GreenThumbWhiteApron.com

Let's Grow, Eat, Make, See, & Do Something Together!

Navigation
  • Home
  • About
    • About Brett
    • Contest Experiences
    • Blog
    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Renovation
    • Kraemer House History
    • Kraemer House Renovation
    • Interior
      • First Floor
        • Kitchen
        • Pantry & Laundry Room
        • Dining Room
        • Living Room
        • First Floor Bathroom
      • Second Floor
        • Bedroom 1
        • Bedroom 2
        • Office
        • Second Floor Bathroom
      • Third Floor
        • Bedroom 3
        • Craft Room
        • Third Floor Bathroom
      • Staircase and Hall
      • Basement
    • Exterior
      • Kraemer House Exterior
      • Porches
      • Garden
      • Barns
  • Grow
    • Gardening
  • Eat
    • Cooking & Food Related
    • Recipes
  • Make
    • Crafting
  • Chickens
    • Meet The Girls!
    • Coop & Run
    • Chicken Cam (Run)
    • Chicken Cam (Coop)
You are here: Home / Garden / How Does Your Garden Grow | May, 2014

How Does Your Garden Grow | May, 2014

May 1, 2014 by Brett Youmans 7 Comments

How Does Your Garden Grow When I look back at the “before” pictures of the part of the property where the garden now lies, I question my sanity.  {You can see how it all started here.}

It was a tangled mess of weeds.

It was on a slope.

It was sad and hopeless-looking.

I’m actually being generous — it was a scary disaster!

But, I was able to look through the through the discouraging sight and my temporary insanity turned into determination.  Crazy determination — I mean, we had a ceiling falling down and I wanted to start this garden?!?  Is that crazy or what?  But, home is where the garden grows so it was a good place to start.

We now have a wonderful space that’s a lot of work but the rewards are great.  I’m not only referring to the wonderful fruits and vegetables the garden gives us but also the personal satisfaction that comes from digging in the dirt and nurturing your own little piece of the planet.

It’s therapy.

It’s reassurance.

It’s inspiration.

It’s encouragement.

It’s home.

Spring is absolutely my favorite time of year.  I love this season because it’s full of promises.  Every day brings something new and everything is bursting with life.  I’m heading to Sicily soon and already looking forward to the moment when I return and explore the changes that happened while I was away.

Now that the renovation of the house is finally complete, we’re going to build the potting shed in that bare spot behind the rose garden there in the middle.  And, it’s going to have a chicken coop.  And a bee hive!

How Does Your Garden Grow | May, 2014

May 1, 2014

I thought it would be nice to see the progression of the garden through the seasons so I’m planning to post a picture of the garden on the first of every month for the next twelve months.  Today, it was cold and rainy but you can still pick out some signs of life.

The weather has seemed more unpredictable than ever this year.  Soon after a few record warm days tricked everything into coming our of hibernation, it snowed, sleeted, and was below freezing temperatures for 4 straight days!  But most things proved to be resilient and no permanent harm was done.

How Does Your Garden Grow | May, 2014

So much has been going on in the garden this past month — 2 new strawberry beds have been installed.  After a few years, strawberries begin to produce less and less and the resulting fruit is smaller so it is recommended to replant every 3-5 years.  The bad news is that we can’t enjoy any of the fruit this year from the new plants — in fact, we have to pluck off the blooms so fruit won’t set.  This encourages more robust plants for next year and beyond.  Luckily, we have another bed that should give us more fruit than we need!  Several lettuces and micro-greens are in as are broccoli, potatoes, radishes, carrots, and beets.

Snow peas are growing quickly.  Don’t the seeds look like little jewels?

How Does Your Garden Grow | May, 2014

The onion sets are doing great.  This year, we planted Red Zeppelin, Alisa Craig, and Patterson.

How Does Your Garden Grow | May, 2014

And, I’m excited that the fava beans have emerged.

How Does Your Garden Grow | May, 2014

The espaliered apple trees are blooming and we actually might just get a little fruit this year!

