Going green is quite popular right now, but I'm not sure being inundated with green lettuce and green spinach is quite what they mean!
This small patch of lettuce is growing really well under the shade of the ladder. In fact, it's supposed to be a heading lettuce, but the outer leaves are getting huge already. I decided it was time to harvest a "few" leaves.
I ended up with more than two pounds of lettuce! Even after cleaning and tossing the leaves that were less than perfect, I had 28 ounces of lettuce for the refrigerator.
While I was in the garden, I decided we needed some spinach for tonight's dinner. This is the crop that was planted under the nylon netting, and has stayed almost completely free of leaf miners. I was disappointed to find about a half dozen leaves with the miner damage, but considering the other two plantings (with no nylon netting for protection) were completely ruined and had to be pulled, I can't be too unhappy about losing six leaves. I just hope I got them out before they hatched and are in the soil.
It's so sad to look at Pat's side of the fence now that the new neighbors have moved in. Last year I planted seven tomato plants, three hills of zucchini and a bed of bush beans along this fence line. Pat would have had it all cleaned out and ready for me to put in whatever plants and seeds I had leftover this spring, but it looks like the new people are just going to ignore it. I hate that I see this when I look at my east garden.
My side of that fence is much prettier with its chives in full bloom.
Annie's granny! I know the feeling..we have new neighbors and I'm glad there is a fence on both sides of me ugh! One has two dogs and doesn't mow regular, Only time will tell about the new ones. Your lettuce and spinich looks delicious..that's a good green.
ReplyDeleteGinny, I'm wishing it wasn't a see-through type fence!
ReplyDeleteYour lettuce and spinach harvest is fantastic! You must really miss your neighbor, it's sad when like minded gardeners move.
ReplyDeleteLook at all that spinach. I think my spring planted spinach is just about ready to be harvested. I haven't been checking for leaf miners this week as I don't want to go out into the rain with a cold. So I'm staying inside and dry.
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely a greeny Granny! I agree with Ginny, time will tell how they will take care of the yard. If things aren't promising this year...maybe a new fence will be in order for next year!
ReplyDeleteMeems, I do miss her, and she misses me. And she misses my garden. And I'll miss her peaches and apples for my jam and apple butter. And I'll miss our summer afternoons on her patio drinking iced coffee. We were good for each other.
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Daphne, notice how small the leaves are, though. The first few pickings the leaves were huge, and lately they just don't seem to put on any size at all! Heck, if the leaves were full sized I'd have about four pounds today.
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Robin, it IS a new fence. My tree fell on the old one, and Pat replaced it fall 2009. It's the neighbor's fence, not ours.
That is so sad Granny. I am sure Pat would be disheartened to see that. Too bad it wasn't a privacy fence. Maybe next year something that will creep and cover the fence is in order? Block the view a bit?
ReplyDeleteEverything else looks amazing! When do you harvest your chives?
I feel your pain, we have a wire fence and neighbors on one side that don't mow or do anything... I had hubby go over there and take 2 tires and a rim and put in under their back steps since they were leaning against MY fence, yuck!
ReplyDeleteGreen here too! Nice looking chives!
I'm so sorry your friend had to move. What a bummer-I was hoping the new neighbors would be as good.
ReplyDeleteI've been harvesting my spinach finally-I always smile and think of you with all your greens. I'm so happy to FINALLY have some too.
Didn't know anyone had moved in there so quickly. How is Pat doing?
ReplyDeleteHow in the world do you eat all of that lettuce! ?
APG, I'm afraid something is already creeping, her Bermuda grass! Something else invasive is also coming through, right behind, next to and into that clump of chives. I've never seen it there before, but it looks like it might be getting ready to bloom. It must be a weed, but I'll let it go until it flowers. Or not.
ReplyDeleteI never harvest those chives, I just let them get pretty. Once the blossoms die, I'll cut them way back and let them start all over. I have a large pot of chives by the back door that gets cut for the kitchen, and I just snip them as I need them.
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Erin, she's alone right now. Her husband is in Idaho, and hasn't been able to find a decent paying job here. I know she does the best she can for now, she even mows that (acre?) huge lawn with a push mower once a week!
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Sue, I'm happy to hear you are harvesting. Now get some more pretty flower garden pictures up, I need a new desktop wallpaper! Remember, I have a file named "Sue" in my Wallpaper folder. You adorn my laptop often!
Ribbit, I talked to Pat a couple weeks ago, and she's doing great. She continued to be sick most of the winter, but is finally over that hurdle (pneumonia), and looking forward to coming here for a visit once it warms up.
ReplyDeleteYou'd be surprised how fast we go through that lettuce. Two big salads a night, lots on sandwiches for lunch, and that 2-pound rabbit of mine must eat his weight in it daily! I've not had to throw any of the good stuff in the compost pile yet!
The chives are so pretty and I can only imagine how good the lettuce and spinach tastes. YUM!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debbie. I was happy to see you back blogging today!
