Like so many other things in 2020, this year's garden has been an epic fail for us. But, more on that later. When I stroll down memory lane, I remember the garden that my family had when I was a kid. We did not have many trees on our lot, so the backyard was open green space. I'd estimate that our garden plot was about 15 feet by 10 feet. Honestly, I think we only maintained it for about 5 years. It was probably something my mom thought was going to be a good idea for the kids, but was more work than it was worth to her or my dad. Some of the things I remember that we grew were:
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Seneca Sweet Corn. I have no idea how I remember the name. For as We probably only had 2 rows of it, but it was delicious.
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Sugar Snap Peas. I remember being able to pick them off the vine like this and eat them raw.
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Green onions and radishes. Have I mentioned that my mother was not a cook in any sense of the word? We would pour some salt on our plates and dip the onions and radishes in them to eat. My husband is horrified by this idea.
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Beefsteak tomatoes. Again, it's odd that I remember the kind. And again, my mom would just slice them and we'd eat them sprinkled with salt.
On to present day life . . .
This is what we have to work with. The bricks are to keep out the chipmunks and the one fat rabbit that occasionally visits. Not much space, but it gets plenty of sun.
This is from about a month ago, when the plants looked heartier. Carrots are in the front, followed by green beans. I won't even post a photo of the beans because they seem to be the only thing we can grow with any success and I'm usually sick of them by June 15th.
As good as the carrot crop looked on the outside, this was the reality when my husband and daughter pulled them yesterday. Very few and incredibly short. I managed to clean them, dice them, and put them in homemade pasta sauce.
Our zucchini and summer squash died on the vines. I think we had a heavy rain that did them in. We didn't have much luck last year either, but at least got a couple of nice sized zucchini. About 5 years ago, we got a bumper crop, so I'm guessing it's weather related and not the spot or the soil, but who knows.
Cucumber plant growing up this pole contraption that we have. We've grown numerous varieties over the years and seem to have the most luck with Picklebush. We also had two pots of them, but those died.
Here's what they look like. We've had about 6 this year. Not exactly an abundance.
One thing we've had a lot of luck with in the past is cherry tomatoes. We always grow them in pots on our deck in this spot. As you can see, they grow quite tall and reach the overhang. There have been years where we are giving them away in sandwich bags to friends and family.
Weekly harvest in 2020. Pitiful!
Have you every grown vegetables? |
WOW...you grew some really awesome things in your family's garden! I think the only things we grew in our backyard were Jersey tomatoes and basil. HA!
ReplyDeleteThat Seneca Sweet Corn looks so delicious. God, I love corn on the cob!
"Sugar Snap Peas. I remember being able to pick them off the vine like this and eat them raw."
It's so ironic that you posted those because I just purchased a bag of sugar snap peas from Trader Joe's today. And I'm sure they won't be nearly as good as your family's homegrown.
And let me tell you, I am so impressed by your present day garden. Wow...you grew carrots? That's amazing!
"I managed to clean them, dice them, and put them in homemade pasta sauce."
YUM-MY! I had pasta with tomato sauce last night for dinner and never even thought to put carrots in it. I'll have to try that next time because I love carrots.
Well, considering that I have a black thumb when it comes to growing plants, flowers, etc., I am very impressed by your gardening skills. I always say to people who ask if I'm good with plants, "No...I've been known to kill silk flowers." HA!
Have a faaaaaaaabulous week, my friend! X
Since my mom didn’t cook, we never grew herbs. But I keep a window garden in my kitchen with basil, oregano, dill and sage. It’s so nice to have fresh herbs! Carrots are great in sauce. Just dice them and put in a skillet with olive oil until tender before adding to sauce. I love corn on the cob as well. The bicolor (Yellow/white) ears are the best! So yummy!
DeleteLol on the silk flowers. There are a few people on my street that decorate outside with silk flowers. Cracks me up but it’s low maintenance and no one eats them!
At least you grew a few things. My mom and brother were great at growing things. Me, not so much. I can't even get a Chia Herb Garden to grow. lol
ReplyDeleteCha cha cha chia! I’ve found the trick with growing things is to NOT water. The less, the better.
