Owen and I are busy in the garden this spring. The vegetable beds need to be dug and cleared, and most of them are also being re-located due to the progress we are making with building chook enclosures. I’m also starting lots of seeds for the coming season, with the peas already having been planted out in the garden. This year, we are growing a green pea called “Oregon Trail” and a soup pea called “Tall Capuchjner.” Owen likes to do digging, and helps to prepare pots for the seeds. He knows to be very careful around the trays and pots where the vegetable seedlings are growing. It’s wonderful to be able to include him in some of the work around the garden, and to watch him enjoying the fresh air, dirt, sunshine and plants.
Young red cabbage
Owen is already finding strawberries to eat, and has enjoyed helping me to harvest chamomile flowers from our winter brassica bed. I’ve been really pleased with the mix of plants in the brassica bed. Last autumn, I planted a row of red cabbage and sprouting broccoli with a row of leeks behind them. I put young celery plants in some of the gaps between the brassicas and leeks. I also surounded the brassicas with the following: dill, chamomile, heartsease viola (johnny-jump-up) and cilantro. These companion plants seem to have helped to keep the weeds down. All seem to have done well alongside each other, and I think the effect is pretty. Now, with the brassicas almost ready for harvest, the celery and leeks are just coming into their own and will benefit from the extra space. At one end of the row of brassicas, I planted a patch of swiss chard (silver beet), and at the other end, some lettuces. I also put several calendula plants at either end of the row. I’d certainly like to try this combination (or similar) again next autumn.
I love reading your updates, thanks for sharing. Interesting to hear the opposite seasonal plans. For us here in Hawaii, it’s the first year of serious growing and I’m interested to see what we can continue to grow through our mild winters. I am sprouting some cauliflower and brussels sprouts to see if they might go, your collection of sprout pots reminds me of ours! (As well though we have no young children of our own now, our neighbor’s three yr old loves to come and ‘help’!) Wish my red cabbage looked as nice as yours, mine has yet to develop a real head in the center, perhaps too warm here. I too have planted herbs amongst the beds and it all seems happy together. Also I am getting ready to plant garlic, your posts inspired us so I ordered a Creole variety hoping it might work here. Though it is notoriously difficult to do in Hawaii, we are at a higher, somewhat cooler altitude. We shall see.
It’s so nice to hear from you again – you’ve been missed! Your gardens and your baby are growing beautifully.
So glad to see the new posts! I had been wondering how you were, hoping that the absence from the blog meant good, busy times.
Lovely to hear from you both, Rebecca and AnneMarie. I hope you are having good times as well.
It will be interesting to hear how you get on with your garlic, Angela. People say that onions don’t do well up here due to the mild climate (and perhaps even more because they are day-length sensitive), but I’ve had a good deal of success with them so far. I’m trying again this year to find out if it was just beginner’s luck!
Cheers,
Rebecca
Wow he’s grown so much….Owen. I notice the necklace…it works? do you let him sleep with it on?
Dave has been weeding like mad here and things are looking great. We are really trying to work on Potatoes…a Four Winds favorite…and Tomatoes as we ran our of sauce this year – not good.
Once Hamish is older I’ll have to get back into gardening blog.
Must visit one day think of you often
Megan