Goodness, it’s been a while since I’ve updated my own garden progress here. Great to see everyone still pursuing their respective garden goals....despite what appears to be some challenging climactic situations....both in terms of heat AND cold.
Due to the pandemic I have been keeping my travel over to my garden (requires ferry travel) at a bare minimum so today was actually the first time I had seen my garden in a couple of weeks. I have family that were keeping tabs on things and were prepared to water if necessary, but so far the Spring has been perfect in terms of conditions. Sunny, warm days, interspersed with occasional showers had me quite optimistic as to what I would see when I opened my garden gate and walked into that space. But there is also trepidation....and usually this is how I feel when I return from my usual Spring trip down to Baja. First thing I noticed - not surprisingly - was the immense, blossoming mass of my overwintered kale
plants trees. If I end up saving seed from these things I might be able to supply all of this islands kale lovers with seed. 😉 Even from 20 feet away I could hear the frenzied drone of pollinators amongst the yellow kale blosssoms. Later I would see that not only insects are fond of the kale blooms.
I took my time wandering around the garden space, making note of the shin high grass that I will cut tomorrow and soaking in just how green and lush everything is....but I also delighted in seeing that my brassicas are all doing wonderfully....though one red cabbage had been assailed by some pest and I put a replacement seedling in it’s place. You see, I brought “back up” seedlings with me on this trip for just such an occurrence. My first planting of peas, sowed in early March are about 3 feet high on the trellis...and later plantings are well on their way up their own trellis structures. The first peas of the season are not far away now. Seed potatoes are up and about 6 inches high. Parsnips and turnips and carrots are looking good. Onions are looking great...garlic too. Rows of beets that I sowed a few weeks ago exhibited largely successful germination....though there were a few gaps in the rows due to woodbugs (pill bugs, roly polys) I suspect. I planted some new seed in these bare spots. Rhubarb looks like it will be huge this year. But the highlight has to be my edible greens....spinach and lettuce. I planted a new spinach variety this year (along with some of my tried and true favourites) called Monstrueux de Viroflay and I cannot believe the scale of the leaves. Really tasty too, as I ate it after I snapped the pic. I have some ideas kicking around in my brain as to how I’m going to use up all this spinach.
My hands are rather huge so that gives you an idea of the scale of this spinach variety. 😊
Lots of gorgeous lettuce ready to harvest - actually harvested some for a salad tonight - especially the romaine, a variety called Coastal Star. I cannot properly express just how beautiful things are becoming in my little forest garden grove. Blackberries, salal, ferns are literally exploding with growth....as well as our fruit (pear, apple, plum) and nut bearing trees (walnut, hazelnut).
The next week of weather is looking to be truly perfect...highs in the low to mid 20’s Celsius and overnight lows staying in the 10 Celsius range (50F) so I’m thinking I may just go all in and get everything else in the ground, squash, tomatoes, tomatillos...and just MAYBE my peppers if I provide them a bit of a greenhouse plastic cover until June. If I don’t get tomatoes and squash in tomorrow, I’m DEFINITELY planting my beans tomorrow, both bush and pole varieties. Cucumber starts are probably a few weeks away from planting out as I got a bit of a late start with them.
I mean, it’s not unheard of to have this kind of weather in early May here on the balmy West Coast of Canada, but it is still a bit of a gift and should aid me in getting a further jump on my garden this year.
I know I’m not alone here in possessing an increased desire to have an especially successful garden this year of all years. If Mother Nature can serve up just a bit more of this, and then ramp up the heat a bit in June for my transition into the heat loving crops....I will be endlessly grateful to Her. I’m hesitant to even say this in case I jinx myself, but the signs are there for this to be my best garden ever....this being my 6th garden in my 6th year of FIRE.
I might post some more garden shots here soon...once I cut the grass and do a bit more weeding....both of which I actually enjoy doing.