Changing Perspectives on the Spring Garden

My salad greens are coming in thick. The message is out I know because Elliot hasn't bought lettuce at Kimberton for 2 shops. We have lovely varied tasty greens. Red lettuces, sorrel, arugula, radicchio the odd dandelion and now red shiso-its getting bigger all over- time to selectively rip it out. I took one of my new plot signs down to the garden today, I just propped it in the back plot. the second set of signs were not out of the bisque kiln on Wednesday. I think the design is better kind of retro New Mex. We'll see. I also positioned the plot numbers I'm curious if anyone notices. I missed the workday, Penn Alumni day and graduation and all. The campus is even more very Penn, if that's possible.

The sage is a purple blooming riot and the white iris bed (the very same bed that some gardeners want to turn into a plot, I don't think it's an idea at all,) is in bloom - the purple iris bed is still looking lovely.

It's time to think about the next roation in the plots.

The harlequin bugs are doing their thing, I'M SQUISHING THEM, but really, they always win, so I plan for it. Today I pulled out a big bag of red Russian kale. I carried four tomato plant and two of the Sophie fish pepper plants down to the garden in a milk crate (it's interesting, the seeds that Sophie got make peppers with variegated leaves while the Abundant Life catalog seed seem to make plain green, we'll see as they grow). Fish is an old variety of somewhat hot peppers said to be popular in Baltimore crab houses. It has appeared this year in a number of catalogs.

Thursday I pulled a big bunch of Egyptian walking onions to make room for the tomatoes. I accidentally left them at the end of the Chris plot. I asked Elliot to get them for me which worked out well because He saw how wonderful our plots are.

My theory is to get as much produce as I can, this means planting things that I know I'll sometimes harvest in a young state or move. The Kale, which is now about 1' high, would grow bigger and produce more if it weren't for the harlequin bugs. I planted it thick. I'm now harvesting big bunches. The lettuce in the Elliot plot is destined to be moved to the western end of the Chris plot to make way for more tomatoes.

I planted two Brandywine and one Rampo tomato plants in the Chris plot. Yes of course I planted them on their side to make more roots and I added some of the seeds alive tomato stuff that I got free last year- smells like chickens manure- I could get some local from our chicken keeping gardeners-. I also planted two Sophie fish peppers in the big blue pot by the Elliot plot.

I did backyard work on Friday. I moved most of the Colocassia plants into the big pots, potted up 12 pepper plants into condensed big pots, I moved things around to make the back less crazy and i scooped all of the sunflower casing bird poop stuff into a big bag for disposal. It looks better. I grilled outside tonight without getting stuck in goop. There is work to be done but it's a start.

At the workday, Kirk emptied several of the green composters into wheel barrows. I took it as a sign to prep the mint/basil bed for basil. I ripped out the mint center. It's not cruel, the mint is rampant, and I dumped a wheelbarrow of the compost on the plot. Strategically placing plant markers around. I brought home a big bunch of mint which will be great with my lentil dish later this week.

I grilled chicken breast that I brined then marinate with lemon/garlic herb mixture. heavy on sage but with thyme, marjoram and coriander(cilantro). I thought to include fresh bay leaves. Our bay plants survived the winter and have huge new growth.

So today I planted three tomato plants in the Chris plot two Brandywine and one Rampo and the two peppers in the blue pot. the garlic is still not ready maybe in August.