How Does Your Garden Grow

So, how does your garden grow?  Are you planting anything new this year?

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Pinterest

Filed Under: Garden Tagged With: garden, gardening, spring

« Salted Caramel, Greek Yogurt & Chocolate Chip Cookie Parfaits
Bacon Kissed Sinful S’Mores »

Comments

  1. Roberta says

    May 1, 2014 at 10:38 am

    How very beautiful. I am looking forward in watching the progress of your garden. I’ve never seen a pea spacer before. What a cool thing! Just lovely!

    Reply
    • Brett says

      May 1, 2014 at 1:43 pm

      Thanks–it seems like everything is doubling in size daily!

      Reply
  2. Michelle W. says

    May 1, 2014 at 10:50 am

    I can’t wait to see your garden in the coming months! We just planted white cucumbers, spinach, Bibb lettuce, tomatoes, parsley, and basil. We are doing an experiment this spring… See what survives the Arizona summer. Should be fun!!! Thanks for all your tips and gardening expertise!

    Reply
    • Brett says

      May 1, 2014 at 1:45 pm

      Awesome, Michelle! Can’t wait to hear what works well for you. Have you tried the grow bags? I planted my potatoes in them the past few years and have been happy with them.

      Reply
  3. Janice says

    May 29, 2014 at 10:01 pm

    I have finally made the commitment to nurture asparagus for a few years. I planted Jersey Giant asparagus, which is new to our home garden. I can hardly wait for the first harvest in 2016.

    Reply
    • Brett says

      June 3, 2014 at 2:28 pm

      Fresh asparagus is definitely worth the wait Janice and I look forward to see yours flourish and thrive!

      Reply
  4. Jayme says

    September 6, 2014 at 11:58 am

    I read a lot of interesting posts here. Probably you
    spend a lot of time writing, i know how to save you a lot of time, there is an online tool that creates unique, google friendly articles
    in seconds, just search in google – k2seotips unlimited
    content

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Green Thumb White Apron! I’m Brett — avid gardener, recipe developer, crafter, renovator, traveler—and I love to share. Join me as we grow, eat, make, see, and do something. Together! read more →
  • Connect
  • Subscribe
  • Search
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
eNewsletter

Subscribe For Email Updates

Foodgawker

my foodgawker gallery

Dwellinggawker

my dwellinggawker gallery

Craftgawker

my craftgawker gallery

Tastespotting

my photos on tastespotting

Healthy Aperture

my healthy aperture gallery

HomeTalk

Bloglovin

Follow on Bloglovin

CCC Blog Network

CCC Blog Network

Categories

  • Connect
  • Subscribe
  • Search
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
eNewsletter

Subscribe For Email Updates

Popular Posts

Beets are one of the first things I get planted in the garden every year. Depending on the variety, they’re ready from seed to table in about 60 days. While we mostly associate this versatile vegetable with its deeply hued taproot, did you know the leaves are also edible? As they grow to maturity in the garden, I enjoy clipping the leaves for fresh crisp salads and quick stir-fry dishes. GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Garden Salad Gin & Tonic | GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Cucumber tendril climbing up a rusted metal trellis. GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Photo of jelly jars filled with Lavender-Strawberry Jam Spritzer Cocktail. We make strawberry jam every year and always have it on hand so it seemed natural to use it as a sweeter in this cocktail. When mixed together with a bit of lavender syrup, vanilla infused vodka, and club soda, you’ve got something quite special. GreenThumbWhiteApron.com
Strawberry blossoms are an indication of a heavy crop this year.
Perfect Steamed Eggs! The only sure-fire trick is to use old eggs. As eggs age, they gradually lose moisture through the pores in their shell and the air pocket at the tip expands. The pH of the whites also changes, going from a low pH to a relatively high pH, which makes them adhere less strongly to the shell. Farm-fresh eggs will always be tricky to age. Ideally, buy your eggs a week or two before you plan to boil them and let them age in the fridge.

© 2018 · McQ Web Design · Admin