a visual journey...

dog days of...may?

There's lots happening in the garden these days. All is in full swing. I picked up my tomato plants last week and now have over 250 (mostly) heirloom plants nicely planted in their new homes. I've also planted some beans, pole and bush including yellow, green and purple varieties. Zucchini, melon, squash and cucumbers have been planted at my house (to avoid a cucumber beetle infestation like last years). Lastly, I've started putting in my peppers (capsicum) broccoli (calabrese) and cabbage. 

This spring so far seems to be the exact opposite of last seasons incessant rain. Hot and dry (and I fear this is just the beginning). Many crops are already wilting under the unseasonable heat so I've already had to start watering. I remain optomistic though, I have a nice natural pond situated directly beside the garden with a pump for watering and I reuse all my gray (shower and dish) water down at the house. 

Unfortunately my asparagus has been attacked by the unwanted asparagus beetle. The very mild winter we experienced worries me that there are many more over-wintered insects just waiting to pop out of the ground and wreak havok on my beloved plants. This is where organic gardening starts to get a little tricky. 

 Freshly harvested camomile. My plants look fantastic this year. I plan on harvesting and drying as much as possible to sell at the stand this season.

 A nice picturesque view of Tawse.

A closer up view of my new gate.

 I've decided to label all my crops this year with handmade burlap flags.

 Old barrel staves painted in chalkboard paint will make nice reusable signs.

Peas trellised with grapevines.

Seedlings

Spent most of the past few days working in and around the greenhouse. I start everything I grow from seed (aside from a couple hundred tomato plants which I purchase from a local heirloom tomato grower).

 Made a trip into William Dam  a few days back and finally picked up my new strawberry plants. I've decided to plant them all into pots for movability and ease. I can't wait for the fresh handpicked berries right at my doorstep. Yum!

                                                             View from my property.
                                        
                                                       Out in the bush just behind the house

tis the season!

Well it's that time of year again. Actually with such a mild winter and early spring I've been out working hard getting things ready since March! I've been hoeing, raking, shovelling, mulching, spreading manure, starting seedlings, building a greenhouse (well actually that was my pa, how lucky I am), making raised beds from bricks and cinder blocks. I've got onions, spinach, lettuce, radishes, peas, beets, potatoes and carrots already in the ground. The asparagus has had some trouble with frosty nights but seems to have rounded the corner and is looking good. The raspberry bushes are coming along great and the garlic is nicely ahead of schedule. Also, I've got some beds under glass and am proud to say that I already have some zucchini coming up, in May! I'll be trying lots of container gardening and giving the old burlap sack potato trick a go. 

So here's the goal I've set for myself this year. To try to document my garden as much as possible. For those that don't know, I work full time for Tawse Winery as their organic veggie gardener. It's seriously a dream job for me. I love what I do.  This year there won't be a market so I'll be putting up a stand right at the winery and hopefully have produce available for sale every weekend starting mid-late June. 

 It's tough to make out but I've mended the gate to the garden using old wine barrel staves and weaved grape vine, something I hope to incorporate largely into the garden for trellising. It's absolutely possible to run a garden without all the "fancy garden tools" out there. I repurpose old burlap coffee sacks for weed suppression and carrot starts. I use the old staves as movable pathways amongst my rows and the grapevines (of course) come from the now pruned vineyards.  Other than that all I need is a couple rolls of twine a hoe, a rake, a wheelbarrow, and a pitchfork.

 Blossoms this season came 1.5 months ahead of typical schedule.  A little scary when you stop and think about it. Unpredictable weather now seems to be the norm.

 Picked these bad boys up the other day. Very interesting.

Another use I've found for those old unwanted grapevines. My first attempt but I think I'll be making more in the future.

 Some more delicious heirloom varieties1

 There's so many birds that live up by the garden. It's a medley of songs every morning. I want to get better at capturing (with my camera) these beautiful little beasts.

Tomato starts

It's not just a garden, it's a lifestyle. It's a hard, manual job but it's truly a simple life. My reliance on the supermarket has practically disappeared and the Niagara area is such a mecca of local food and wine that even when I do need something I prefer to support my community.  The shopping I do fit in consists of visits to the local thrift shops, auctions, yard sales and Kijiji. There's such an abundance of goods already out there, there's really no need to get everything new. I find so much more character and uniqueness with the old stuff.