GARDEN UPDATE TIME!

Check out how things are growing in my little garden!

So the radishes are sort of a fail. I thought I was planting a variety that didn’t need thinning out, but given how these look, I think I was mistaken. I have seeded another pot that have just sprouted true leaves and I definitely gave them a few inches growing room all around. Hopefully they will do better than these. The upside is that I learned radish leaves are edible. Once they get tall they sort of start to have scratchy leaves, but when they are still tender the leaves are really delightful as an addition to salad greens.

I’m still holding out hope that I thinned the carrots (far left) enough that they’ll produce more than an orange thread. I HATE thinning out plants. It’s dramatic, I know, but it just feels so awful, like I’m aborting little baby plants! Do any of you have this problem? I know that it’s so the other plants will grow, but I still hate it 😦 That said, I also thinned out an additional pot of radishes (far right). I’m gonna be super bummed if these don’t do better, especially after I DID thin them out.

GOOD NEWS: the lettuces are freaking delicious!

BAD NEWS: there was only enough for a side salad!

This is one of my current favorite things to cook.

“Orecchiette a la North Grove Park Inn”

Ingredients for the pasta (serves 2):

• 1.5 c. small pasta (like shells or orcchiette)
• 3 boiled eggs
• handful tender radish leaves, torn
• handful fresh dill, torn
• 4 T EVOO
• salt & pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette: (combine ingredients in a small mason jar)

• 3 T spicy mustard
• 1/4 c. fancy vinegar (I use something like this)
• 1 T honey
• 1 t EVOO
• splash of citrus (whatever you have-oj, lemon, lime)

Cook the pasta to the directions on package. While it’s cooking, chop up the boiled eggs, tear radish leaves and dill and put to side. Drain pasta but leave in the pan. Toss pasta with the EVOO and salt and pepper. Plate the pasta and top with egg, radish leaves and dill. Grind bit of extra S&P. For the TINY salad tear lettuce into bite sized pieces. Shake the ingredients in the mason jar. Dress the lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

WE NEED MOAR LETTUCE SO…

I’m going to experiment with seeding lettuce with this technique. My pals over at The Behrer Home had great luck with their first try at a crop of radishes using this method. I think lettuces should do well this way, too, and then Mr. Smith and I can have an actual plate of salad for supper instead of a teaser taste! Read more here for a tutorial on how to try out this weed-free grow method.

Here are two of the zucchini  plants. They’re really sprouting leaves! The squash look pretty much the same so I’m not bombarding you with pictures of the same looking thing over and over. OH LOOK MOAR DIRT AND LEAF TIME 😉

This is a moon flower that also came from my cousin Sherrill and uncle, Bryce. She says it only blooms at night and that it is prolific in growing once planted in the ground. And obviously, I haven’t planted it in the ground yet, so here it sits under my carport. I just can’t decide where it should go yet!

Here is the main crowning achievement, my piece de resistance, my ASPARAGUS PLANT! Now I know that EVERYONE says not to plant asparagus in pots, but I’m trying it because I’m not planning on living at my rental house forever, so I’d like to get a plant started that I can take with me when I leave.

The big part of the plant does not look so hot, and in fact I thought I had already killed it. The other night, I moved some plants out from under the eaves so they could get a drink from the nice soft rain that was falling. I looked in the asparagus pot to check on the little tomato and dill plants (that I have got to re-pot) and SAW THE STALK! There, standing tall and proud, was an asparagus! I hope the positive progress continues!

So, how are your gardens growing?

Have you tried any new plants or seeds or growing methods?

Tell me all about it!