Thursday, June 15, 2017

Spring Garden Update

Spring growth in the float garden.
The weather has been mostly cloudy with a few light showers. In between, I've been doing lots of gardening. My float garden is coming along even after a Canada goose got in and nibbled off shoots in the two of the beds on the right. He left the roots in place so most everything survived.

I've been thinning my lettuce and kale plants to give the remaining ones more room to grow. I saved the best ones for us to eat in salads. Waste not, want not.

My floating garden with four raised beds and a solar panel watering system.

Here's an early spring harvest. My first batch of radishes is finishing up so I planted more. On the left is my first picking of broccoli. It's a new crop for me to try in the garden.

An early spring harvest of lettuce, kale, onions, radishes, and broccoli.

This year I only have two plastic tubs of potatoes on the deck because I planted more up on the cliff. The plants in containers are really growing, but I won't be able to dig new potatoes until August. Next to the potatoes is zucchini. The plants are growing but no blossoms yet.

Potatoes growing in plastic tubs and zucchini with a protective cage.

Here's a picture of my hillside potato patch when I planted the seed potatoes a month ago. The plants are doing well, but are not as big as the ones in the tubs. There just isn't enough water up on the hill to give them as much as they need. Even so, I'll got a lot of small potatoes when summer ends.

My hillside potato patch made from compost over the years.

Last fall I divided my rhubarb and put it in a larger pot. It is doing much better and I've picked enough for a rhubarb crisp. Next year I might divide it again and put it in two containers.

Rhubarb growing in a large pot on the cabin deck.
Because I don't have much soil on shore, I grow most of my crops either in the floating garden or in pots.

Do you have a garden? Do you do container gardening? What's happening now that the growing season has arrived? -- Margy

13 comments:

  1. Wow, that is an excellent yield! I tried growing some mixed Spring lettuce, it sprouted, got to 1/2 and inch and hasn't grown since. The bugs have eaten what is left. Not sure why. My tomatoes though are 2 feet tall with tons of flowers so am thinking I will have some nice tomatoes in a month or so

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    1. My spring lettuce on a pot did that and has just started growing. I think it has been our lack of warm sunshine. The lettuce out in the float garden gets the most sun and it has done the best. My tomatoes are getting larger finally, but now flowers yet. I usually can't pick until August anyway. - Margy

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  2. Your hillside spuds will be getting lots of water today, assuming they don't get blown away. (And I'll forgive you the goose!)

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    1. I went up the hill to the compost pile yesterday and the potatoes up there are the best I've ever had. Must be no woodrats around or they really like all this rain. - Margy

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  3. I'm a veggie container grower even though I have lots of space. We've been picking lots if lettuce. Everything is growing well, lots of tomatoes forming. Peas and beans are getting very tall. You've had goid crops so far. I made 3 good sized rhubarb/apple crumbles abd frize several bags for winter. I probably need to split the main plant. That goose must of thought he had really lucked out with all that goid nibbling.

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    1. My rhubarb is doing better since I split it last fall, but I should have put it in two separate rather than one larger pot. The stems are pretty small, but tasty. - Margy

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  4. Remarkably good looking garden for June!

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    1. I think it has been the off and on rain with a bit if sunshine in between. It's the best spring garden that I can remember. - Margy

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  5. My dearest friend,
    yoyr floating garden is simply stunning, thank you for sharing your shots with us !

    Wishing you a most lovely end of your week
    I'm sending blessings across the many miles

    XOXO Dany

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    1. My garden has done very well this spring. Thanks. Good thoughts back to you from far away. - Margy

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  6. We at least have a similar weather pattern. I do love all the colours after a cloudy gray winter. - Margy

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  7. You are amazing. I don't know where you get the energy!

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    1. I do a lot of relaxing in between. Now that summer is here I can add sunbathing to my work list. - Margy

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy