Veggie Gardening 2011

I just want to re-cap what and how I did last year, using an 'organic' gardening outline...meaning, I used no chemicals or artificial fertilizers at all. I did use fertilizer, bone meal, and blood meal, all certified organic. I was able to give away pounds and pounds of tomatoes and squash. Some of the things I didn't give away, didn't get used. There was plenty. And I vow never to pay $1.29/lb for summer squashes again in my life! 

Artichokes

Turnips and greens

Beets and turnips (I never took many pics of the beets, but they actually turned out to be one of my favorite things to grow and eat!)

Turnips

Spinach

Spinach

Yellow Crookneck Squash

Watermelon

Watermelon

Sunflower

Tomato

More Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi

Carrots

Swiss Chard

Spinach

Lots of Swiss Chard

A garden gone awry. Tomatoes, Asparagus, Artichokes, Cantaloupes.

Squash and Tomatoes

More squash

Some of the garden

Artichokes

Artichoke, Kohlrabi and squash

Tomatoes, Squashes, Eggplant

This was my Pineapple Tomato. It was delicious. Oh, and Squash!

More squash, tomato and eggplant

Squash

Artichokes...we get around 60-80 artichokes off one plant each season.

 This season, I am growing spinach and lettuces, kale, Swiss chard and beets, sweet peas and chinese snow peas, bell peppers, eggplant and tomatoes, summer squashes, broccolini and of course the artichokes and asparagus...so far. I don't usually grow broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi or broccolini because I have too many bad experiences with aphids. One year I will try them with some lady bugs, I guess. Right now I am going through cayenne pepper like mad because something out there loves my peas as they sprout, but they hate the cayenne! (I sure hope my peas don't taste too hot when I finally get to eat some!) I am going to start another garden for my salsa garden, which will have jalapenos, tomatoes and other peppers. I have some sunflowers in the ground too...I love the color and it brightens things up, catches people's attention.