Vegetable Garden Update

Where did Summer go! Wow! Fall is here! Just wanted to catch-up with whats happening here in the garden, with a look at some of our summer treats!

Tomatoes! Lots more to come! My favourite way to preserve them is Slow Roasting, for sauce and confit!

Cucumbers, Jalapeños and Thai Dragon peppers have been pickled & Candied!

      

Candied Jalapeño & Garlic! Thank you Lynda for this recipe!

        

Scarlet Runner Beans, Eggplant and Zucchini have been Roasted as well! Mostly for soup!

They will all be a lovely taste of summer in the middle of winter!

         

We’ve made Pesto, Spiralized, Grilled, Roasted and tossed Veggies in Salads!

       

Thoroughly enjoying our harvest!

Oh , yes ,Garlic did well, and the Tromboncino Squash was fun to grow! Look at the length  of it!

We grew enough Zucchini and Squash this year that we were able to cook the blossoms ! My frying skills are not good but it didn’t matter, they were amazing stuffed with cheese , fresh herbs and lightly fried! How Decadent!

 

Im also drying herbs and hot peppers.

  

I just gathered these baskets and apples 2 days ago, there is still plenty growing and seeds that have just been started!

  

Loved these flowers this year! Sad to see them go but ” To Everything There is A Season! ”

Bring on Fall! 😉

Tomato Season Is Here!

Cherry Tomatoes are the early ones, in my garden!

  

A handful every other day 🙂 I love it!

  

The others, we have to wait for 😉

 

🙂

Happy Canada Day & Hello Summer Bounty!

Yes its time to harvest Garlic Scapes!

They are lovely, this is just a few!

There will be plenty of Pesto made for the freezer! 🙂

Its been a wonderful month for Broccoli…

and Greens!

  

Strawberries!

A few perfect Radishes and Beets, with more to come….

Lots of Sugar Snap Peas

The Shelling Peas are now ready to be picked , this is approx. 10ft. long, 8ft high!

They are loaded!

Broad Beans are also ready!

Tomato bushes are looking good!

Can’t wait till they are ready 😉

  

As well as the Peppers, Eggplant , Melons, Beans, Cucumbers…..hmmmm…Love Summer Time! Love where we live ! Happy Canada Day ❤

Transplanting Basil

It’s a perfect day for gardening in the Greenhouse!

The Basil needs transplanting and i’ve just refilled the gutters with fresh soil! Last year  our Genovese plants grew incredibly well in these.

I’m trying a new variety , Purple Ruffles, which will be planted with Lemon Basil in one of the smaller gutters. The 2 large ones will be filled with Genovese. The last one will be planted with Dill ( Fernleaf) which is a lower growing variety. Another experiment. 😉

This is my  harvest from today! Wish I could share their incredible fragrance with you!

❤ Basil!

 

 

 

BOGO Plant Sale for Vegetable Seedlings Saturday Only June 9, 9-12

Oh the temptation! Its at Greenes Farm In North Saanich if you have space in your garden!

They are grown organically and are from Westcoast Seeds. I am really happy with what I purchased, but I don’t have anymore room! 😉

 

Veggie Garden Update

Sometimes it just takes a cloudy rainy day to sit down and catchup here. Ok, so it’s not really “Rain” just a drizzle…never the less appreciated, since its been terribly dry!

The Elephant Garlic has scapes and the green house has worked well for spring greens in the gutters and radishes in pots.

                            

The Tomato transplants were planted May 10th

What a difference, in just a few weeks

            

We’ve enjoyed spring Cauliflower, Asparagus and Turnips. Note to self;  I need to plant more Asparagus! We only have 3 plants, but they started producing spears in April and they are just finishing now! Pretty darn amazing, and the flavour can’t be beat!

      

Figs are growing on my new little tree and the Citrus blossoms are abundant. Their sweet fragrance fills the air!

We have some Sugar Snap Peas ! Cabbage and Broccoli are doing well and are under cover to protect them from the Cabbage Moth.

Here we are June already! Lots of work to still be done. I have emptied out the gutters and filling them with fresh soil for Basil transplants. Staking tomatoes and beans. Planting peppers and eggplant into large pots…Im sure there is more…

Happy Gardening 🙂

 

Organic Seedling Sale

I can’t resist  a good plant sale or Nursery, seeking out new and different varieties ! I just heard about this local farm! Thanks Genie!  It’s  family run, and  they have had it for generations,  The Greene Farm! All of their vegetable seedlings are organic. There is a really good selection of Tomatoes, assorted veggies, herbs as well as perennials, annuals and shrubs. Fun for any gardener to visit! I’ve copied a list, below,  of times and location for any of you that live here and would like to check them out! 🙂

Plant List for April 28/29, 2018 Sale

Dates for Plant Sales this year:

Saturday, April 28, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 29, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 12, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 13, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 19, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 26, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Our Location:

We’re located at 1500 Munro Rd., in North Saanich, BC.

  Prices (unless otherwise marked):

1 gallon — $8.00 each

            4” — $3.00 each

            2” — $1.50 each

            4-packs — $2.00 each

            Tomatoes in 1 gallon pots — $5.00 each or 3 for $14.00

*******    PLEASE NOTE     *******

Because of the cold spring, we will not have cucumbers, squash, and melons at the April 28/29 sale.  We will have those for the sales in May.

Also, we will have only a few varieties of peppers and basil this weekend, and the tomato plants are still pretty small.  (I suggest you wait until the May 12/13 sale.)  There will also be more selection of annuals as well at the May sales.

We do not grow from GMO seeds.

Spring Flowers

It’s such an amazing time of year!

Flowers are blooming in profusion!

Lilacs ❤

Their fragrance fills the air …

This is my favourite time of year on the coast.

Even the shades of green are rich and varied

Some over  wintered flowers are still looking so lovely

Walking in the local parks is a treat, to see all the new foliage, bursting out

and hunting for fairy slipper orchids, is fun too!

  

It’s a rainy day, but its welcome. The garden is getting dry. The new blooms are bright and cheery even on a grey day 🙂

There is so much happening in the veggie garden too, it has been keeping me very busy this last month . That will be another post. I am almost winning the battle against the weeds , in the shrub borders, which, is my next task, rain or not 😉

 

Spring Garden

I truly adore this time of year!

The colours, smells and signs of new life

Even the rain is welcome …..most of the time!

Ha, ha…

  Asparagus 🙂

Seedlings in the greenhouse!

Its been a slow cool season, but the ground had warmed up enough for peas to be planted and the overwintered Kale and Arugula has produced lots of fresh greens! Today is another rain day , so thankful for my little dry greenhouse as there are more seedlings to be tended to!

Starting Seeds

Spring feels so much closer once the seeds are planted!

It was so nice to get back out in the Greenhouse.

The spinach growing in the gutters, are from seeds that didn’t germinate in  the fall , as are the onions below. If you can see them 🙂

This is what I planted:

In the Greenhouse:

Gutters; 3 varieties of Spinach, Turnips, Scallions and Mescluns

In Pots; 4 varieties of Radishes and Pac Choi

On Heat in the Garage:

Celery, Cabbage, Broccoli,Leeks , Onions and Shallots, 4 varieties of Tomatoes, Asian Greens, 2 varieties of Spring Lettuce

There are more that need to be planted now, Peppers and Eggplant in particular , but I have run out of those…back to the Nursery I go  😉