Gardening Day

This is our most ambitious garden year yet. It seems like we add one or two new things each year; a policy that will add up on you.


Here's Byron watering in a tomato plant. The patch behind him mulched with straw is the strawberry patch.


Byron showing off the balance beam practice he has been getting in his tumbling class at the Y. We had to build these raised beds to help the soil drain and to assist with improving our Clay Township soil. We've been topping these beds with manure from the farm, plus our own compost, every Fall. The soil is getting better, bit by bit. On A-mom's advice, we don't till or spade. Her motto is "let the worms do the work." Come to think of it, she might have been referring to us kids. Either way, we have twice as many this year as last year.


In the foreground is the newest - and thus least improved - of the beds. So we're using it for the Iffy Potatoes this year. Behind Adrianna and The Amazing Water Hose Boy is our Asparagus patch. It's in its second year, coming along nicely, but still not ready for serious harvesting yet.


Adrianna planting potatoes. We're not too confident about these because they sprouted prematurely in the bag.

Here's the run down on what we're trying to grow this year:
Tomatoes - a perennial favorite. Nothing like real Hoosier tomatoes. This year we are going back to hybrid Better Boys which have generally been our best producers. We're also doing two Romas for making sun dried tomatoes. Last year we tried a Cherokee Purple, a heirloom variety which didn't produce much quantity for us last year, but makes up for it in quality. Dark red-purple meat, and a sweet, rich, low-acid taste.
Bell Peppers - two red and one purple
Brussels Sprouts
Red Cabbage
Broccoli
Bush Beans
Basil
Carrots
Radishes
Potatoes
Asparagus
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Last year we had major bug issues with the Brussels Sprouts. If you have any ideas how to deal with this, please put them in the comments below.