Harvets Monday 5/28/12

Another perfect day in the valley.  Lots going in, less coming out.  Strawberries, loquat, basil, onions, lemons, avocados, and apricots all making their way into our bellies.  Put in more basil seeds, onions, beans both pole and bush, sunflowers.  Coming soon, figs!

Last year I planted a few sweet peas in the garden, now I have more volunteers than I can handle.

Corn and pole beans coming along.

First tomatoes, sweet one million.

Potatoes, I've heard a few different views on when to dig'em up.  One said when they flower, another said when the leaves turn yellow.  Thoughts?

Boysenberries. I also had raspberries which everyone said are a piece of cake.  Well... not so much. the Boysen are all that remain.  Baby avocados below, should be ready by next year.

This years crop is still going strong!!!

Harvest Monday 5/21/12

Another week of more going in than coming out.  I planted more cucumber, basil seed, watermellon, we'll see?, corn, and zucchini.  Harvested my first apricot of the season, as well as loquat, chives, chard, tomatillo, the last beets, a few carrots, strawberries, avocado, and..., can't remember what else.  Things are pretty hot here right now, 97 Saturday, and 99 Sunday.  Read an article that said that this summer should be hotter than normal, well last summer was cooler than normal so anythinig is possible.

 First tomatillos of the season, TPW cut em up and served them for dinner, thumbs up all around.

TPW says "The juice ain't worth the squeeze when it comes to loquats."  As you can see they are pretty much all seed, and there are usually 3-5 seeds per loquat.  The boys like to pick them right off the tree and eat them, then spit the seeds as far as possible, or squeeze them and shoot them at eachother.  Either way, it's all good.  As you can see from the picture below the boys and I feel differently about the loquat!! 

Apricots!

Harvest Monday 5/14/12

Lots going in, less coming out.  Have finally faced the harsh reality, no more lettuce.  With the hot weather all of the leafy greens have bolted.  It was tasty while it lasted, but the heat lovers must go in!  I figue I still have 2-3 weeks to get the last of the seeds and starters in the ground before the real heat may start.  I usually try to get everything in by June 1st.  Here's a short list of what I harvested out of the garden this week:  Lettuce, beets, chives, chard, strawberries, avocado, basil, lemons (see picture below),

Maggie having a tough day.

This is looking down at the rest of the back yard.  Due to the fact that we live in a very dry and hot area, I try to put in a lot of natives and drought tolerant plants.  Pictured are sages, wildflowers, olive tree, and whatever else can survive with
minimal water and lots of sun.

Pumpkins have started.

A few apricots on the new tree, now if I can get them off before the squirrels do.

Lots of little guys on all of the citrus trees.  Looks like it's going to be a good year.  This year I'm going to make sure that I thin them early.

Mother's Day flowers.

Harvest Monday 5/7/12

 As I am pulling out the winter greens and putting in the summer crops I am finding out that I planted way to much lettuce, spinach and chard, oh well it's almost all gone.  The heat has finally kicked in, now maybe my beans will sprout?  Mostly putting in this week, though did get to take out a few things as well.  Avocados, beans, lettuce, spinach, some peas, strawberries, loquats, beets, a few last oranges, a couple of carrots, I think thats it..?. 

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 We were sent this Dwarf Meyer lemon tree when we moved in, it was basically a twig.  We have moved it three times, hopefully this is the last time.  Seems to be happy, new burst of growth.

 The girls out in the fields, the Giant has been brooding, ever time I get near her she gives me the stink eye and puffs all up.

First flower on the Burpless Cucumber, hope this year is better than last with the cucs!

Harvest Monday 4/30

Finally into the spring planting, even got some rain on Wednesday.  Have been working on expanding the garden, put more potatoes in as well as more corn, beans, pumpkin, and cucs.  Have been harvesting spinach, lettuce, peas, beans, strawberries, a few oranges, and lots of herbs. The weather has been pretty warm, all of the greens are bolting.  The little farmer's have making fairy houses, now if they could just make them a little bigger.

My two helpers.

The citrus may be gone but the Loquat tree, pictured below, is getting ready to explode.  TPW has plans for lots and lots of jam.  Can't wait for the peaches to ripen.  Now it's a race againts the squirrles to see who will get them first.

I think that everyone is pretty much done with the turnips.  Every time I bring them in their eyes bug out of their heads!

We have been getting 3-4 berries a day, usually they don't make it inside, don't know how these guys slipped by the boys?  Getting a few carrots a week, however TPW informed me they are to bitter?  Oh well, more for us.

Harvest Monday 4/23

Still pulling some citrus off of the trees, probably only a few more weeks.  Things have been heating up out here, literally.  Hit 99 on Saturday, 95 Friday and Sunday.  Good for the seeds germinating, bad for the animals.  Speaking of the animals, we have a chicken that is brooding, if you have any experience, please post!!  Other than that lots of harvesting going on, spinach, beets, turnips, lettuce, and peas.  Have been putting all kinds of seeds in the ground as well as a few new plants. 

Both volunteers that have recently opened up, I'm amazed that the chickens didn't get these little guys.

Four new colors of Iris, TPW counted ten different colors in all.  The picture below is a view of a few.

Put in Tomatillo's this year, we'll see?

 Got some great advice from a post last week.  I had run into a problem of not enough space, one reader said, clear more space.  See picture below, cleared a small section.  Now what to plant?

The littlest farmer brought home two corn plants from school and asked "Why don't we have corn?"  Good question.  I put in three different varities of sweet corn.  The picture on the right is the first corn seed to poke it's little head up.  The left is the inspiration.

 

Herb section of the garden, still have a small section to plant.