The most beautiful day of this year yet in my corner of the PNW. I used the opportunity to take a few photos to share. This is my favorite time of the year in the garden. The energy is quite rajasic – I feel like I grow an inch every time I pass by the peas.
Below is our corn. We built a modular cold-frame for it. Both the lids and front come fully off, if/when needed. We start the corn in a greenhouse in pots, and then transplant into the cold-frame, which typically stays fully closed until the weather gets nice. Currently it is open during the day, and closed at night. By the time the corn starts to hit the lid, it will be time to remove the lid all together. The cold-frame also acts as a wind-break; it can get quite windy on our property. We’ve had good results with this method and the variety we’re using now, but it took us a long time to get here.
The following is one of two cinderblock beds we built. We use the beds for all kinds of things, but on a more permenant basis grow strawberries in the cinderblocks themselves. The berry plants love the heat retained by the concrete blocks. We have strawberries growing elsewhere in raised beds - both wood and metal - and none do as well as those in the cinderblocks. These are June-bearing strawberries, and the different response we get from the different beds helps us extend our season. The peas you see were planted last fall and wintered over, giving us an early start. We’ll start picking these in a matter of days. We planted peas elsewhere in the garden in early spring this year, and they are nowhere near setting.
Below is one of two walk-in berry cages we built, primarly for growing blueberries. We keep loading it up with other stuff, in addition. Here there are also cabbages, carrots, lettuce, spinach, scallions, tomatoes (under accelerators), and beds and pots we’re prepping for summer squash and peppers (both sweet and hot). Behind this cage, on the north side, we built on addition for growing peas up the back of the wire fencing.
On the east side of the property is a lot we acquired just a few years ago. We are attempting to cultivate an orchard there. It’s very boggy ground. So far, cherry trees and apple trees seem to be doing the best. We’re also trying pears and apricots, which are not doing as well, perhaps because they are in some of the wetter spots. It’s a work in progress and we’ll take what we can get. We have little to no experience with fruit, and I can say getting good results requires a lot more thought and is more labor intensive than growing veggies. I hope we achieve something!
We have a lot more going on: grapes, raspberries, potatoes, asparagus, brassica, leafy greens, cucumbers, beans, etc. I’ll take more photos another time. Thanks for looking!