Am gradually retiring my window boxes and containers for the summer as my garden is finally producing and the harvests are very promising.
Planting only Peppermint Swiss Chard this season, love the color of the stems, so pretty and cheerful in the garden. May do a fall planting of other varieties but that depends on space, time and energy.
Peppermint Swiss Chard
Below, first Swiss Chard harvest.
Peppermint Swiss Chard
The above is only a portion of the chard harvest, all will be going into the freezer for winter enjoyment.
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Rain combined with cool weather made the snow peas very happy.
Snow Peas
Looking forward to a good snow peas harvest.
Below is the first Happy Rich Broccoli harvest from the garden, also first snow peas harvest and a pitiful few strawberries.
Happy Rich Broccoli, Snow Peas & Strawberries
Both Happy Rich Broccoli and Snow Peas will be going into the freezer also.
Critters got to the strawberries (the larger and better looking ones of course) before I did.
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Collard and Kale plants are healthy and looking really good, but had to reset all the plants as they were leaning due to the heavy rain (oops, forgot to take before and after photos of the plants).
Collard and Lacinato Kale
First harvest of Collard and Kale from the garden they too are destined for the freezer.
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First harvest of garlic scape. More will be ready for harvest this week so all the ones below were gifted to a friend who is not a gardener.
Garlic Scape
To learn about garlic scape, this wonderfully delicious but short season spring treat, click here.
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Pulling most of the lettuces from the sweet potatoes bed to give the sweet potato vines room to wander.
Lettuce
The taste and texture of lettuce eaten within a day or 2 of harvest are just out-of-this- world so shared the harvest with non-gardening friends.
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Left: Large Smooth Prague Celeriac. Center: Hollow Crown Parsnips. Right: Red Sail Lettuce
Celeriac plants are properly spaced but needed to weed and to hill soil over the root shoulders to keep them covered also top dressed with well rotted manure.
Parsnips plants needed thinning. According to the package, the germination rate is 74%, to avoid empty spaces I sowed the seeds thickly and, of course, because I over sowed all the seeds germinated. Well, better to thin than having large gaps between plants.
Parsnips are slow to germinate so I planted a row of red sail lettuce seedlings along the row of parsnip seeds (I sometimes sow radishes). Pulling the lettuces this week they are starting to crowd the parsnips.
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We finally got a good amount of rain and both the vegetable garden and the flower garden are looking good. All the plants and shrubs are growing by leaps and bounds and so are the weeds, or I should say especially the weeds, they are popping up everywhere.
This week I am going to focus on getting all the gardens in order and hopefully have time and energy left to thin the Asian Pears and complete the pruning of the winter damaged shrubs and trees (I am way behind schedule). As a result, I will be MIA from Harvest Monday for a while hopefully for a week or 2 only.
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Awesome harvest, Norma. I love the garlic scape!
Hello Angie,
Thanks. Do you grow garlic?
Lovely harvests. I’ve been feeling behind recently, but spent most of yesterday weeding and doing odd chores around the garden. I’m not caught up yet, but at last I don’t feel so terribly behind.
Hello Daphne,
I am so terribly behind, in the garden most days but not getting as much accomplished as I would like.
We’re hoping to have a few strawberries this week. Miss A’s container berry experiment seems to be working. Your harvest looks so tasty and green this week. I bet you’ll have some delicious meals ahead of you!
Hello Kristy,
Talented Ms A can add green thumb to her list of talents. Please take photos of her strawberries and post them on your blog. She must be so excited, I am excited for her too. How are the tomato plants doing?
Will do – if this rain doesn’t kill them off. One of the tomatoes is flowering. The other isn’t yet.
Hello Kristy,
Great, looking forward.
I have just completed my winter veggie seed shopping list and created 5 mini raised beds in the back garden, all thanks to your inspiration Norma. I will let you know how I get on.
Have a wonderful week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
Hello Mandy,
I am looking forward to reading about your garden. A wonderful week to you too.
You have a lovely variety of veggies coming in from the garden! I agree with you about the taste of fresh lettuce. I like to harvest in the morning while it’s cool and eat it the same day if I can. Your snow peas look great too. I wish I had better luck with them but they don’t like our hot spring weather.
Hello Dave,
What if you start your snow peas indoors and transplant the seedlings this would give you a few weeks head start. The seedlings do transplant well. I sow 9 seeds in a 4″ pot.
Hi Norma, your garden looks wonderful, this year I bought some of my lettuces and then started some by seed hoping to have enough for the summer. It seems like there is always something to do in the garden.
Hello Cheri,
It is easy to start a garden, a challenge to maintain a garden. Yes, always something to do and never a dull moment.
Oh those snow peas are great for stir fry. I can almost hear and taste the crunch. Lovely garden and post as always. Thanks, Norma.
