Photos from the first week of May.

Peas… I crowded them in there on purpose so we could snack on the pea tendrils.

Tomato seedlings, first day outdoors.

Chives are in and we’ve been eating them.

Herb garden in foreground and veggies in the back.

This raised bed is planted with strawberries, walking onions, red onions, leeks, fennel, three kinds of kale and nasturtiums–so far! Much more to come.

Raspberries on their way up.

The raspberries have filled in their spot nicely this year.

Mint is starting to grow back. I was able to harvest some for my Derby Day mint julep.

Close up of the mint.

Radishes and swiss chard.

Celeriac (celery root).

Here is the garlic. It seems to me that several cloves did not grow.

A new development involving some buckets. I’ll keep you posted!

Rhubarb is filling in.

I love the color of the rhubarb stalks.

The dwarf meyer lemon tree is doing better than ever and sporting several lemons. I didn’t even count them, there were so many!

Robins have returned to my honeysuckle trellis and here are their eggs!

 

Please note: I realize all of these photos have a smudge on them.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize it until it was too late.  This is what happens when you let your kids use the camera!  I should also mention that some of the photos at the time of publishing appear to be the wrong way.  I’m working on it, and it may be that as you view it they will already be corrected… I’m not sure what is wrong on my end since all looks to be right.

Favorite Garden Photos

I was inspired to create this video while looking back through my garden photos from the past three years. Set to “How Great Thou Art” and “In the Garden”, here are most of my favorite photos I’ve taken in my garden. Compiled this way, it’s amazing to see the color, texture and beauty of God’s creation. And this is just one little back yard.

Hello October

One look at the farmer’s market this past week and you know that harvest time is upon us.  Besides the crowds of people who have suddenly descended upon the market (where are these people in June?), there are truckloads and tables full of the colorful produce of fall.  Here are some things I picked up this week at the farmer’s market:

Farmer’s market fare.

My own garden continues to provide us with fresh food.  Lettuce is back thanks to cooler temperatures.  Herbs continue to grow.  Leeks, potatoes, fennel, radicchio, swiss chard, kale and tomatoes have been gracing our table recently.

My kids have been out picking each raspberry as it ripens.  Every day they charge out the door shouting about who is going to eat the raspberries.  It will be nice next year when the plant is bigger and there will be more berries!

I’ve taken some photos during the last several weeks.  Here they are.

Here is some of the radicchio I grew this year. This was grilled and served with an anchovy dressing. Those little oily fishes are good for you!

Washing leeks. These leeks were used in homemade ravioli with a swiss chard and leek filling.

Spotted from our garden: a bright and beautiful remind of God’s love for us! This rainbow was one of the best I’ve ever seen. Look carefully and you’ll see the double rainbow above it.

My mother-in-law made basil jelly, which didn’t quite set right and was more like basil syrup. Turns out basil syrup makes a fantastic mojito!

I’m trying a new source for garlic this year. Seems more and more people are growing garlic lately–the first two sources I tried were sold out. Green Mountain had a nice variety.

Here is the garlic I will be planting in two weeks.

Yes, this is the little lemon tree that could! We were ready to send this thing to the compost earlier this year when it once again dropped all it’s leaves and blossoms and looked generally unhealthy. Instead we parked it on this spot and ignored it all summer. Lo and behold it prefers neglect. Healthier than ever. Now if we could only get it to grow a lemon…

Big bowl of kale chips. Our kale continues to be very productive. Thank goodness, because my kids (and husband) love these crunchy, salty kale chips. We’ve also used kale recently in soup and pizza.

Video: Watch my garden grow from start to finish!

During the season I took photos of my garden as it changed from week to week.  Though I may have missed a week here or there, this video shows how the garden waxed and waned throughout the spring, summer and fall months.

Praise God for his amazing creation and the gift he gives us in the opportunity to get our hands dirty and grow things to eat and enjoy.  I am so thankful for this gardening season and look forward to 2012 and all it brings.

Photos from the third week of April.

Mint is spotted next to the house.

 

Rows of tulips soaking in some sun.

 

These crocuses were a happy sight.

 

A hydrangea bud.

 

It began to rain as evening set in.

A few days later we awoke to this.

The rows of tulips were now covered with a blanket of snow.

 

The chives recieved a dusting of snow as well.