There’s a point at which every garden hits autopilot. With a little planning and adequate irrigation it can happen while you’re on vacation. During my trip to Italy my garden took off, and when I got back it was time to harvest the first fruits of the season. (My apologies to those still covered in snow out there. Your time is coming.)
Some may recall that our community garden plot was going through some hard times last year – excessive zinc in the soil, nematodes – things were just not growing. By giving the plot a winter off, and digging in some Biodynamic compost, the plot has been revived. Now we are seeing the benefits of sticking with it.
Most of these vegetables were planted in late March or early April. We tried to wait until late April to put in the tomatoes, but it’s hard to resist with some of the other warm weather crops. Apparently they’ve done alright.
This is the first time growing Ronde de Nice. So far, so good. There are 3 plants tucked in next to the patty pan squash (so much for aggressive thinning – I’m so spineless sometimes), so things are going to get ugly. I’ll be forced to cut out one or two zucchini plants at some point soon.
Even the triticale (a cross between wheat and rye) took off while we were gone. The seeds stalks are up and looking beautiful.
The best part about being away on vacation is coming home to harvest without having done much work. The colors of spring are so vibrant and fresh. The days are longer, so the plants just soak it up. The results put a smile on any gardener’s face.
To celebrate the harvest, we grilled the squashes on the BBQ on Memorial Day with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley. No need for a recipe – just delicious!
Are you harvesting from your garden yet? Share your delights with us here.
