Backyard Groceries 09.06.
The first fruits (and peppers) of our labor.
Day Lilies! These were actually planted before we moved in. It’s nice because each year there’s a new group of them that have popped up in random places around our property.
Hear come the broccoli! I was beginning to wonder if we were going to see anything this year. Sadie loves to hide out under the broccoli leaves. I don’t blame her…it’s at least 5 degrees cooler under there.
First pickling cucumber! There are about 10+ that are growing…and I know they grow fast. We’ve been gathering pickling recipes and we stocked up on mason jars. I’m excited! We’ve had about two strawberries come in and turn a gorgeous red, only to be nibbled by the birds. Gotta fix that…
Lantana and chamomile buds. Lantana are my favorite types of flowers (this year). They come in several color varieties and this plant is actually from last year! Woo perennials! We’ve also planted a white variety as well as a white and yellow mixture. And I can’t wait to make my own tea from the chamomile…mmm.
Roma and regular tomatoes. We have about 20 Romas that are about to ripen and about three “regular” tomatoes. Then there are two plants that are still growing, but have now fruits.
I still want to make a rain barrel and began planning where to put irrigation hoses. It takes about an hour to water all these plants, and I know if we plan on an irrigation of some sort for next season, it would be a lot better. That thought was on the back of my mind when we started this year, but to be honest, I didn’t think we’d ever get this far with gardening. I’m so glad we did. And now I want more! I figure building the irrigation system will make a nice fall project once it’s cooler and we can make some adjustments to the garden beds. I want to also run it anywhere we plan to extend the landscaping and have nozzles that can open and close as we please.
I also want a pond or water feature. I would love a natural swimming hole one day, but a small(er) pond will be great for the first few years. Our neighbor has a koi fish pond that some of the neighborhood kitties are drawn to. Mine included…since Sadie got into her yard one day.