Hello friends! What a spring it has been! Lots going on in my world, but luckily just as the garden is heating up things seem to be slowing down some otherwise. I am thankful for a bit of time this afternoon to put out a quick update as to what's growing in our backyard haven at the moment. More than anything, I really enjoy having these monthly updates to look back on each year to see how we've progressed in our gardening skills and remember what we grew each planting season. Also noting some failures along with the successes!
This time of year starts getting fun in Atlanta for growing. The weather is finally getting consistently warm, so all of my seedlings are really popping. Of course patience is needed since there won't be much to harvest for at least another month or two, but at least you can definitely see progress since March. As usual, we've had to do a few plantings since some items I started early didn't make it. We have quite a long growing season here, though, so plenty of time to keep sowing for a bit to have fresh produce all summer long.
So let's see what's growing...
Green Beauty
As you may have noticed in my cover photo, we have peas! Green Beauty Snow Peas to be specific. I planted these towards the middle of March, and happily they made it through a few late cold snaps. We are just starting to see the flowers pop, with lots of peas coming along behind. I only planted six, so these will mostly go to pulling and munching as snacks. They are so crisp and delicious!
Strawberries
Along with a few snow peas, our wee baby strawberries are starting to produce. They won't give us more than a handful here and there, but again, so sweet and fragrant to enjoy when the pests don't get to them first. We have already gone picking at the local farm twice for a larger haul. Strawberry season truly is one of my favorite times of year!
Otherwise, most everything is still in the seedling stage or just beyond. Lots of the usual suspects...
Beans. At least three this season, all from last year. A yellow wax bean, soybean and some Borlotto beans.
Tomatoes. Of multiple varieties, though mostly cherry as the smaller sizes tend to work much better in terms of getting a proper harvest. A new one for this season was a Black Strawberry cherry tomato. Because why not try something new?
Pumpkins. I hope. I've tried at least two times for pumpkins with no luck in getting a plant to make it to producing fruit, so third time's the charm, perhaps?
A volunteer. Not quite sure what this baby is--a squash or a cucumber is my early guess. We seem to always have at least one volunteer pop up in the beds or from the compost. There is another volunteer tomato plant that came up between the peas, as well. Sometimes those are the plants that do the best!
Some more squash (including the epic Zucchino Rampicante from last year--just one or two lest I be absolutely inundated again!), cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupe are also in progress. Using lots of recycled items for seed starting.
In the front yard, our third year fig tree seems to be hale and hearty! Hoping for a good harvest of fresh figs this year. I bought four new fruit trees to add to our collection from a local nursery this year--two plums, a different variety of fig, and a persimmon. We potted all of them before figuring out where to plant them in the yard. A few big pine trees really need to come down at some point before we can really add some more, but I have dreams...
Both of the Au Rosa Plum trees started sprouting new growth pretty quickly after potting, so we have since planted those in the ground. We will need lots of patience for those as it will be anywhere from 3-5 years before we get any fruit. It's still exciting to have that to look forward to, though! The new fig is finally coming to life, but I'm not sure if the persimmon made it in the shipping. They nursery has a one-year guarantee, so if it doesn't wake up soon I may request a replacement. I REALLY want persimmons!
Overall, I'm feeling very confident for the season ahead! It is always so rewarding to sprout these little goodies from tiny seeds and nurture them to life. Of course you can't beat the taste of produce straight from your own soil, but the journey itself is its own reward. I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune when I'm fighting the critters yet again for ripe fruit, but as long as they share some of the bounty with us, we'll be doing alright.
What are you planting this year? I always love to continue to learn from others and share in the common joy of digging in the dirt. Make sure to join the latest [garden journal challenge](https://peakd.com/hive-140635/@riverflows/hive-garden-challenge-hive-prizes-for-great-garden-posts) to share your update! Or to make @riverflows smile with a fun selfie...
Happy gardening!
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Lookin' good! Your fig is making my mouth water. I love figs, but they won't grow here without a lot of winter protection. I hope you have many of them!
Thanks @owasco! I'm excited to finally start adding more of the fruit trees. We're lucky with traditionally mild winters, so might as well take advantage and keep on adding more and more and more...😂
Why not?! If you've got the space. the sun, the long growing season, it'd be a crime not to!
Wow it's truly bursting it to life!! Every year your green thumb gets greener! Only two crazy trombonchinis eh??? Borrrrring.
