Lazy

Yes, I have been. There's been a lot going on lately (give me a few more weeks and I might share what) so I've been lazy both with gardening and posting. Fortunately, the garden produces well when left alone so we've still been enjoying lots of beans, squash, and tomatoes. A few cucumbers are almost ready but I don't think the melons are going to make it.

I did muster up the energy to plant Long Island Brussels Sprouts and Bright Lights Chard a couple of weeks ago. We had a good harvest from the chard last winter but the sprouts went in the ground way too late to do much of anything. I'm still on the cusp of "too late" this year so keep your fingers crossed.

Yesterday I got really motivated and spent all afternoon in the yard. Mowed grass, cleaned up spent flowers, planted lettuces (4 Seasons, Black Seeded Simpson, and Ruben's Red Romaine), sifted half a bin of compost and tried to figure out where to use it all. I was exhausted by the end. Oh, I also put up a few tin flowers I made at the demo garden on Monday, thanks to another Master Gardener who was showing us how it's done. Maybe I'll get a picture up later...

Beans

Dinner last night included the first harvest of Gold Marie Vining Beans and Dow Purple Podded Beans. They were sauteed in olive oil with a dash of garlic salt and pepper. I liked the GM, even though I thought I wouldn't. They are larger and flatter at maturity than what one would traditionally think of as a snap bean but the flavor is excellent. Gregory thought they were "squeakier" to chew than the DP beans. The flavor of the DP beans didn't terribly impress me and it's so disappointing that they lose that vivid color when they're cooked. I don't know if I can justify growing them again just for the color when regular old Blue Lakes taste so much better. We'll see.

What I'm working with

We've lived in this house in Emerald Hills for almost a year now. We have 12,700 square feet of land, approximately half of which is ceded to the dogs and the steep slope in the front yard. The backyard is terraced with dry-stacked rock walls (more on those later). The lowest level is the deck. Three steps up take you to a perennial flower bed (which may not be long for this world...more on that later, too). A walkway cuts across the yard above the perennial bed and the lawn is above that. The lawn is a sentimental indulgence; I never had one growing up, the dogs love it, and the some-time-in-the-future imagined kids hopefully will, too. Up above the lawn are three 3X10 raised vegetable beds, asparagus, blueberries, a lemon, an orange, and a plum tree...our bounty! Chickens may be added soon so stay tuned!

A beginning

I suppose the middle of the growing season is not the best time to start this little adventure but one must begin somewhere. In this part (and indeed much) of California, what really is the growing season anyway? While I may not be able to have tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers from my vegetable beds in January, there's kale, chard, spinach and much more. And I'm only beginning to learn the possibilities.

So, what is this all about? Selfishly, it's a record for myself to keep track of my yard and its progress. Why post it? Maybe someone will read about a variety of vegetable that performs well for me and want to give it a try. Wishful thinking? Ego? Oh well!