Garden Planning...

Currently in my winter garden...

Cauliflower.
Just one as a test to see how well I can keep it alive.

Thai Basil.
Gave up on propagating this variety from seed and picked up a plant. J loves it. (So does Thomas!)

The honeybees found my Allison Mexican Heather! I'm so glad, because they're why I got it. Well, and it's pretty.

I have two little ice plants going. One is a trailing vine type sharing a hanging basking with my sweet potato vine (a lesson in names not equating food production.)

Bill, the lime tree, just handed over his final lime. I think we got 10 maybe? All sweetly limey and delicious in jam, beer, and garnishes on ritas.

My rosemary has finally started growing! J worried it was stunted, forever tiny. I put it in a pot with Napolean and some Chicks and Hens and it's taken off.

Parsley was taking off until my indecision decided to feed it to some black swallowtail caterpillars.

Just sowed some butterfly weed seeds, compost added, and mulched with last winter's leaves held in the garage over summer. Crossing my fingers on that.

And I have one lonely golden pear tomato hanging out in the tomato section growing its head off again. A few blossoms have shown up. No baby green tomatoes yet though.

This next year, since we've decided not to move, I think I may branch out into non-edibles. (Hence sowing the butterfly weed.)

Still a focus on edible or native or attractive to wildlife/beneficial insects, though.

Will probably only plant a fraction of these but, for now its the long dreamy list:
Aster


Purple coneflower


Wild Ageratum


Black-eyed Susan


Stokes' Aster


Interesting how so many native perennials are blue/purple in color...

I don't want to get too into annuals at this point. Seems somewhat selfish/wasteful until I have the time to pull seeds and such.

As for veggies' wish list:

More tomatoes, of course. I want to get into some more heirloom varieties, and after the MONSTERS I grew last year (my two plants that filled a 4'x3'x6' closet-sized area) I may look into new structuring devices.

I want to try squash (namely zucchini, maybe patty-pan) but had rotting problems last year, so will have to research that one.

Peppers! My hungarian wax finally bit the dust after 2.5 years of production. So another of those. I'd like to re-try poblanos, and see what I can do for a few bell peppers.

I'd really really really like to grow some rutabegas, and may ask J to take that on by constructing a 'barrel' of sorts in the backyard.

Beans! I'd like to grow a whole lot more green beans than I did last year. I got a late start on my succession planting and only got two rounds in before the heat took them. (That, and the heat came EARLY this past year and lasted for ever.)

I'm still not taking on leafy greens. They either rot or bake so far in my experience. I'll wait until I meet a fellow gardener in this area with success stories and then pick their brain.

Seeds I have waiting from last year:
Thyme
Dill
Texas Hummingbird Sage
White Lisbon bunching onion
Zapotec pleated tomato
Orange bell peppers
Poblano

and for the fliers and creepy-crawlies:
Tall Fiddleneck Fernleaf
Foxtail White Wonder Millet
Borage

Should be plenty for my little space, no?

Oh! And bulbs! I want to put a few tulips and daffodils under the mailbox post. Maybe a cactus too?

 

Strawberry pie. Gluten-free crust test was a success. Prepped to make a gluten/dairy/corn product free raspberry peach pie for Father's Day.

J is losing the battle against the tomatoes (aka not eating them fast enough.)

From Garden09

Actually have made time to work on the Monster lately. A clean house and work learning to leave me alone (I'm trying my best to train them...) makes for nice quiet time with the Monster and recorded Jeopardy, or PBS gardening shows.

Jammin'

Strawberries are on sale, and while we're not big jam eaters ourselves, they do make such lovely gifts!

First, the berries.

From Jam

Who ever said strawberries didn't have hearts?

From Jam

Chunked, ready to be diced.

From Jam

For the compost. Who knows, maybe I'll have my own-grown strawberries next year?

From Jam

Necessary tools for the task. Yes, truffles are necessary ;)

From Jam

In the pot.

From Jam

Jars are a'boilin'

From Jam

Two batches. I took note of the different tweaks in recipe for ease of repetition of the tastier version (the second was tastier, the first more tart.)

From Jam

Roughly 175 calories/jar of the tastier batch. Each jar has maybe 7 oz of jam? They're 8 oz jars, but aren't full.

Now, to freeze the rest of the berries.

First tomato of spring!

 

The straggily little tomatoes that over wintered in pots at our last place have lost their minds with real earth here. This is the first tomato of the spring, but with how things look right now, it will be the first of MANY.

The weather outside is weather...

The weather outside is weather...in Portland too.

Finally!

A moment for a few photos...there are more to come, as always.

My favorite flower growing up, with a soft spot still in my heart. For being a beautiful weed, for being ridiculously hard to pick, for the delicious taste it offers to bunny rabbits, and the changing colored center, I present to you: Queen Anne's Lace

From Oregon August 2008

Miss Gina wanting in.

From Oregon August 2008

Looking like its burst into song...

From Oregon August 2008

The bottom of the hill.

From Oregon August 2008

I'll let you take my pollen...if I can bite your head.

From Oregon August 2008

Brawk!

From Oregon August 2008

Whispering squash.

From Oregon August 2008

Frog!

From Oregon August 2008

Turned to jam shortly thereafter.

From Oregon August 2008

Rainbow sprinkles.

From Oregon August 2008

Remember the valley in May?

From Oregon August 2008

Check out the change.

From Oregon August 2008

One can sit on the deck, and watch the field go from tall stalks, to swathed hay, to bales, to stacks - in a day. It's a lovely sight to see the cycle of change come and go, repeating.