Haha I had two pumpkin plants that took over garden... And for that effort I only got five pumpkins I don't even eat 😜
I LOVE snowpeas, stupid earwigs cut mine off at the base, same with 🥦. Need to get something to save them.
ADORE the selfie... Have you got a virgin copy without the thumbnail edit there?
Haha, I can't handle another year of that many of those zukes! We STILL have a bag in the freezer.
I'd be happy with 5 solid pumpkins. The ones that I'm growing I've bought at the market as heavy as 15 pounds, so...
Damn pests. I think the benefit of growing these early was that the munchers weren't out yet. That's why I'm waiting to put my beans in the beds until they're really popping so that they have a shot against the slugs and whatnot.
Here you go...
Ah, you are such a dag, as we say here (it's a good thing, ahah)
I love, love, love butter beans - they are my favourite and I can't be botehred growing any others! Except I always do... I'd love to grow enough borlotti beans to make a meal from them!
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And there is @riverflows next cover selfie for the #gardenjournal! You're a treat @plantstoplanks. I missed those selfies recently. Yay for your thriving trees. I hope you get persimmons. We struggled with our little tree for years. But it ultimately died. We simply don't have the right climate for persimmons. I hope to see a bumper crop on your side soon. Happy summer gardening Katie!
Haha, well we can all stand to laugh at ourselves on occasion, right? If I had thought ahead perhaps I would have added some eyebrows...
I think we're right on the line to be able to grow persimmons here. One of my neighbors around the corner has at least one, if not a few at this point. Might have to befriend them if my own tree doesn't take. ;)
Hope all is well in your part of the world!
Oh eyebrows would be brilliant! What would you use? There's always next month....
I've got a few things that come to mind... ;)
🤣🤣
Hmmmm, snow peas... yum!!!
I don't know why we've never grown them before! So far they have been incredibly easy, and most definitely delicious now that we are finally getting a few to harvest here and there!
😁😊
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Love the selfie. By the way, your crops and looking good too!
Thanks @afterglow! Always fun to have enough to share. Hopefully lots more of this to come for the season ahead!
You're welcome (^_^)
Wow lookin good with the moustache!!!
I think you totally got a headstart on your pumpkins!
What am I growing this year? potatoes!!!Zuchinis, carrots, lettuce, chili, and the usual fruits!
Cheers!
Ooh, are you growing as many potatoes as last year? I was so envious of your haul. I don't have any in the ground yet, but perhaps we can still get some in!
I figured we'd try the pumpkins early, then if this batch doesn't take we still have time for more. :)
We're growing, I think, even more potatoes because I am using the biggest spuds, and apparently it determine the size of the harvest, i had no idea.
Pumpkins isn't a bad idea, I'll also add some, maybe some butternuts too...
Prolific peas! They look delicious! The peas I plant always get stolen or eaten or rot even before sprouting so I'm hoping this year they take!
I also prefer cherry tomatoes. Excited to see what your new variety looks like! Visiting your garden has somehow made it easier for me to decide what to put in the empty spots in my garden!
Good luck!
Those darn pests sure do like the tender little seedlings. We've had many a new crop taken out, but luckily these made it through. I'm enjoying getting a few here and there to enjoy!
I hope you fill those spots with some good stuff! Looking forward to seeing everyone's harvests as the season comes along.
We are trying our best to back in the swing of hive but my hubby just had knee replacement surgery 12 days ago and it's been a
bitchbugger. But he's been told by his PT that this is all normal recovery, it's jut gonna take time.Hope this finds you well and happy, I loved your selfie with the green mustache.Hey there @plantstoplanks, great to see you. I am so envious of your long growing season there in Georgia. @thebigsweed and I were just talking about you a few days ago and we were happy to see your garden.
Hey @farm-mom! Nice to see you, as well! Glad to hear you guys are hanging in there, though I hope your fella gets back on his feet soon. He's going to be just about bionic soon!
I just braved the mosquitoes to get a few more supports in for my growing beans. I feel a little behind this year from where we were last year, but this spring had some really strange weather. Can't fight Mother Nature! Shouldn't be long before the patty pan squash start producing, but until then these snow peas really are showing out at the moment! Just grabbed another big handful to munch on as an afternoon snack.
Hope you all get another good season of growing in once things start really heating up your way!