Sunday, May 03, 2009

How does your garden grow?

I haven't posted much lately. I've been trying to get busy in my garden. So far I've mainly got my herbs planted. Here's my oregano, plus some marjoram.

More herbs. I love being able to step out my door and grab fresh herbs when I cook! I have basil, dill, Italian parsley, summer and winter savory.
My romaine lettuce starts are going well. We need to get that cold frame set up so I can move them. This is the second round on my milk jug cloches. This is a great way to start seeds.
My amaranth is making a come back.
My oriental spinach, which I started in my milk jugs a few months ago. It's doing fantastic! I happened to notice our local nursery is selling oriental spinach now. I wonder where they got their seeds. Mine came from China Town in Oakland. I've decided that this stuff will grow pretty much anywhere, since I'm having such success with it. We've recently tested our soil and discovered it's low in everything, nitrogen, phosphorous, potash, and everything else, except acidity, which, typical of the pacific northwest, it's high in.

The Chinese kale I started in my milk jugs is hanging in there. It's not doing as well as the spinach. It's probably needing one of those elements our soil is low in. Hopefully it will keep hanging in there.
The artichokes are producing! Yeah!
Well, back to the garden. I stopped at the nursery yesterday and I created more work for myself. Off to go dig in the dirt.........

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I like your wooden planter in that first pic. Very cool.

Unknown said...

if your soil needs help, try compost tea (boil your kitchen scraps in water, let cool, and use the 'broth' to water your plants), and crushed rock.

MILLIE said...

You've been a busy girl. I like herbs close to the kitchen also-- sspecially parsley and rosemary and a selection of mints. It's too cold for rosemary to overwinter here, so I just usually pick up new one every year. It seems easier to do that than to try to keep one alive in the house all winter.

Unknown said...

Looks great and I love the wooden planter.