DeleteI have less room than you, but growing tomatoes is fun and rewarding. I don't have to buy any from end of July until October. This year was not very good, but as you, those cherry tomatoes in a pot on our deck did very well.
ReplyDeleteI do find tomatoes to be the most useful and rewarding. It was a shame that it was the worst year for ours this year, but not surprising!
DeleteWe haven't had much look since we moved. Where it was sunny we had so many beautiful veg, but with the shade and so many critters we just can't compete. Although, we have 3 compost and do most of our gardening above ground. Still those bunnies know us well and the deer too. Every year is different too.
ReplyDeleteCritters are definitely an issue here, but at least the fence keeps out the deer. The worst for us are the chipmunks. We probably have 100 living On our property because it’s mostly woods. We seem to have only one rabbit and one groundhog.
DeleteFamily used to have one too. At least you got some, more than my 0.
ReplyDeleteIt’s enough for my daughter’s lunch once a week ;)
DeleteWe had a pretty huge garden, maybe 50' x 100' Lots of work for the kids. Here, I've been able to get 2 crops a year, but that will stop when I move next months. No more winter gardens...
ReplyDeletewww.thepulpitandthepen.com
Yes, that will be sad to no longer have fresh veggies year round.
DeleteWell since its the year 2020 of course your garden didn't do well. Not much has done well this year, LOL :) Funny about the zucchini not growing abundantly or at all; usually people are begging others to take some of their homegrown zucchinis! On to next year!
ReplyDeleteWe have grown tomatoes and pumpkins over the years, but nothing for a long time. They were fun to do and the tomatoes were good. The pumpkins I think we just used for Halloween decorations.
I kind of get the salt on the veggies. For some reason I like black pepper on tomato slices.
betty
I remember how gung ho most people were about gardening this year, including us. I’d love to have an over abundance of zucchini because it’s so versatile. Oh well! I remember growing pumpkins as a kid one year and then they were stolen right after they turned orange. I think I was so upset, my parents decided never again.
DeleteWe had a very good garden year this year. We even got a few cucuzza, and that’s from growing them in a pot!! Our tomatoes only produced three or four, like you. We had enough Japanese eggplant to eat it twice a week since July. It’s starting to die out now, but it had a great run. My boss grows corn because he likes to use the stalks as Halloween decorations. I always found that a little funny. :). That’s too bad about the carrots! I wonder what stumped their growth? Roots under the soil or rocky soil?
ReplyDeleteI need to find these Japanese eggplants! That’s funny about growing corn for the cornstalks. My husband does till the dirt and put in better bags of soil mix that he buys at Lowe’s, but our soil is a lot of clay, which probably is our biggest disadvantage.
DeleteOh no :( Did you try an all potted garden? We did it this year and it worked better than the natural dirt. I remember visiting my cousin in NC last Summer. They have all sand instead of dirt so they don't even have grass on their front lawn! I guess, ever state is different. :)
DeleteI haven't ever grown a garden, but I have a friend who lives on a farm and she is incredible. Your first photos looked like such a great garden - lol. Maybe yours is too close together to grow?
ReplyDeleteI thought for sure you would have a garden, living in a warmer climate. Yes, don’t those internet veggie photos look yummy. š
DeleteI tried doing tomatoes from scraps this year. I think I planted them too late in the season. They did sprout up a little, but never went to fruit. My cucumbers though did spectacular. First year I ever had an abundance. You did a lot better than I did this year with the garden. The chipmunks still find a way to trash my plants every year, even though I have wires around all of my plants. They are crafty little buggers!
ReplyDeleteOur major issue here is chipmunks as well. They get through such tiny spaces and dig up the seeds and eat the sprouts of everything. We’ve even had them take tomatoes off the plants on the deck.
DeleteI've been promising myself to do container gardening but to date that has not happened. I will usually grow what I call a "salad garden." All the veggies I need to make salads for lunch and dinner. I wish I could grow mushrooms. I have a brother who picks them in the wild in northern Michigan and he's a total live off of the land kind of guy. He gets them right. I would probably poison myself. - Maybe next year will be a better year for gardens and people alike!
