So tomorrow is July 1st, Canada Day. Comparing pictures of my garden this year from about the same time last year, you can see just how far behind the growing season is. I have managed to harvest a few small greens for our guinea pigs though - they love the tender lettuce, kale and chickweed.We have been having some mole problems too. So we ordered some mole-repellers that use a chattering sound and vibrations to convince the mole to move away, because there's another mole in town. The man at the hardware store told us we could generate the same effect using pinwheels, so we are trying some of those as well. Nicely patriotic for Canada Day, even! We're not sure if these are working yet, but there don't seem to be any new mole hills/holes, so far.
My perennial herb garden is doing fairly well. All three of my salad greens are growing nicely, albeit slowly. This plantain plant to the right of the Salad Burnet is a volunteer - but once I found out about its extensive medicinal properties, I have just let it grow. The guinea pigs like to eat these two plants as well - plain lettuce from the grocery store just doesn't cut it anymore!
In my rock path to the garden I have transplanted some thyme, and put up this little barrier to keep people from walking on it while it gets established. Eventually I would like thyme and other ground cover all amonst the rocks - it's just a matter of 'thyme' I guess! Hee!
Here is an overall picture of the garden. You can see that the potatoes on the left are doing really well, and so are the peas on the right. The beans, carrots, kale, chard and radishes are just tiny still, and I have pretty much given up on the cucumbers and the pumpkin. I may dig up the cucumber plot (the last plot on the right) and plant kohl rabi instead. Apparently it is a good candidate for kim chi, so I would like to try it, if it's not too late.
So that's a quick update on the state of the 2009 Garden. I hope everyone else's gardens are coming along as well, and that you are getting more rain than we are. Already two nearby municipal counties have declared droughts, and ours could be next. But I hope not. 
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10 comments:
Your garden is stunning. It really makes me long for some earth of my own again.
I hate renting. Even more, I hate landladies who won't let us put in veggie plots! :-(
Ours is pretty sad looking but no one has totally given up hope yet. We must be in a state of drought by now. It has been cloudy for a couple of days now but too windy to rain. Last year saw no rain between May and August and this year isn't looking much better.
Happy Canada Day
oh my! Even though it's a bit slower than your garden last year, it's still beautiful! I love the trellis, thyme guard too!
I think we have the opposite problem out east- it's been raining for two and a half weeks... and doesn't seem to want to let up! I'm starting to get worried about my plants not getting enough sun.
You can have the rest of our rain- no worries at all! :)
Your garden looks lovely and green. We had really hot temps last week that finally kickstarted things and rain the last few days. Hope you get some rain soon.
Happy Canada Day!
The garden is beautiful. I planted thyme last year and ended up using it in everything. It's even still growing strong. Here's a couple more ideas if you do the kohlrabi. It's such an odd vegetable I get excited when I know people are eating it. We're in a bit of a drought in California too and decided to let our spit of a lawn mostly go (I take pity it on it sometimes and give it a drink) and we're watering the garden pots with warm up water from the shower and sink. So far, so good. Happy Canada Day to you.
Your plantain is so lush and lovely. (Don't you just love garden volunteers?) I found a great patch at the allotments and put some up into oil for external use and some in vodka to use internally. It's also so fun to make spit poultices for stings and scratches.
Your post reminded me that I wanted to plant kohl rabi too! My Oma used to grow and cook with it when I was young and I loved it. Didn't know that it could be used in kim chi. I'll have to look into that and I guess I need to find some time and space to get it in the ground right away!
Though it may be growing slowly this year, your garden looks lovely.
Wishing you just enough sun, rain and warmth for a bountiful harvest!
That big green thing is plantain, and it's useful? I sooo need to get a 'weeds of Alberta' book and get identifying stuff - I only discovered stinging nettle two weeks ago (guess how??)!
I am sure we must have that big green stuff growing here. I'll have to go find it. I did just notice a patch of perfectly pink clover heads - we'll have to go pick those and let 'em dry for tea; and maybe go out back to the nettle patch (in long pants and gloves this time!) and get some for tea and hair wash ... there's lots of yarrow (settles a tummy super quick), and maybe soon the wild raspberries will be ready!
Now if only there was some use for Canada Thistle.
Happy Canada Day, and may the rain come soon. They've been putting up hay in my neck of the woods, so it's not all bad ... I expect the price'll go up anyway, I plan to use the scythe on the field I have the use of and see if I can get some loose hay put aside ... mostly to see if I can do it!
Daharja, thank you. I would never have used the word 'stunning' but I am very glad that there are things growing in it, at last. It was a bit of a tough start. I do hope your landlady comes around, especially now that you live in a less dry climate!
SBT - it is good to keep hoping, for sure. I just can't believe how cloudy it can be without rain though - it is mind -boggling sometimes. The wind has been bad here too.
Thanks EcoY - I would gladly take some of your rain! I do like the pseudo-raised beds of the garden - they seem to be keeping things tidy and manageable for weeding and watering.
Hi Liz - it is fairly green, but only because I water it with the sprinkler every 2nd day. Fingers crossed for rain tonight - apparently it is raining to the south of us, in the city itself.
Kale - that recipe sounds delicious! I have emailed it to my sister, whose kohlrabi is already sprouting - looking forward to tasting that salad!
Amber -thanks for the nice weather wishes! How did your Oma cook kholrabi? It sounds like quite a versatile vegetable!
AJC - Clover heads for tea? We have those too - thanks! I shall have to try that next :) I'm having some red raspberry leaf tea wtih sage and honey right now - quite tasty!
I think this plantain is so big and lush because it is growing in my perenniel herb bed - I thought it was the return of my lupines, so I watered it and weeded around it and generally treated it like a bedding plant, and it responded with vigor! The equivalent plants in my lawn are more bug-eaten and only about 3 inches high - easily recognizable though, with its parallel veins and tall flower/seed stalks. I bet you have some in your grass somewhere!
P.S. - good luck with your scything!
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