We should be harvesting the first ears of sweet corn in early August.   

There are several grow bed areas that are now opening up (or will be soon) from the removal of early season crops.    Once the rest of the garlic is harvested, I plan to plant that whole section in kale, chinese cabbages, pac choi, and lettuces for late fall harvest.   I already have most of these seeds started indoors under my grow lights.   Once the pea patch is harvested and the vines removed, I will be planting the fall broccoli starts there.   I have the broccoli seedlings outside hardening off this week.   They really need to go in the ground but the pea patch is being extra slow to mature with this cool and gloomy weather.   Hopefully I can keep them hydrated and healthy despite this delay getting them transplanted.     

 The bush bean patch has lots of flower buds and should start blooming and setting beans shortly.   This is my second year growing Royal Burgundy bush beans and I must say I am very impressed.   They germinate and grow so well even in cool and damp conditions – a very favorable trait for maritime Pacific Northwest gardeners!

The cucumbers are showing some real life the last few days.   They are latching on to the vertical support and have flower buds formed.   I have one melon plant that looks like it might give me something this year, and a whole bunch of other tiny melon plants that are likely going to end up as compost fodder.   The zucchini and the pumpkins are finally getting with the program too.     

 The exciting news to share is how well the artichoke plants are doing.   I have central buds on all three plants and now there are also lots of side bud stalks too.    One bud in particular is getting close to being ready for harvest.   I don’t want to pick it too early but at the same time I don’t want it to open up because I waited too long.   Going to watch this one carefully over the next few days and err on the side of caution and harvest it if I think it might be ready to open.    

The summer garden is starting to take center stage and the fall crops are backstage warming up.   Have you got succession crops worked into your garden this year?                                     

Laura

kitsapfreedomgardener