ReplyDeleteWell that’s pretty neat to have a salad garden! We used to grow lettuce in containers but didn’t this year. I’m too much of a Suzy Safety to pick wild mushrooms. The idea freaks me out.
DeleteNo, we've never grown vegetables. It seems like more trouble than it's worth with so many factors that can wipe them out or stop them growing properly. I prefer the lazy supermarket option. When I was a kid, we had lots of fruit bushes - blackcurrants, redcurrants, blackberries, apples. We always had huge crops and were able to give a lot of them away.
ReplyDeleteFruit trees and bushes would be awesome. As a kid, my dad bought an apple tree for both me and my brother, but I don’t think we ever got any fruit from them. I do remember a few black raspberry bushes that we picked from in a field by our house.
DeleteA big YES to salt on radishes, onions and tomatoes. When I'm preparing a salad I can't resist eating a few radishes along the way! You've grown some good crops. I used to have an allotment at the back of my house. I sowed and planted a lot of crops but the weather dried or drowned them and then insects decimated them, also it became very hard work so I gave up. I grew some delicious potatoes in a large tub and tomatoes in a hanging basket last year but nothing this year.
ReplyDeleteThe weather is certainly tough on farmers, experienced or amateur ones. It seems to be feast or famine with the rain here. I wouldn’t mind trying the hanging basket tomatoes some time.
DeleteWell, at least you had luck with the cherry tomatoes!
ReplyDeleteSo now you have another reason to hate 2020--bad luck in the garden.
We had small gardens in the front and back of our house when I was a kid, and I recall my mom and grandmother growing tomatoes and maybe basil. It was certainly nothing like what you described.
But at least you tried, Bijoux, which is a lot more than other people are doing. And I love the idea of fresh carrots in homemade pasta sauce!
When this pandemic is finally over, I'm coming to your house for dinner!
Well, I wouldn’t say it was much luck this year, but we’ve had good numbers of cherry tomatoes in the past. I bet your mom and grandma made some fabulous Italian dishes with the tomatoes and basil! It was nice to enjoy some comfort food over the weekend, esp.with the colder weather.
DeleteI think you did an excellent job and you made the most of your space. We have a rhubarb plant and that is about the only thing we have luck with. Our bunnies took care of the blueberries and tomatoes we tried to grow.
ReplyDeleteI had an aunt who grew rhubarb and I loved it when we visited her and she gave us some. I LOVE rhubarb pie! Now I’m thinking we should try it here.
DeleteMrs. Shife and the kids love rhubarb crisp.
DeleteGrowing up, my parents had a very large garden with beans, tomatoes, some sort of greens. I can't recall them every growing corn or even herbs. But there were lots of tomatoes and I would help my mother prepare them for making jars of tomato sauce. During our years in Va, we did grow a very large garden with zucchini, beans, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, butternut squash and then we had to buy a small chest freezer because it was a lot for 2. Now, we live in an apt with no outside space, so the farmers market and local grocery store which sells local produce are how we get our veggies. Sorry yours was a fail this year, but then so were many other things, maybe next year will be a better one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all your past gardens. Yes, 2021 can only be better!
DeleteThe one thing that Jenn insists on home-growing is tomatoes. Fresh, home-grown tomatoes are just so superior to the ones in the store (even farmers' markets!) that you just have to give it a try. . .
ReplyDeleteOur first garden, back before we even had any kids, was a tiny thing - maybe 3 x 5 feet. We planted carrots, snap peas, radishes, green beans, and a couple jalapeno peppers. The squirrels in our neighborhood ate every single thing we planted. . . except the jalapeno peppers. There was one jalapeno pepper that had one tiny bite taken out of it. I just wish I'd been there to see that. . .
We've also grown raspberries and rhubarb. The key to the raspberries is to prune the old plants when the stalks get woody. Rhubarb is like a weed. Once it gets going, you can't get rid of it. Once, we hired a neighborhood kid to mow our lawn, and he buzzed the rhubarb, thinking it was a weed. Within a couple weeks, it was back sending out fresh stalks. . .
