Garden bounty

Now harvesting asparagus, arugula, escarole, baby chards, lettuces, ramps and snap pea tendrils. Frost in northern Wisconsin but about to put out the tomato plants.

Frost in northern Wisconsin but about to put out the tomato plants.

Well it is Memorial Day Weekend (believe it or not), and that is our rule of thumb around here.

We just planted our peppers, tomatoes, basil, squash, etc., this weekend. Everything is about 3 weeks behind schedule for Southern Indiana due to spring monsoons. Things have finally dried out enough we can get stuff in the ground and I'm sure the plants will catch-up very quickly.
Last year was our first veggie garden at our new place and the drought/heat wave really hammered everything..even with some garden hose irrigation. Learned my lesson and applied a think layer of straw for mulch and hope for the best.

[Jenise]

We just planted our tomatoes this weekend too. Latest ever. Too cool--we haven't had a day reach 70 degrees yet this spring, in fact it's been a record 247 or something days since our last 70 degree day.

Groundhogs in the garden.
"Operation Groundhog Trap and Dispatch" underway. One down and at least one more to go.

We just planted our tomatoes this weekend too. Latest ever. Too cool--we haven't had a day reach 70 degrees yet this spring, in fact it's been a record 247 or something days since our last 70 degree day.

Bought the tomato plants Monday, planning to plant Saturday. Thank goodness we are expecting 70­° weather this weekend. Finally!!

I'm staying on the ranch of some college friends in the Texas Hill Country for a few months this summer. They've been harvesting tomatoes, squash, beans, peaches, berries of all kinds, eggplant, peppers, and all manner of good things for many weeks now. Apparently the hot weather causes many of these crops to stop producing in the summer, and then they get a second harvest in the fall. (I'm not much of a gardener, but I am a very talented consumer!)

The seed package suggests growing in fall for a sweeter radish. I planted in late winter for a spring crop and they have some heat depending on the size, but taste good. I love the looks of these. They are stunning in salads and go so well with beets, if sprinkled on top just prior to serving. Burpee has them as does some other companies. Mine are organic seeds.

[Jenise]

Oh Karen, those are gorgeous. I love watermelon radishes. Must consider buying seeds to plant later this summer. I never see the radishes themselves in our town (which is way too provincial) and when I see them in Seattle, they're like $5 or so a pound. A bit prohibitive....

Radishes are so easy to grow, and they are fast. I will plant them again in late summer for a cool weather crop. Summer lasts here until the end of October, so a September planting will be on my list. They are just stunning.