Daphne's Dandelions late in the evening Harvest Monday brings our first vegetable harvest in 2011! We, by we I mean the boys, harvested about 6 asparagus spears and promptly ate them. They follow the pick-and-eat-while-in-the-garden method of gardening; we don't expect much asparagus to ever make it to the kitchen. Our beds are scattered throughout the yard. All told we have about 30 square feet, and it's popping up all over the place. Maybe it will give 'em a run for their money.
This week we also harvested 18 or so eggs. The girls have been scratching around the yard in their usual way. (Thankfully this spring they seem to be staying in our yard and not bugging the neighbors). They found the crushed eggshells that we scattered over our strawberry bed this winter. It's amazing how immediately those crushed shells impacted the quality of their own eggs. The shells of their eggs have become super thick with lots of bumpy calcium deposits, and gorgeous too (sorry no pics, we're having camera issues). They also dig around in our compost, which is OK with us. But we are careful to crush the eggshells in the compost bin, so they are unrecognizable. We don't want them to transfer their experience in the compost bin to the coup and peck at their own eggs.
Last week we planted 3 blueberry plants, 2 Duke and 1 Kenee. And tonight after dinner we planted 26 new raspberry plants, 10 Killarnee and 16 Caroline. We only ordered 5 of each but American Green Thumb, of Williamsburg, IA sent us more than twice that. We naturally took advantage of their generosity and planted them all! We also finished out a 30' row of cauliflower with 8 new Snow cauliflower plants, purchased from a local greenhouse.
We're waiting for potatoes to arrive in the mail. They should come this week. We're building our first raised box for the potatoes. We've never done raised beds. The beds we see online are so beautiful, but all the extra work of building them and the money it costs to buy them has deterred us! We're doing a raised bed for the potatoes of course to create walls for building soil up around the plants throughout the growing season. Any thoughts about using wood, cinder, brick or something else?
Spring Garden Acre is a blog about our family's gardening adventures. We call our place Spring Garden Acre, because we live on Spring Road with about an acre. We're located in zone 6b of south central PA. We grow peaches, berries, vegetables and keep a few chickens for eggs and meat.
Hi Jody,
ReplyDeleteYum, asparagus, my favourite! Do you eat them green? My parents always heaped theirs so that they didn't get sunlight and then would eat them white. I've been wanting to plant some here, but it is all clay on our acreage and I think asparagus needs it fairly dry.
Hi Carpe Diem I love your blog thanks for posting on ours. We eat the asparagus green. Before your comment, I had no idea how white asparagus was created. Maybe we'll try it out. On your acreage could you try planting asparagus on an incline for better drainage? Another blogger across the pond, "The Soilman" has an excellent video excerpt on planting asparagus, http://vimeo.com/3939735. Check it out and see what you think.
ReplyDeleteI like the pick-and-eat-while-in-the garden method of harvesting!! "My Little Garden Helper" and I do a lot of that when the strawberries and tomatoes are ready!
ReplyDeleteYou were lucky with your raspberry order. My goodness you will have raspberries coming out your ears! I think there may be some raspberry jam around your place this year!
It sounds like all of you have been quite busy gardening this past week! With regard to the raised bed, Lynda at Cortina Creek Farms builds great raised beds with block. You should check hers out. I say, use whatever you have available.
I think my asparagus is not going to come back. So I am going to lust after everyones virtually. The only thing I would say is not to use treated wood for the raised beds because they use some pretty nasty chemicals on that and it will leach in the bed and it ages. Other than that, use what is most available.
ReplyDeleteYummy asparagus. Blueberries are among my favourite. I must plant more. Can you have too many really? I dont' think so.
ReplyDeleteHi Robin, I was mistaken about the raspberry order. There were no extras after all. That's OK though. I'm glad we have so many, but I don't think they'll produce until next year. My potato starts are coming -19 pounds worth! I really need to get that box built.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, I'm sorry to hear about your asparagus. We lost some of ours too. The chickens turned one corner of our bed into a dirt bath.
Ottawa Gardener, Thanks for posting. I couldn't agree more. The more the better. We're up to six plants with 4 varieties, and we can't wait 'till harvest!
I can't wait until I can harvest asparagus. My kids won't get it though as they are adults and out of the house now. My husband won't eat it so it will all be mine.
ReplyDeleteHi Daphne, enjoy the bounty! We can't wait to see some of the wonderful dishes you prepare.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the video link Jody. Now I know how to do it, but again I think our soil may be to wet. :( Too bad I can eat asparagus until the cows come home (and since I don't have cows that could be a very long time haha )
ReplyDeleteHi Carpe Diem, that's exactly what I thought when I watch that video, "now I know how to do it". It is too bad, but I also know there's plenty you can and are doing too!
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