Hello Ray,
Thanks. Cooked briefly the snow peas were sooooo sweet and yes, crunchy.
Nice harvests. You have some clever inter-planting techniques to maximize your space that I need to study.
Hello David,
Thanks.
The spring/summer (can’t figure out which yet!) has come on strong and there seem to be lots of firsts in veggie gardens this week. The recent rains have also given us a much needed boost. And I know what you mean about being behind – I have knee high grass growing in my “mulched” paths between the beds as I try to catch up on everything else, especially sowing.
Hello Margaret,
Know what you mean by spring/summer. Hopefully the weather pattern has settled and we will have warm weather from now on.
Your spring veggies so so bright and new, and they look wonderful. Here in Southern California, my snow peas are finished already. We had an unusually warm winter and a very early warm and humid start to summer with August weather in early June. My spring garden is not happy. I hear you about being behind–I still have not planted my summer garden. I am WAY behind.
Hello Lou,
I think, rather I hope, our weather has settled and we will have warm temperature day and night from now on, my Chinese long beans, okra and sweet potatoes are not happy with the cool nights.
I’m so happy your garden is producing the way you want it too Ms Norma, especially after the hard winter we had. I just love how your swiss chard came out looking. So fresh and delish.
Hello Kia,
The Swiss chard was delish and the pink color stayed the same after cooking.
The chard looks wonderful a bit like mini rhubarb I tried growing it last year but with no success. Will try again next year.
Hello Ian,
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. Mine did not do as well last year, it may have to do with the weather or location.
Great harvest as usual Norma, I really need you to make a series for newbies on how to prepare and care for their garden and which season to start planting in.. Thanks dear.
Hello Amira,
Because of the different planting zone, your best bet is to contact your co-operative extension for a planting guide for your area. This should give you info on when to plant different crops. Your local garden centers may also have info. Feel free to contact me anytime for whatever gardening info you need, I’ll be more than happy to help.
Norma your harvest is already so beautifully green and gorgeous. You certainly have a green thumb. Be careful thinning out your Asian pear harvest, do you need to get on a ladder or are they short bushes…?
Hello Bam,
Thanks for your concern you are so caring. My pear tree is under 8 feet, very dwarf, my feet are planted on the ground when thinning, no need for ladder.
Oh good! Yes it is the little mom in me that sometimes pops out… wishing you a super day!
Hello Bam,
Once a Mom always a Mom 🙂 A super day to you too.
That is already a great part of your seasonal harvest, dear Norma! 🙂 I am just doing a post about my harvest from the last week! 🙂 MMMMMM,…I also have the same cavolo nero cabbage leaves!
Hello Sophie,
Isn’t it exciting! Looking forward to seeing photos of and reading about your harvest.
Thanks, sweety! X
Hello Sophie,
🙂
What you can do in your back yard amazes me every time. I can almost taste that freshly picked lettuce now.
Hello Maureen,
It is very rewarding. I am sure you would do just as well if you had the time.
That’s a wonderful harvest. It certainly looks like summer has arrived. I love the snow peas and strawberries. But in fact, it all looks wonderful xx
Hello Charlie,
Thanks, yes I believe our weather has finally settled and am hoping it remains that way.
I love seeing those strawberries! This year we replaced our strawberries with raspberries. It’s probably going to be a year before we see any, but I cannot wait! Keep harvesting Norma…!
Hello Pamela,
Sure wish I got to the bigger and nicer strawberries before the critters. If I remember correctly you are growing your raspberries in containers, yes? Looking forward to reading the results.
I am always impressed by your harvests, particularly so early in the season. I look forward to seeing your celeriac, it is one of my favourite vegetables…I love grating it into a slaw with jicama and cucumbers, so tasty.
Hello Eva,
For some reason my celeriac is doing particularly well so far this year and I am very pleased but will not know the results until fall. I will look up your slaw recipe.
Your garden seems to be thriving…great job. I know what you mean about the rain…I’ve got a solid mat of green grass growing in my lily garden.
Garlic scape is super popular in my house, its super delicious. Loving your garden, I really must try growing some strawberries or berries, they are often so expensive here I dont get to enjoy them. Your garden is becoming one of my happy places, (bless the blog world for allowing us to hang out on the other side of the world for a few moments when ever we want) its so vibrant and healthy looking.
Hello Anna,
Thank you for your kind words, so glad you find my garden a happy place to visit.
It all looks fantastic! I wish I had such a rich garden too 🙂
Hello Lily,
Thanks for visiting, I am sure you would have a lovely garden if you had the time.
wow, lovely variant of greens !!!
Beautiful harvest, Norma. Everything looks picture perfect and delicious.
Hello Betsy,
Thanks, harvest directly from the garden to the wok are super delicious.
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