So much to catch up on! Despite some pretty cold weather (for north Florida) the garden is doing really well! With the addition of two 4 foot by 12 foot beds made from tin roofing we are up to a total of eight 4 foot by 12 foot beds giving us 384 sq feet of intensive gardening space in the big beds. We added 5 smaller beds ranging from aprox 2x2 to 3x2 plus 7 24 gallon pots. Plus two large herb beds. Our current estimated total garden space is 500 square feet of intensive garden capacity.
The greatest challenge at this point is patience, which I am not very good at. We are having some beautiful days and it is really hard to know when it is safe to put warm weather seed in. We may be done with freezes now and we may not. As I looked at the weather forcast for the next week this morning there were no freezes in sight so I put a little warm weather seed in the ground. Keep your fingers crossed.
We (humans, chickens, rabbits and tortoises) have been enjoying a variety of goodies from the garden thanks to the hoop covers. We have been harvesting soinach, collard greens, romaine, black seeded simpson lettace, raddishes, kale, flat and curley parsley, and cutting celery as well as bottom leaves harvested from broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts etc.
Along with everything we have been harvesting, the winter/early spring garden is teaming with carrots, turnips, kohlrabi, rutabegas, chard, sorrel, beats, parsnips, peas, onions, and garlic. Because I am just not patient enough to wait for the tomatoes that I started from seed, I put in some homestead tomato plants last week along with scarlet runner beans, strawberries and potatoes . The potatoes took a bit of a hit when it froze a few nights ago but I think they will recover. Today I took a chance and put some seed in. I rolled the dice on the chance we will not get another freeze. If we do get a freeze, I have plenty more seed, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Today I planted yellow squash, zucchini, seminole pumpkins, pole beans, chinese noodle beans, butter beans, acorn squash, tatuma squash, cantalope, bush and vining cucumbers, white and red peas and peanuts all from seed. Two different types of asparugus crowns went in as well. We have more tomatoes, peppers, cardoon, artichokes, malabar spinach, marigolds, and various herbs started in trays in the house.
Here is a photo tour of the of the gardens progress.
Kale
Romaine and onions
Lovely spinach for dinner.
The last load of garden soil for the beds.
Rosemary
Cutting Celery
Sage
Oregano
Dill
New compost bin next to the garden.
Homestead tomatoes.
Bay trees awaiting the perfect spot in the yard.
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