Okay, it's been awhile. And I haven't even been busy (I'm between shows and unemployed). I just haven't kept up on my posting.
Luckily, the garden seems to feel the same way I do--that absense makes the heart grow fonder. It's been thriving under my neglect, or at least, what's left of it has. There isn't that much there at this point.
-The green beans tried to put out a second round of beans, but I was too late stopping the slugs, and the beans were chewed up. It was a nice surprise that they would continue to produce, though, so I want to remember to really take care of them next year. It would have been a prolific second harvest, so I will keep it in mind when allotting space next year. I've snipped these plants off at the base and left the root system to compost the soil.
-The black bean plants were eaten by the slugs as well, but surprisingly, they put out new leaves and new bean pods. I cut the dead leaves and stems back to focus the plants on the new offerings, and while it isn't a lot, I'll look forward to them.
-Parsnips are still in the ground. I pulled one out to see how they are doing, and it was still on the small side. They'll be safe and happy in the ground until I can figure out a better way to know when they are done (I don't think they show their shoulders like carrots)--or until the garden closes in early November.
-I threw in some lettuce, spinach, and radish seed. Abject failures. The radishes have kind of yellowed and stunted, and only two lettuces sprouted. One might actually provide me a head of lettuce, so I am keeping watch.
-The herbs are in wonderful shape. I've been cutting the lemon balm plant and drying the leaves for tea (I made my own herbal blend from chocolate mint, lemon balm, chamomile, and borage). The parsley is a giant bush; the thyme is getting more sunlight now and looks great; basil started slow but has provided quite a few leaves (got at least one batch of pesto, and will probably have another); sage, chives, and oregano continue to plug along.
-I got three plum tomatoes this year. You win some, you lose some. No slicing. Less than a dozen cherry.
-The peppers have been awfully slow. I got one little green beauty (which I sliced up and ate in a salad), and two tiny stunted ones. The plants didn't flower for a long time, and now they are flowering, but not really producing much.
-The broccoli didn't really produce heads--it started to, then went immediately into flower. So, no harvest from them, but they stayed alive. So, win?
-The salad bowl out back hasn't been that impressive. Not sure what the deal is. Not enough sunlight, maybe? At any rate, the chard is doing okay, but not getting particularly large. I would like to do another planting of lettuce seed (I am always doing more plantings, sigh) and see if maybe this time it turns out.
-The calendula has been ridiculously productive! I have filled two half-pint canning jars with the flowers. The same couple of plants just keep flowering. I plan on infusing olive oil with the flowers to get a lovely skin-nourishing oil.
There is still about a month left in the community garden, so I'll continue to post updates (and hopefully won't be absent for so long again).
