Food For Thought Blog

) — We shoveled out all of the bark in our garden at the end of last season — we had been adding new bark when the old bark broke down, but the problem is it didn’t go anywhere — and the bark kept building higher and higher until it was higher than the tops of our raised beds — and was starting to fall inside the beds.  So out with the bark and in with the black volcanic rock — in hopes that the dark color with make the beds even warmer.  We have only planted garlic (in the fall) and onions and leeks (early spring) and I just sowed beets 2 weeks ago — so it’s not much to look at.  But I did add an art piece to the garden with a little “stained glass window” — made by glueing stained glass to an old recycled window pane — then framing it in.  What do you think?! 

Our vegetable garden is on Humboldt Hill — mostly growing garlic, fava beans and various greens that do well in the cool weather.  We have also grown some funkycarrots that look like little people (I know, too much nitrogen in the soil) — over the years we have learned what does well in our climate so we can be really successful growing those things — and the local farmers market is where we go for the hot weather crops!  We like to try new and interesting crops when we pick out the seeds each year — this year we are planting a spinach that produces a berry…sounds strange doesn’t it?  We will post photos to let you know how that goes!

Herbs for cooking are very important too!

These are photos from early September — Zuchini like logs, lots of blended zuchini soup (Steve likes it cold, I like it hot), and check out these funky spinach plants that grow red berries.  When I first planted them in the late spring they didn’t really make it, apparently they need warmer soil to germinate.  So, back at it planting in the summer and look at what I got! Right — so the package says “sweet berries” but what I found is that the berries taste green, like a green plant — but wouldn’t that be lovely in a salad?!  (yes, and don’t you wish I could focus my camera?)

So, I have to say this…I added amendments this year as suggested by Eddie Tanner in his book — this is the best garden I’ve ever had — and no, none of my carrots look like little people — they are long and well shaped…ok, I thought the little people were well shaped but in a different way…!  Hooray for soil amendments in addition to chicken pooh!