What's Growing

Let's see what's growing in the potager this month ...

 

Most of the lettuce mixes can be clipped. Mustard greens, too. I am so ready for fresh greens from the garden!

Rainbow swiss chard, one of my favorites.

Sunflowers reaching for the sun.

Something new this year, chinese cabbage and horseradish.

Garlic scapes!

I have been enjoying these sauteed over pasta and rice, and in eggs.

I also enjoyed my first rhubarb harvest.

 

I found a wonderful Heidi Swanson recipe for strawberry rhubarb crumble that incorporates toasted pine nuts. Truly delicious.

 

Basil seedlings. I planted a generous patch with high hopes for another big batch of pesto like last year.

Another new addition, broccoli rabe. The taller ones I started early indoors.

I have a huge wave of calendula that came up from last year. Into the salads they go!

Royal burgundy bush beans and soy beans. I can't wait to try fresh edamame.

 

Scarlet runner beans so short and already flowering. They are not climbing the trellis as I had hoped.

The brandywine tomatoes are beginning to flower.

My peppers are actually growing! These are hot – cayenne, jalepeno and red chile.

Cauliflower veronica.

Brussel sprouts.

Scallop, or patty pan squash.

Snap peas (planted in late March).

I think I will have a crop of blueberries from the Bluecrop blueberry bush!

What's Growing (The Plan)

I spent most of the day yesterday planning my potager as the snow continued (and continues) to fly. I'm going to order seeds to make it a brighter day. So, here's the plan:

Every year I sketch out my plan so that I can rotate crops and also companion plant where I can. Of course, I am expanding some of the beds (where I've marked new).

New things I am going to try this year: broccoli raab, veronica cauliflower, some new varieties of mustard greens, chinese choy and cabbage, scallop squash, dragon carrots, soy bean, tomatillos, and peppers. I have never had luck with peppers so this year I am going to pack them in and really concentrate on them. Both my husband and I enjoy spicy foods and hot peppers add such wonderful flavor. Any advice from you professional pepper growers would be much appreciated.

Now if the snow would just stop flying and begin to melt instead!