How It's Looking Right Now

As June has arrived, the first month of our summer growing season, I took a walk around the gardens to see how things are coming along. Hardier plants have been in the ground for over a month, and I’m getting ready to plant seeds of less hardy plants.

Lettuce seeds left over from last year were scattered in one of the cold frames in early April. The cold frame was covered on cold nights, and we now have green Simpson, Red Sails, and some Forellenschluss lettuce that is green with deep red blotches for our salads.

In the key-hole salad garden, the perennials have been productive since early spring. We’ve been using chives, perennial onions, sorrel, wild garlic, and lovage every day. Giant red mustard plants, self seeded last year, are still small, but pickable. The Wasabi arugula that sounded so alluring in the seed catalog hasn’t sprouted after a whole month. Good thing it was given only a small spot in the salad bed. Rows of lettuce, arugula and other greens planted in late April are a couple of inches high. It’s time to fill in gaps with fresh seed.

Six hills of composted soil border the salad garden, and wait to be planted with Delicata squash seeds.

The plum tree and blueberry bushes have leafed out beautifully. The plum had only a few blossoms this year, taking a rest from its prolific crop last year.

A broken wheelbarrow has a new life. It’s been filled with soil and now holds radish sprouts. They are two weeks old, and are due for thinning. The thinnings will be used in a salad.

Peas have grown to about five inches and will be needing a fence to climb. 

Garlic is over a foot tall and there are little spinach plants between the rows. 

Potatoes are looking good and will be needing some leaf mulch soon. 

Pak choi plants are about three inches tall, and were thinned last weekend. 

Three varieties of tomatoes are doing well after being started indoors.

Grape vines have been leafing out well. We are awaiting the appearance of Japanese beetles. And milky spore is in the soil awaiting them. We are hoping to see fewer of those bugs in the future.

Kale, cabbage, beet and Swiss chard seeds planted recently are sprouting. 

The raspberry bushes have expanded and are looking very green.

The onion patch has been planted with sets of red and yellow onions. The red ones are sprouting better than the yellow ones so far. 

Five horseradish roots were planted on Patriot’s Day. There is some growth on four of the five roots so far.

Next, I will plant basil, zucchini, cucumbers and winter squash.

Wandering in the garden... what a great way to spend a day as a new month begins. Things are looking good. -G.H.