The Harvest

I've been learning some great lessons this growing season (my first with raised beds) and enjoying the fruits of my labor...fennel (though I likely won't be trying this again unless I buy the florentine fennel seeds next time, mine didn't really "bulb-up"), beets (both red + golden), and carrots (note to self- it really does pay to thin them out no matter how much it pains you to pull the little starts out before they've had a chance to truly live. you do not want to end up with a tangled stunted mess...which is what I have).

I also harvested the last of our broccoli and have mixed feelings...I would LOVE to grow big crowns of broccoli but came up with only a a few handfuls of small trees and a ton of aphids and frankly not enough real estate in the box to have this crop be worth the effort. I have yet to harvest the cauliflower but this looks more promising, one crown is getting quite large and as long as I keep an eye on the bugs I think we're going to be ok.  I use soapy water to keep the pests away, in case you're wondering.  I learned the hard way after tossing ALL of our kale that was completely infested with aphids...yuck.

Rainbow chard is a must...so plentiful (I've had it all season long and it keeps coming back) and versatile...raw as a salad, steamed as a green side, thrown in smoothies and juice.  And the only pests that seemed to enjoy them are the occasional caterpillar and my dang ol' chickens.

We delighted in 4 artichokes from our 3 artichoke plants, but frankly the $6 I paid for the starts just doesn't make it seem worth it and the size of the plants as well as the ouchy spikes also work against my decision to have it return to the garden next year. Yep, it's out. (Thanks for the tip Kari, looks like these babies are perennials and will be staying!  Besides, Jeff kind of loves them.)

The cucumbers have just begun to reach maturity and they are an easy staple, I just need to remember to give them WAY more room.

Both the corn and the potatoes are days away from harvest and I'm looking forward to making a delicious salad of corn, beets, and basil served by itself or over greens. And potato gratin for a neighborhood bbq next week.

Urban farming has been very rewarding this year, I only wish I had gotten the pumpkin seeds in the ground sooner so that we could have been carving our very own jack-o-lanterns this autumn...but there's always next year, Lord willing.

This weekend we are preparing for some fun at the water park {Wes filled his sticker chart (all 54 spots) and is getting his BIG PRIZE} and a Paella contest on Hood Canal- should be full.

Hope you have a fantastic Labor Day weekend!

A Garden Tour

Happy July everyone! I can't believe June has come and gone and that summer is just now starting (but feels like it's already over). I'm trying to savor each day...back on gluten (but second guessing that choice since I'm exhibiting head and stomach aches), enjoying 2 eggs layed everyday (Josephine started gracing us with her chocolate brown beauties), and harvesting from our garden which is well underway (Thanks Uncle Jerry & Aunt Pam, this has been so rewarding this year!)

I wanted to share some photos before we've eaten it all up.  Actually, the only thing we've plowed through are the radishes and boy were there plenty (I don't think I'll plant as many next year).

Upper left are 3 artichoke plants with a field of kale underneath.  Then we have a big gap where the radishes were and you can't see them yet but I've planted some potatoes in their place and have enough room to grow something new...I was thinking about arugula but I know it doesn't like the sun.  Any suggestions?

Moving from the big gap you'll find golden beets, fennel, cucumber and broccoli...I think we're going to have a space issue once those cucumbers really start coming in but maybe by then the beets will be gone and they'll have more room.  Gee, gardening is an adventure!

Our second raised bed is home to a row of corn along the top and then starting from the left we have rainbow chard (I added some to a smoothie this morning), onions, and red beets.

Next you'll find carrots which probably need to be thinned out if I want them to get bigger (I completely over seeded but I wasn't sure how many would grow, I guess I found my answer...all of them),  lastly we have a little mix of more cucumbers, cauliflower, a bell pepper plant and 3 ever-bearing strawberry plants.  Fun, fun, fun!

 Here's a close up of the bell peppers...I had heard these were hard to grow but if they turn out I'll be super excited because we sure do eat a ton of them.

We've got quite the urban farm going and I couldn't be happier!

I'll be back here with a couple of posts this week...I've been delinquent on sharing some special events that have happened around our home.  Hope everyone had a safe and delightful Independence Day, the weather could not have been any more perfect in Seattle.

Renner Farm...in the city!

When summer comes along...and hurray it's finally here (though I'm waiting for the clouds to burn off this afternoon)...I can't help but think about my Uncle Leonard's garden- it's like its own Seattle Farmer's Market- I love it!

About a month ago my Mom, Wesley and I went for a little visit. I've been visiting this very home and garden since I was born and I remember visiting my Great Grandma Sophie, who passed away at 96 I believe. She used to call me Helen...actually she called most people Helen (one of her daughters names) and ask me to rub her back. I don't remember much about her but the thought of that makes me chuckle. How grand to live to be such a ripe old age, great-grandchildren at your feet...an amazing garden out your window with plenty of produce to eat and flowers to enjoy!
This would be a dream for me...living in the city AND having a huge garden- maybe someday!

We're having a baby...

Who knew it could be this easy? (read below)


That's right, Jeff and I have decided to have a baby avocado tree. With the help from http://www.avocado.org/, the pit from a Haas Avocado (which we will be purchasing tomorrow), and a lot of love we intend to nurse this into a full grown fruit producing tree. Jeff will most likely assume the role of disciplinarian and I'll be the one it comes to when it needs a shoulder to cry on.

In 5-13 years (talk about a long gestation period) we should have plenty of these to share with friends and family.

Blackberry Pickin' Wisdom

Tuesday night Jeff and I decided to pick blackberries. We weren't quite sure where to find them within walking distance from his house, but we just let our feet do the walkin' and our fingers do the pickin'.

Oh what joy when we found a blackberry vine poking through a neighbors fence (we musn't forget that I do live in Renton). This one bush led us down a path to a whole "clusternut" of berries...we made out like bandits!

I intend to make freezer jam with the blackberries we picked, but more importantly than that is the wisdom we "picked" up along the way.



BLACKBERRY PICKIN' WISDOM:

1. What you don't know can't hurt you. Well, actually it can, but it hurts a lot less when you don't know it's comin'. (Lesson learned after Jeff told me a bee was flying up my skirt, luckily no one was injured)

2. Some say, "the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice." I say, "never underestimate a low hanging berry...all the sweetness runs to the bottom". That's gravity baby!

3. If there's juice on your hands there better be a pie in the oven.

4. Always have a pickin' partner, those bushes can be vicious. (I've got the scratches to prove it)

I'd love to hear any wisdom you might like to share, please feel free to post a comment.