High Panic Season Garden Post

Tthe last week of May through the first week of June are peak garden crazy for the entire year, so of course I came down with some kind of tummy bug that had me eating a bland diet and sleeping whenever I wasn't out in the garden. Seems to be over though, so let's catch up on what's happening.

Those seeds above are from my treasured yellow-ripening gene watermelon hybrid from last year. This project is already running into a minor snag; the seeds may be very attractive, but they have the hides of rinoceri. It took a month for them to come up. I got alarmed, and started soaking a few seeds to see if they would germinate. A couple have, and I suspect more may, but they are SO SLOW. Going to have to select against this... but at least they are germinating.

The collection of trays of started plants is starting to noticeably shrink, as we get them planted out. This photo is now out of date, as the brassicas all went in yesterday as did the leeks and shallots.

First couple of trellises are up... I think that means just 5 more to go...

When did Mr. Ferdzy get the time for trellises? He's been working on getting gravel paths down, after no action on that front last year. Progress is really happening! Soon the main central path will be done and that is a landmark. We're finding the paths do need weeding, but compared to the encroaching twitch grass that used to surround everything they are so nice and easy.

The good news is that I do not have to haul gravel. The bad news is that the weeding is pretty much mine, all mine... I am falling behind. What else is new?

Our first 2 beds of peas for freezing are blooming and starting to form pods. I hope we can pull them out by July 1st and replace them with short season beans. They got off to a slow start this year as it was so cool for a while there.

We are trying a new type of pea this year; most of the peas are Strike but one section is Knight, which is also supposed to be ready in the same short time period. So far, they seem to be a couple of days later... which will be okay if they are better peas. Not that the Strike aren't fine; it's just nice to have an alternative.

The garlic is looking excellent. They are planted in alphabetical order which amusingly is also in order of size. Soon we will have scapes.

To facilitate the hauling of tons of gravel (when we, and by we I mean Mr. Ferdzy, are finished with this lot it will be 30 tons; probably about halfway done so I really do mean tons) we splashed out and bought a new wheelbarrow. This is our third. Apparently we are death on wheelbarrows. I have NO idea why. They just don't build things like they useta, etc etc.

Intelligently applied laziness is one of my goals in life, and our brainwave this year was to leave the carrots we want to go to seed in place, and just plant the new crop (beans) around them. Some of the beans don't seem to be coming up but I think it is because they are old. We will find out if this works or if it is all too crowded. The other bed where we did this sort of thing was the tomato bed, where we left a bunch of leeks to go to seed. 

 

 And in fact, there they are; much more visible than the tomatoes which are still pretty feeble looking. All our starts seemed a bit sub-par this year but as ever once they get into real dirt we expect they will perk up.

Mr. Ferdzy waters; it has been dry dry dry already and much time is being spent watering when we would rather be getting the planting done.

And then, on Sunday if finally rained a decent rain overnight. We got a bonus surprise shower in the evening which was a little funny because it was bright sunshine out at the same time. Between the 2 rainfalls we got 17mm which should allow us to stagger  happily into next week and get the rest of the planting done in the next few days. After that we are off for a week in the Ottawa area to visit Mr. Ferdzy pater, and also my aunt and uncle. Cousins? Maybe.

And then we will be back and it will be the next stage of the garden season, known to me as Weeding, Whacking, and Watering. 

Posted in: Ontario Food