In the Garden

So far this garden has impressed me- we've had more rain than we know what to do with, we live on the Souris River- (in Wawanesa actually- which you may have heard about on the news)- we're up high on the banks of the river so we're fine here, but it's been a rough year for anything that grows. Our garden is also in the lowest spot in the yard- purposely so that in our usually dry summers we'll have plenty of moisture, but when it's wet- it's wet, and this year a lot of our seeds actually just rotted in the ground instead of sprouting.

We planted the whole thing into mud and hoped for teh best while we went on holiday- and when we came back I was a little unimpressed, things were not looking so good- except for the portulaca, and the red root pigweed, and the thistle that is. Anyhow- the man got out the rototiller and cleaned things up a bit, and I started hoeing and mulching, and fertilizing, and replanting, and now it looks good, more promising, like we might actually eat off it.

We planted our tomatoes without really hardening them off- things were a bit desperate and stormy, I couldn't set them outside without the wind beating them up, and I had to get them in the ground before we went- so we just dug them in deep and hoped, and it seems like it worked out. We put out 76 tomato cages the other night, so I guess we'll have a few tomatoes to freeze. Also this is the first year that the patty pan squash are starting before the zucchini is- and we're excited about that- Patty Pans are one of our favorites. The Swiss Chard is producing too- growing every day and big enough to steal leaves for Pizza, and salad.

We even have a broccoli head that will be ready in the next day or two, which is so exciting I can't even tell you- also the things that I replanted have popped up -Kale and Carrots, and radishes, some Borage and Nasturtiums, Peas and Beans. It's all looking amazing now that the heat has come, and the soil is starting to uncement itself too- with some mulch and some light watering helping things along.