How Does My Garden Grow?

Well, at least it's growing! We have eaten 1 zucchini so far, and there are probably a few more out there if I was braver than the heat. You can see our biggest gourd in the picture above (below is probably the smallest!). Three of our four gourd plants have survived, and I think 2 plants are like this one. I had a packet of a variety of seeds, and would have liked to have many different types, but maybe next year. They sure are cute, though. The other gourds are either round, or unknown. The round things might be volunteer pumpkins. I might have to rethink the whole "oh, look, I didn't even have to plant it and it's growing for me" idea. Weeds do that. These pumpkins might be weeds. Oddly enough, the pumpkins originated from a little grocery store in Town. Last December they had a huge box of them sitting out back, frozen solid. Of course, I thought my piggies would love some pumpkin-cicles, so when a guy popped out the back I asked if I could have some. He was very uncertain... "um, how many?" I guess months-old, frozen-solid pumpkins might have some better use...? I took six, and tossed them into the pigpen. Of course, that is where our garden is now; hence the volunteer pumpkins.

Below is a view of the "row" part of the garden. In the prior pictures the chicken house was directly on the other side of this. From left to right you see Miniature Indian Popcorn, random tomatoes with New Zealand Spinach (note to self; it's faster to swim to New Zealand and buy spinach than to grow this), carrots, beets, and Big Sister and seedy-radishes behind a sunflower. The other smaller sunflowers towards the left are called "Infrared Mix". They should be a dark rusty color. If the picture was wider you could see more and more carrots to the right.
This view aims a little left. The other side of the popcorn is where the really wind-damaged tomatoes and peppers were. Between the popcorn and tomatoes/peppers is borage and gourds. Where the corn didn't come up I planted crookneck squash and cucumbers. Where the tomatoes and peppers took it in the shorts, I planted more tomatoes and peppers, and also 4 zucchini plants. And there are the volunteer pumpkins.

Towards the upper left here are the broccoli and cabbages. Mostly the bugs and chickens have ruined them, so I almost don't count them as part of the garden. I usually 'prune' the tomatoes, but that has been a trick this year. Usually I allow the main vine, plus one or two side-shoots to vine out. Since they were so beat up, the only thing growing is side-shoots, and I'm not sure WHERE to start pruning. Maybe they and the pumpkins and the morning glory can wrestle it out for domination. Left of center are 2 zucchini plants, then gourds and borage as you approach the corn. The rest is *gulp* weeds.



My main hope is for a few things. I don't want to buy canned tomatoes all year. I think 10 of mine survived (but bearing fruit with the odd pruning might complicate things), and I planted an additional 12 from the nursery, of the beefsteak varieties. If they come to fruition and if I can do the work, I should be able to make lasagna and spaghetti and chili all winter. I also want to have carrots. Last year, the few carrots I had stored very well in a hole in the ground. I covered them with a pair of Hubby's old jeans (didn't have any burlap) and then a good layer of sod. They kept fresh down there, and I just had to go out to the edge of the lawn, look for the denim waistband, and heave-ho to find some fresh carrots. Until the rockchuck found them too, but we ate them till Christmas at least. If I have it in me, I will learn to pickle some beets for Hubby (in the weird, not-pasteurized way!). The sauerkraut looks like a lost cause. The little popcorn and the gourds will be pretty decorations (and snacks, in the case of the popcorn), and the rest will last as long as the weather does, I guess.