Peas Please Come Up

I am thrilled, no elated, no overjoyed (well you get the point)...at being in my garden again.  This winter I filled my time looking at heirloom seed catalogs and researching everything and anything associated garden.  The day was hopeful with a slight breeze and the sun peeking through the clouds.  Travis and I zipped up our jackets and made our way out to the garden.  I gave him a shovel and some toy cars to keep busy.  Sowing seeds can be time consuming, especially when one is dealing with the attention span of a not yet two year old.  

The peas went in first, spinach next, and broccoli right behind.  This is the earliest I have ever planted.  All my research this winter has me determined to feed my family through the Summer and Winter off this plot of land.  I question the stability, safety, and nutritional value of our food system.  I wonder about the organic broccoli I bought from Costco.  Examining the package I see it is from Mexico.  How was this floret grown, what what was put on it, who picked it, what facility packaged it....you could say I obsess a little bit.  All I do know is when I grow, cook and preserve food myself I can answer all those questions.  

Back to the garden...the peas are heirloom and called little marvel, broccoli is heirloom Di Cicco, the spinach is from last year Bloomsdale Longstanding, and the hybrid broccoli is called gypsy.  All these seeds are early season and can be planted when soil can be worked in the spring.  I have also noticed dandelions and grass emerging.  As I was planting my seeds I noticed something pink in the ground.  My rhubarb returned!  I planted them last year and had great doubts about them making it.  Hopefully they will be full of stamina and make my garden glow with pink.  

Purple Cherokee Tomato 

you go Rhubarb

Learning through digging

Pretty peas all in a row

Second rhubarb i discovered

Bogs I received for my Bday

Fast zinnia seedlings popped in 2 days

lettuce and kale 

Grow garden Grow

I absolutely positively love my garden this year.  I read this post on pinterest the other day, "Gardening is my therapy".  I am in full agreement.  I have even escaped my boys and picked weeds in the 100 degree heat multiple times this year.  I can solve the world's problems, come up with new ideas, and become reinvigorated for the day all in 45 mins of pulling those pesky weeds.

We laid weed barrier and soaker hose this spring.  The past few years (basically when I had children) the garden has been an embarrassment.  Something had to change and change it did.  I still have weeds but I can see my produce.

Most of my plants are happy but I have had a few failures. Some aphid attacks, a heirloom tomato plant that wouldn't produce (soaker hose wasn't watering) and the replanting of beans, carrots, and lettuce (very little lettuce and carrots came up even after that).

My success include exuberant early girl tomato plants, massive amounts of squash (anyone can grow squash not sure if that is an accomplishment ), happy herbs, and lots of beans.

We also have pears and peaches for the first time.  We have so many peaches I think the branches will break because of the weight.  A plethora of plums and grapes awaits me this fall. Really I have never seen the grapes this healthy and happy. I have so many plans for my vegetables that include salsas, jams, jellies, and pickles.  I made an investment in a heavy duty vegetable strainer to make my life much easier.  Hopefully no microburst or hail will disrupt my plans, knock on wood.

I know Travis isn't in the garden in this picture, but he is growing like a weed.  Plus he really really wanted to come out with me.  Too bad it was bed time.

C'mon rain.  We need a end to this excessively dry weather!

It looks as if the heavens are shining down upon my early girls and they are basking in the glow.

Rhubarb was a new addition this year

Darn that barnyard grass.  I let it get too big and now when I weed the onions I pull them up as well as the grass.  

Lime basil

Pretty lavender

Baby wasps love the mint