Growing in the garden now, left to right: Dwarf Siberan kale direct seeded last fall (and mostly flowering now), one gorgeous lone dinosaur (lacinato) kale plant direct seeded last fall (and on tonight's dinner menu), and several varieties of Swiss chard (I was using up a bunch of old seed packets) direct seeded in late March. (Swiss chard is wonderful stuff and easy to grow from seed. The white on the kale leaves is food grade diatomaceous earth; you read about the many ways we use this amazing stuff here.)
Hello and happy spring! How does your garden grow? Mine is doing pretty well despite two months of seriously crazy weather. On April 23rd, eight days after our 'official' last frost date, the six tomato plants I already had in the ground froze to death during a hard frost despite being covered with buckets (that's what I get for sneaking in some impulse-purchased hybrids), and this Friday it's supposed to be 93 degrees. Welcome to Missouri!
Although I'm already feeling (and falling) behind, I have more vegetables and herbs growing in the garden right now than I have during the past several springs, which makes me very happy. Obviously I've been spending more time gardening than garden blogging.
I have, however, been documenting some of what's been happening each week in the garden in my new weekly series on Farmgirl Fare called the Friday Farm Fix.
I have, however, been documenting some of what's been happening each week in the garden in my new weekly series on Farmgirl Fare called the Friday Farm Fix.
In each Friday Farm Fix post, I share a random sampling of what's been happening around the farm during the past week, and a lot of kitchen garden photos have been showing up alongside the cute baby animals, colorful scenery, and ever present farm dogs. I often been including a photo taken inside the greenhouse too. Right now it's a Swiss chard jungle in there.
My original plan was to do a similar type of weekly photo journal post here on In My Kitchen Garden, but for now it's all happening over on Farmgirl Fare. Maybe instead I'll just do a little Friday Farm Fix announcement here each week, along with a list of what we've eating from the garden during the past seven days (lettuce! lettuce! lettuce!). Either way, for a current glimpse of what's going on in my garden, come check out the Friday Farm Fix. I hope to see you there!
In the meantime, feel like catching up?
© FarmgirlFare.com, seeding, sprouting, growing, weeding, harvesting, watering, and eating—and not necessarily in that order. Actually, eating should probably be listed in there twice.
Been planting swiss chard since I read your column in NPR a few years ago. I planted some in April of last year, put it under cover this winter, and the same plants produced for all of 365 days. I had to pull up a few plants and toss them aside, and later found they had rooted and grown in the ground where they were thrown. It is the plant that won't die. But we still like it. I can't find it in the grocery store, wonder why?
ReplyDeleteI did a winter garden this year and was so happy I did. We are still eating spinach and kale and carrots. I could not have enjoyed them if I hadn't planted them last fall.
ReplyDeleteI am now trying to get an herb garden going. It would be nice to have herbs all year.
Your garden is much the same as ours except you seem to be well ahead of us.Our week away and the cold weather we have had has put everything back. Diane
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