ReplyDeleteNice "green" harvest Granny. I can relate to lazy neighbors, I got them on both sides. Their lawns get cut a couple times a year that's about it. Solid wood fences work well :)
ReplyDeleteDan, I'm thankful for the tall wood fence behind us. Those neighbors had a real weed patch last year. This year they build a bunch of garden boxes, set them on solid plastic and so far all I see are weeds growing in the boxes! We're fenced on three sides, but only that back fence belongs to us.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the lettuce. Are chives in bloom just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLorie, I love the chives. I won't even cut that clump, I just let it get bigger and bigger every year so I can enjoy the blossoms. I have another clump for cutting.
ReplyDeleteI am letting my chives flower currently too. I did harvest from them for a while earlier this spring but thought they would look nice with a cloak of flowers.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you really miss Pat. It's not just the adjacent garden bed being so unkempt... it's the visits and iced coffee etc that really made your previous neighbor missed so much. If you see her, tell her your blogger friends say hello and wish her well.
Kitsap, I sure will tell her. That would make her day!
ReplyDeleteGranny, lol about going green!
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the fence. Any chance you can propose to plant there again like you did for Pat? Maybe I missed that you did offer that already.
Ah yes, the joy of new neighbors...one never knows what to expect. I like your idea of going green.:)
ReplyDeleteI love when chives are in bloom!!
ReplyDeleteGranny Going Green sounds so Good :) GGG..nice to hear that Pat may come visit you soon.
ReplyDeleteNice chives. Seems like the whole blogging circle misses Pat for, and with you.
ReplyDeleteMy chives are about to flower, and I just harvested some spinach! It was so exciting. Sorry about your neighbor. Would they let you use that part of the fence though?(like your previous neighbor)
ReplyDeleteI was reading about companion planting today and thought of you. :) The website this was taken from is: http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html#CARAWAY:
ReplyDeleteRADISH: One of the workhorses for the garden. Companions for radishes are: radish, beet, bush beans, pole beans, carrots, chervil, cucumber, lettuce, melons, nasturtium, parsnip, peas, spinach and members of the squash family. Why plant radishes with your squash plants? Radishes may protect them from squash borers. Anything that will help keep them away is worth a try. Radishes are a deterrent against cucumber beetles and rust flies. Chervil and nasturtium improve radish growth and flavor. Planting them around corn and letting them go to seed will also help fight corn borers. Chinese Daikon and Snow Belle radishes are favorites of flea beetles. Plant these at 6 to 12 inch intervals amongst broccoli. In one trial, this measurably reduced damage to broccoli. Radishes will lure leafminers away from spinach. The damage the leafminers do to radish leaves does not stop the radish roots from growing, a win-win situation. Keep radishes away from hyssop plants, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and turnips.
Did you know that radishes will keep leaf miners away from spinach. They actually atract the leaf miners, but the leaf miners will not effect the root growth. I love this site for a guide to companion planting.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html#CARAWAY:
Anonymous, sounds great, but it doesn't work. I had two rows of radishes next to the spinach I had to pull out because of leaf miner damage. Last year I had radishes planted with my beets, and the miners ruined the beet crop. I've never had them attack the radishes!
ReplyDeleteMarcia, I never see the woman! I met her husband one day, when he was outside with the dogs, but now he went back to Idaho. I think that's where she is when she's not working, 'cause the place looks empty most of the time.
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Mr. H., it's not easy being green. ;-)
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Me too, Allison. I think they are gorgeous.
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Sarada, I just hope her health holds up. She was very ill all winter.
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Kelly, I did talk about her a lot when she lived here, didn't I?
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Random, I never see the woman, so I can't ask her. I think it's just going to be a mess over there, so I might as well get used to it. I've thought about reaching over the fence and pulling a few of the dead stuff out, but that might be a bit presumptuous of me.
I am so jealous of all those green leaves! I am having a horrible battle with slugs eating all my tender greens at the moment. This year has been really bad- it must be all the rain we have had.
ReplyDeleteI just love chive flowers too. They're such pretty little things. Have you ever made flavored vinegar with them? They turn the vinegar pink! :)
Oh, Cynthia, those slugs (I think) ate my beans, too! Both bush and pole beans are chewed to pieces and will have to be replanted. Knock on wood, but I've only found one slug in the lettuce.
ReplyDeleteI am planning on making chive vinegar with the blossoms. I've not tried it before, but Villager gave me the idea.
Granny - if the woman next door is never there, then would she even notice if you planted? What a dilemma. Are they renters or owners?
ReplyDeleteMarcia, I'm sure she'd notice if her weed patch turned into a garden, LOL! I have decided I will use the fence though. I need a spot to plant cucumbers. I wasn't going to plant pickling cukes this year, then my daughter called and said she loved the dills I canned last year....so now I gotta plant more cucumbers! They can grow along the fence and hide what's on the other side.
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