Our June garden results were a bit of a mixed bag. We had a lot of seedlings that were a bit late getting into the ground and other seedlings that didn’t quite get enough plant food. It’s been almost nothing but sun in Vancouver lately though – prime growing weather! So how does July stack up so far? Well…
New community garden
The new garden is soooooo beautiful! I’m very happy that Brian and I were patient and waited to get a plot here. The garden is organized, tidy and really a pleasure to work in. Recently, the garden had a work party and planted a perimeter of berry bushes – yum! And my plants are looking not-too-shabby!
Tomatoes
Always the stars of the show – the tomatoes are really lovin’ life in the ground!
In only a month, the tomatoes have gone from being slightly yellow and scraggly to being green and full of life! There’s a lot of foliage that I’ll need to prune back at some point, but as you can see, we’re already starting to get tomatoes. We have a few different kinds of tomatoes here, including some basic cherry tomatoes and some tumblers.
Beans
Finally I might have some luck with growing beans! Since they’ve been in the ground, the bean plants have really grown, adding lots of leaves and buds. I even have some little beans already! I only have two plants so far, but I have two more seedlings at home that I’m planning on planting this weekend.
Lavender
Not too much change with the lavender. When we bought it, it was a big bushy plant and it is still a big bushy plant. Later in the season, I’m going to cut some branches off and dry the leaves.
Old community garden
We haven’t written off the old community garden entirely even though it has turned into a giant weed patch. It is kind of annoying that the other gardeners have not taken the time to care for their plots or the areas around there plots, but hey, what can you do.
Tomatoes
The tomatoes are actually doing a bit better! The plants are not as vibrant as the ones in the new community garden, but we have some tomatoes starting to grow. We have several different varieties in this plot, including a few heirloom plants. I’m hoping that our harvest will be at least enough to recoup our garden membership fee of $20.
Greens
The greens have completely and utterly failed. The plants are scraggly, yellowing and not at all edible. I suspect a nutrient deficiency was to blame, but it’s possible the plants simply disliked the community garden. Almost as soon as I planted them, they started yellowing and going to seed. I wish I had kept the seedlings on my patio! They were quite green and happy there. 🙁
Balcony garden
Our balcony garden has been absolutely fantastic so far. Everything is lush and beautiful. And best of all… there are a Freaking Huge Ton of Tomatoes. Yum! The herb planter has also been growing like crazy. I’ve already harvested some to use in pork chop recipes, but I expect to be able to dry plenty of thyme, rosemary and oregano this August! I am also still hoping to grow some watercress, which as you guys might remember, we grew last year at our old apartment.
The only negative has been our Thai basil which has again failed to grow. I planted them with the tomato planter as a companion plant, but they wilted immediately and flowered. I’m not sure why I am so terrible at growing basil!
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How has everyone’s garden been doing this month? Any harvests yet?
