The Invisible Reluctant Gardener

Well, I could tell an incredible, tall tale about how I have been by attacked by noxious weeds and swallowed by garter snakes to explain the reason for the dearth (absence in fact) of recent posts.  However, while weeds and garter snakes have made our garden their home, this is no excuse.  In fact, I have been neglecting the garden almost as much as blogging and the surprise of it is that the veggies don’t seem to have noticed!  We have been harvesting our bounty for weeks now and flashing huge grins in amazement at each colourful and delicious treat. 

Credit given where it is due; Gord (the previous owner) left behind a big mound of rhubarb, a delightful and productive strawberry patch, a gigantic crop of garlic, and some really great soil!  We started eating rhubarb in early June (and froze lots for later) and have been nibbling strawberries since later June.  The plants are ever-bearing so we are still enjoying these tasty morsels.  My clever husband, Joedy, has been cultivating baby strawberry plants (from the runners) so we will have an even bigger patch next year!

Our seedlings were mostly successful (the grow lamp above and heating pad under the trays really got things going) and the productive broccoli and tomatoes plants are proof.  I thought we might be remiss and let the seedlings dry out, but it's like having a child, you just don't forget about their existence and we rushed home each day to see what growth and development had occurred! The peppers didn’t actually survive being set out, but we’ll try again next year.  After nursing them on the covered deck, we planted our tomatoes in the greenhouse. This turned out to be a great idea given the very wet spring and early summer experienced in our region.  We are hoping to avoid the dreaded tomato blight by watering below the foliage.  Next year we plan to have a drip irrigation system in place.  We have kept the green house doors open all summer to ensure good air circulation too (another happy-tomato-plant tactic.)  Later in the summer Joedy planted beans and cukes in the green house.  These are just a few weeks away from a grand result! 

In the main garden, after much roto-tilling thanks to the ubiquitous Joedy, we planted from seed peas, carrots, beets, radishes, and squash.  With seed potatoes we planted both a white and a red variety and followed suit with a row of white and red onions too.  Beside the broccoli, we planted some cauliflower and brussel spouts but so far these have been less than stellar.  Our worst failure was the three rows of corn that never even sprouted.  My research tells me that the wet weather during planting-time likely caused the vulnerable corn seeds to rot.  For this year, it will be a fallow area ready to pack a nutritious punch next season!

The poor corn results have not dampened our excitement.  We are so thankful for the harvest we have enjoyed (with much more to come!)  Here is one of our favourite recipes and in an upcoming post I will share more of our summer tricks and treats (and our tentative plans for a winter crop too!)  

Roasted Harvest Vegetables

4 medium potatoes (any variety, mixed is desired)

1 butternut squash

1 white onion

4 medium carrots

3 beets

12 cloves of garlic (or more to taste!)

¼ cup of olive oil

Sprinkle of dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare each vegetable as desired.  I leave the potato peels on but prefer naked carrots.  Leave garlic cloves whole with outer casing removed.  Veggies should be coarsely chopped and placed evenly spread in a large oven proof baking dish. 

Pour oil over veggies and stir to coat (adding a little more if desired)

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. 

Bake for approximately 45 minutes until fork easily penetrates the potatoes or beets.  Veggies should be nicely browned and delicious!

Enjoy