Our garden is full of beauty and surprise! Every day I can find new wonders if I look intently for them.
Today, come with me and let's take an up close look at what's growing in my vegetable garden....
you just might be surprised and marvel too!
Let me start by introducing the new veggies to our garden this year! We have not grown broccoli since moving into StoneGable.
The last time we planted broccoli... it was a disaster!
Broccoli seems to love it here... so far, so good!
Isn't it a great color?
Another first for this garden is cabbage. I hope they grow as big as a volleyball! I have yummy plans for the 6 cabbages we are growing!
One of the very first things we planted in the garden were onion sets. Probably 50 onions!
These are called candy sweet... and they are!
The salad has bolted in the garden, but I planted lettuce seeds in a big terracota bowl in my KITCHEN GARDEN near the back porch.
Because it gets more shade and I water it very often I still have lettuce and hope to keep reseeding the bowl for lettuce all summer long!
One of my favorite garden plants are eggplants! From the time their delicate purple flowers bloom till they are perfect aubergine globes I am fascinated by them!
If you look carefully you can see the stalks and the veins in the leaves are also purple.
These big, sunny flowers will soon be zucchini! I can almost see them growing! Zucchini are real popular at StoneGable. I like to say they grow "riotous" here!
They are big, big givers. The are garden overachievers! I'm counting on them to go crazy again this year... I have a couple of new zucchini recipes I can't wait to try!
Cucumbers are a cousin to the prolific zucchini! And like their cousins they are big givers too!
The wee cuke plant is planted in the middle of a garden trellis tepee. It's strong, curly tendrils grab the trellis and help the plant to grow up... and not out invading the space of other vegetables! They can be a real bed hog... garden bed, that is!
If you look carefully you can see cucumbers in many stages of growth!
Beets are like ruby jewels! I just picked 2 today. I love to make pickled beets and then pickled eggs. YUMMY!
Isn't the stem color impressive?
I think they are such hardy plants!
Another red veggie in the garden are these little cherry tomatoes. It's easy to pop a few in my mouth as I pick what is ready to be harvested from the rest of my garden! So sweet!
Grape tomatoes have stolen my culinary heart! These funny yellow tomatoes are firm and burst with flavor. I put them in so many summer dishes!
I could live on a bowl of cherry and grape tomatoes cut in two, drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with fresh basil and sea salt! That's what summer tastes like to me!
We have 6 other tomato varieties in the garden.
Did you know that I only eat grape tomatoes when tomatoes are out of season in my area. I am a very picky tomato eater. That's why I love love love fresh garden tomatoes!
I'm still waiting for these to get plump and red!
These little babies will grow to be crisp red pepper. Most green peppers are really just immature peppers. Not until they turn a different color, like red, are they mature... and a whole lot sweeter too!
We have green, red and orange peppers this year.
You will also see a lot of salvia and other flowers in the veggie garden.
I companion plant salvia with my tomatoes. It keeps away the bugs!
Our garden is totally organic! No weed killers or pesticides! NONE!
Look at those amazing stalks!
Two big flower barrels grace my veggie garden.
Here's where I plant nasturtiums. Their bright orange brings a big splash of color to my garden!
They often find their way into a salads or as decoration on a dinner plate!
There are other veggies like swiss chard, rhubarb, leeks and artichokes that are planted in the garden this year. As they grow and produce I'll share them with you!
Make sure to check out ON THE MENU for garden to table recipes!
Remember to
You are getting fruit early. Our grape tomatoes haven't started turning color yet. We really had a bad winter so everything was late. We used to have a HUGE garden in the country -- we've downsized to town and there isn't enough room or sunshine -- too many big trees and deer :-( There is nothing better than having your own produce.
ReplyDeleteWe never planted anything this year. I'm so bummed. Your garden looks great.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, your flower barrel is radiant. I love this arrangement. We lost our lavender of twelve years due to the longest winter in Ohio. So my dear husband bought a half barrel and planted new lavender. It sits outside his two vegetable raised gardens. Waiting too for sweet red peppers. Our cucumber plants are also climbing a trellis, and the bushy snap peas are secured in their part of the garden. I have a beautiful Chicago Hardy fig tree(5 yrs. old) that has produced an abundant of sweet treats for me.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, your garden is beautiful! I picked my first eggplant yesterday, and we are taking tomatoes out of the garden by the buckets. I have never planted salvia near my tomatoes so thanks for that tip. I always put marigolds in between mine. I've started a new group board on Pinterest called FRESH FROM THE GARDEN so I'll sent you an invite to pin some of your awesome recipes!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to join your group board, Jane! Thanks!
DeleteMy prayers are with your family and your son for his complicated hip surgery. Many blessings, Cheryl Ann
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so lush and yummy!! I know what you mean about tomatoes! When you grow them in your garden, it's hard to eat them from the store! Just had my first one from my garden yesterday--a cherry tomato. I'd love to see a picture of your entire garden! And what a neat idea to grow cucumbers on a trellis! Love it all.
ReplyDeleteAlso, continue to pray for your son.
Linda in Lititz
Linda, I will show that as soon as my husband finishes the big paver border he is putting around the garden. Right now it looks like a sand mote!
DeleteThank you so much, Yvonne! I was also thinking--I wonder if I can find it in an earlier outdoor picture. (Which would be no problem to look for b/c I am constantly pouring over older posts of yours.) Can NEVER get enough of your great ideas and beautiful and inspiring pictures!
DeleteLinda
You certainly have a green thumb!! We used to do a lot of veggies without much luck. We changed everything over to flowers and now it's a riot of color out there and I love it. Thinking of your family and Chris today. Praying that all will go well and have faith that it will. Hugs Amy
ReplyDeleteI am just a tad jealous! I LOVE fresh veggies right from the garden, and I am with you; I only eat grape tomatoes when tomatoes are not in season. Thanks for the garden tour. I have a summer house tour on the blog today.
