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It is gratifying to see lots of seedlings poking their heads out of the soil in plant pots and garden beds. I started planting our autumn/ winter garden very late this year, and hope we’ll still get some vegetables to harvest despite my tardiness. Noticing how late it was, I compromised and bought some seedlings for broccoli, spinach and swiss chard at the local hardware store. All seem to be doing well in the garden. I direct seeded two kinds of radishes (cherrybelle and black spanish), bull’s blood beets, turnips, miner’s lettuce and corn salad. In pots, I’ve started cilantro, garden cress, red cabbage, and two kinds of lettuce (“Asian red” and “Winter”). We’ve not tried growing miner’s lettuce and winter lettuce before, so it will be interesting to see how these cool-season greens fare in our garden.

Kumara

Kevin has been digging potatoes, and I’ve been grubbing around for kumara to add sweetness to our dinners. We are still harvesting carrots, salsify, and late zucchini, as well as our trusty welsh bunching onions, collard greens and a bit of kale. It’s an interesting game, juggling baby and garden, but I’m enjoying getting my hands back in the dirt as much as possible. It’s fun to watch Owen’s growing fascination with animals, leaves, rain drops and the wonderful natural world all around him. While one part of me is dreading the destructive force of a crawly/toddling little human in our garden, another part of me thrills at the thought of him enjoying his early contact with earth, mud, slugs, and even his mother’s precious vegetable seedlings! My brother, sister and I grew up around gardens, and I think we were very lucky. I know it took a lot of patience from our parents and grandparents as they taught us the right way to pick ripe produce and to help out in the garden without leaving a trail of destruction behind us.

What else is going on around here?

I’ve taken over the ordering for our local whole foods co-op. This means gathering up order details from all the members and submitting them to the wholesaler. It’s actually been a frustrating business so far due to our phone line being dead for over a week while I was trying to take orders. (It got fried up in an electrical storm!) Still, it’s given me the chance to network with some really interesting people, and it feels right to be sharing the responsibility for this valuable service rather than leaving all the work to someone else.

On the “to do” list:
Plant onion seeds so that the seedlings will be ready to set out in the garden in a couple of months.
Plant broad beans. Better hurry, or they won’t get a decent start before the cold weather sets in.
I have made a huge pile of grass clippings, and Kevin is wondering if we might use them to attempt to grow a winter potato crop in a large barrel in a warm sheltered spot. I’ll be sure to report on anything that develops on this front!

Recently we’ve acquired some interesting new plant material from a generous friend and fellow gardening enthusiast, who has a fantastic collection of edible plants. I hope I’ll be writing more about these plants (and providing pictures) as they grow and we are able to use them.

In our vegetable garden this year, I’ve allotted space for yacon, Jerusalem artichoke, and yam (diascorea batatas). We are pleased to be diversifying our range of root vegetables.

Jerusalem artichoke

I’d been on the lookout for soapwort for a while, and now we have some. I’ve planted it in the herb garden, and am looking forward to experimenting with using it for washing once it gets big enough.

Orangeberry: This perennial berry looks delicious. Apparently it’s also drought-tolerant, and doesn’t mind hard soil. According to the information I’ve found, we may have to wait at least a year or so before we get any fruit.

Stevia: I’m lucky I didn’t kill this plant by leaving it in a cold spot after it was given to us. Somehow it survived. I’m planning to keep it in a pot under the eaves, so that it will be protected from cold conditions in the winter.

Chayote squash (choko): I’d been looking everywhere for a smooth-skinned variety of this squash, and was very happy to be given one. The little plant is already taking off, and we are planning to plant it out soon, near a fence so that it will have a structure to climb on.