Yes, home grown tomatoes are the best! Lol on the jalapeƱo! I once sprinkled our carnations at the old house with chili powder and the rabbit must have been from Mexico because every flower was devoured. I might give rhubarb a try next year.
DeleteWe have 13 acres of land and when we bought the house I thought it would be a nice idea to grow our own vegetables and the kids could join in. 18 years later one child has let home and the other is on her way and we've never grown anything. :D
ReplyDeleteWhoa! That’s a large property. I think it’s not unusual to think something sounds good, but never do it.
DeleteWish I could have had some of your cherry tomatoes to put in my orzo salad. Your carrots were cute! Maybe you will have better luch with the squash next year. Best wishes for a great day!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liberty! We’re going to rethink our garden for next year.
DeleteI think this year will probably be our last time having a garden for the foreseeable future. We usually start off strong , but then lose control by the middle of the summer when it's really HOT and just keeping the grass cut feels like a monumental task. I thought this year might be different since we're home so much, but it still ended up out of control. Our squash and zuchinni did well. Our corn did not. The tomatoes I bought were mis-labeled, so we ended up with cherry tomatoes (which we're not crazy about) instead of roma tomatoes like we wanted. I wasn't happy when I figured out they were cherry tomatoes. Those grow too well for us. Before accidentally planting them this year, I hadn't planted them for a few years, but every year, we get lots of cherry tomato plants popping up all over the place. It's like a horror movie where the plants are taking over! Your carrots were cute.
ReplyDeleteI understand. It’s hard to keep up with and we seem to get no rain for weeks and then a torrential downpour that ruins plants. That is crazy about the mislabeled tomatoes because the exact same thing happened to a friend of ours with Roma tomatoes!!! He was very irritated. Last year, we did end up with a cherry tomato plant growing in the mulch in front of our house, no where near the deck tomatoes. An animal?
DeleteWe had a decent sized property growing up, but I don't remember my parents ever planting much, maybe daffodils? There were trees/lilac bushes though, and a pool for a few years too. My mom hung clothes out all the time, and dad was always busy in his shed/garage but they just didn't get into gardening. Ron has planted a garden for many years here. Sometimes it grows very well, but some years, certainly this one, it's not been abundant. We got only one large zucchini. His peppers did well, but gave a lot way because I don't eat them. The tomatoes took forever, some plants died off, but we did get some. Flavor was good, but they were mostly small. Basil/rosemary was ok.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter used to grow peppers in long containers and they did well, but it was hard to use that many. lol on the one single zucchini! That’s 2020 for you!
DeleteI've had a garden (almost) every year since we moved here 30(!!!!) years ago. Some years are great, some not so great, with me it all comes down to luck of the draw. I never put quite enough work into the garden (weeding, watering, varmint control) so it all comes down to whether it's too wet, too dry, or just right. I really don't water it much but at least it drains well so wet isn't a huge problem. But the weeds!! That's why I changed path and grow primarily garlic that I then sell to pay for garden costs and to help buy fresh veggies from better farmers than I. Garlic is easy: Bit of work in October, bit of work in the Spring, bit of work in July and done. The mulch keeps weeds under control and varmint don't touch it. It's also somewhat wet/dry tolerant. I plant other junk but success is random.
ReplyDeleteGarlic is something we haven’t tried. I’m guessing deer and rabbits would avoid? I think our main issue is weather, but the soil isn’t that great (rocks and clay) even with adding in lots of good soil purchased elsewhere.
DeleteYeah, nuthin eats more than a bite or two of garlic at most. Pretty varmint-proof. And it only really needs about 4-6 inches of decent soil so if you got a load of garden compost or even garden soil and just don't mix it in it'd be enough for a good garlic haul. You can plant 'em really close also so you get a lot from a little space.
DeleteI miss my old childhood garden. Mum would grow peas (which my brother & I would eat while we picked them, but never once they'd been cooked and put on our plates!), gooseberries, apples, cherries, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes... I'm sure there were other things too.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a marvelous garden to me. Thanks for stopping by.
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