ReplyDeleteYour veggies are looking great! Don't you love the little yellow pear tomatoes. I had some a couple of years ago and they grew like vines and kept producing until frost. I wish the garden centers had the yellow pear tomatoes this year, but I haven't seen any.
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of both your flower and veggie garden...and you had me at those yellow grape tomatoes....I so wish I could have a garden like yours....so I will live vicariously through your gorgeous garden!
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks so yummy! Praying for Chris (and also praying for a very worried mommy!!)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful garden Yvonne! I'm surprised that your veggies are so far ahead of mine here in Ohio since we are pretty much in the same planting zone. My cherry tomatoes are only ripening one at a time (for now).
ReplyDeletePraying for your son this week and that God's peace cover your family like a blanket.
Cindy
We got a good start on the hardier plants this year and bought large plants. Not much from seed this year, as we knew it might be a slow season due to the cool weather.
DeleteI planted a garden for the first time this year. I planted a couple of tomato plants, green beans, peppers (different colors) and many herbs. I have 4 green tomatoes that are getting bigger every day. I have no idea what I am doing but I am having fun, maybe next year we will go bigger. Your family will be in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteDear Yvonne, Our daughter had life-saving brain surgery 10 years ago so i understand how difficult it must be for Chris and your family to anticipate his surgery. Praying that he and your whole family experience the peace that passes understanding; that the Great Physician gives all that care for him clear heads as they operate and that they care for him tenderly; and that his body's health is fully restored quickly. *hugs* Karen
ReplyDeleteI love veggie gardening and I've enjoyed today's visit to your plot. The thought of from plot to plate in minutes, or a few short hours, really appeals to me, and the immense satisfaction garnered from planting a tiny seed, nurturing it, watching it grow, harvesting, then preparing it, and finally eating it gives a confidence to what is on your plate. I love courgettes {zucchini} as they are beautiful, structural plants for any vegetable garden, and the flowers make good subjects for photographs and eating! I have many recipes including chutney, and I will need them all for I have seven plants in the ground this summer! Waving from Across The Pond!
ReplyDeleteYvonne, looks wonderful! We are on a country property with a LOT of deer. We have tried so many things, and now have triangle shaped cages on our produce, but the deer manage to nibble all they can at the peripheral~do you have a really tall fence? How do you keep them away? Blessings..
ReplyDeleteThe deer don't bother our garden, they have fields and fields of corn and soybean in the summer to munch on!
DeleteYour gardens look great Yvonne!! I ordered two Tiki torches from the company you hosted a giveaway from and they came over the weekend :-) Love the copper patina finish on them...I put them in two of my planters near our pool!
ReplyDeleteThat thrills me to hear, Martina! Don't you love them? I sure do!
DeleteWhat a beautiful garden, especially the beets! Hubby plants tomatoes each year and always provides for himself and the neighbors. I do not eat them. But, we love fresh veggies and I try to get to the Farmer's Market and buy the other veggies from time to time. Beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteYour Garden is deliciously beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYvonne I am absolutely astonished by your gardens lush growth and grand variety!
ReplyDeletehealthy eating all summer long for your home!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Oh my goodness! You are so talented both indoors and out, Yvonne! Your garden looks fantastic - I love all of what you're growing. I don't think I've ever had fresh pickled beets but bet they're awesome! Love a mix of peppers and tomatoes too. That's my kind of sweet summer food!
ReplyDeleteRita
Yvonne your photo's are so real, it's like I can almost taste each one as I scroll. I enjoyed ever veggie and every beautiful bloom....I have been on long blog break but I'm back and enjoying it so much thanks to wonderful bloggers like you....it just lifts my spirits so much to come visit here at StoneGable.
ReplyDeleteEverything looks happy and healthy Yvonne! Looking forward to your new zucchini recipes-enjoy:@)
ReplyDeleteSending prayers for you, Chris and the rest of the family, that he flies thru the surgery and recovery. I love eggplant, especially fried, or all the way as eggplant parmesan. Ummmmm. Thanks for the garden tour.
ReplyDeleteI opened my email after feeling discouraged about my closed head injury of almost six years, my change in personality, wanting my neurologist back that got it where the new one focuses on seizures only...and I read of your son's surgery. It hit me how sad and as a Mom how concerned you are for it flashes before you his youth which seems so recent. So I will turn to The Lord instead
ReplyDeleteDear Heavenly Father
Thank you so much for being my Heavenly Father and being a Father to the fatherless, on this, my Dad's birthday, who died five days after his 90th birthday four years ago and I miss him on days like these. Where I've had biopsies, and feelings of abandonment and misunderstanding. By new doctors.
And now You show me a Mother who is pleading for success for this rare birth defect that shows up when her son has a beautiful bride and is young, with a future. This Lord, brings comfort as I pray for Chris. That you a Lord, knitted him together as Psalm 139 so preciously tells us. This time Lord will you knit him together and heal him whole and renewed in agility?? Keep his pain down. Let his therapy go well. Keep him free of ALL infections Lord. Comfort Chris's wife. And comfort his Mom and Dad that we enjoy who so faithfully gives us menus and decor and Scripture. She is your servant. Keep them in Your arms In Jesus' name Amen
When I was a little girl, my Nuni cooked squash blossoms and they were delicious. If you look on line, there are many recipes. I assume people learned to cook some of the blossoms so that there would not be so many fruits to deal with...just a thought.
ReplyDeleteMy prayers and thoughts are with you and your family. Our health is our greatest treasure.