Gardening has been productive this Winter season and now continues and changes into the Spring Season. I haven't had much time to record all that has been going on, but I'll try to sum up the last few months.
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| Dec 2017 |
Weather has been mild, with only a few days during the whole winter that dipped into the low 30's. I covered some of the plants on those nights with sheets and towels (hibiscus, zucchini, papaya and then tomato plants once those were planted in Feb).
After harvesting several zucchini, I removed the plant to make room for some plant shuffling. I moved some cabbage plants to another bed and planted about a dozen tomato plants that a good friend (James) gave us. After rejuvenating the soil with some additions of manure, new garden soil, slow release fertilizer and bone meal, I planted them deep among the carrots at the beginning of February.
I harvested many broccoli and cabbage heads over the past months, which have been nice fresh additions to our family meals. I also tried out the largest leek in a Filipino dish I made (pancit) last week. We (my kids and I and guest kids) eat the snap peas and carrots right from the garden and they rarely make it inside the house to be part of a meal.
My cilantro went to seed before I was ready for it to. The weather will be too warm to plant more of it (above 75 degrees F). I did harvest, use and share a lot of cilantro over the cool season.
Lettuces and Kale grew beautifully, providing the green beauty in the garden and meals for our two Russian desert tortoises once they emerged from underground in February.
Also in February, I planted luufa squash seeds, popcorn cassia seeds in a pot and a variety of flower seeds in another garden bed in my yard for Springtime flowers. I gave up on my Papaya Tree and pulled it out. It wasn't growing as fast as it should have been and it wasn't looking pretty anymore. The kids were sad to see it go.
Last week, I finished a project pulling out an old retaining wall and replacing it with stacking blocks. It turned out great and I love how the yard has better flow with consistent materials. The area behind this new retaining wall has a variety of plants that provide beauty and food options for the tortoises. In an effort to make more room for Spring planting, I have been transplanting many of the lettuce and kale plants from the garden beds into the tortoise food area in the ground.
I used all the compost I have been creating for over a year to assist in filling up the area behind the new retaining wall.
After I get all my spring plantings in, I will get an updated photo of the garden beds.
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| Early January 2018 |
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| Jan 11 2018 - My kids love our carrots! |
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| Shortly after planting tomato starts from James, growing fast! |
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| broccoli and purple cabbage harvested |
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| leek and broccoli harvested |
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| Retention wall BEFORE |
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| My little helpers filling the new retention wall with soil (and packing it in with their feet). |
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| Retention wall AFTER, tortoise garden behind it (all edible plants). |
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