gardenthoughts

i realized this morning, while i was on a walkabout our garden, in the july 1st rain, that i hadn’t given the veggie garden much due yet .. as far as writing a bit about it .. it’s as lovely and different a garden this year .. as it was last year .. another wonder of gardens and gardening .. every year is different from any other .. that’s why i wonder .. sometimes .. about all the complaining i hear from time to time .. “nothing is as good this year in the garden as it was last” .. or .. “that plant is blooming so much later .. or earlier .. than last year” .. and on and on .. i wonder why we think that every year will be the same as the last .. i mean, really .. haven’t we lived enough years .. and gardened enough gardens .. to have noticed that none are the same .. hmmm .. more grist for the mill ..

anyway .. i was wandering through the garden in the rain .. just to see what’s happening there .. because there is always something happening .. in fact, i find that when i don’t visit the garden .. other than to water .. when i’m not peering on a daily basis .. or twice daily .. i’m always surprised at the growth that occurs .. when i’m not looking ..

for instance .. the tomatoes .. i have to admit now that when i entered into the garden this morning .. in the rain .. (i know .. i keep reiterating that element) .. that i was immediately called to the tomatoes .. to pinch off suckers .. to remove bottom leaves laying in the dirt .. to tie up the next tie on the vine .. that’s always a surprise .. i mean, i’m sure i just tied them up a couple of days ago .. now they’re tall enough to require another tie .. no wonder they were calling to me ..

this tie is not the most camouflaged of ties that i often use in the garden .. however .. it was a gift from an arborist/gardener friend .. he said you could just rip a piece off and use it .. it’s sort of like tape but not sticky .. so that’s what i did here .. ripped off pieces to tie up the tomatoes .. i couldn’t find the velcro .. which is my preference for tying .. and i’m out of string at the moment .. so .. you use what you have at hand .. and it works .. so really, what does it matter .. practicality wins over aesthetics ..

the suckers grow out of the crotch of the branches ..  every once in awhile .. while you’re peering deeper into the plant ..  there will be a sucker .. growing right where the branch hits the stalk .. as sweet and as succulent as it can be .. little beauties .. however, there is no place for suckers on our tomato plants .. it’s an energy thing .. when we plant a tomato we want tomatoes .. so the main stalk is like a vine .. and branches grow off the main stalk .. enough branches to supply the plant with whatever it requires to grow .. i trust .. suckers, on the other hand, take some of that energy to sustain themselves .. and they don’t really contribute much in return ..  as far as producing tomatoes goes .. so we pluck them out .. and, the energy that would have gone into the sucker is returned to the rest of the plant .. making fuller, sweeter tomatoes ..

the majority of  tomatoes we planted are two of our favourites .. early girl and money makers .. we also planted two san marzana/o (?) ..  plum tomatoes .. and frank picked up an organic russian heirloom named ‘sasha’s pride’ .. which is turning out to be a very sturdy thing .. and then i picked up a stupice at a local nursery .. i was told that this was a very popular tomato .. so we’re going to find out how popular it is for us ..

she or he .. the stupice .. is a very long and lanky tomato .. even the flowers come off a long and lanky stem .. and so beautyfull .. so yellow and fresh .. so full of the promise of tomato sandwiches ..

the broad beans were another plant that caught my attention .. they are also quite long and lanky plants .. i believe that’s an effect of not quite enough sunlight .. our veggie garden gets sun for about five hours .. not too bad .. we’re happy to have that, let me tell you .. being as we live in a forest .. however, the community garden which is out in the open gets sun all day long and man, the difference is mind boggling .. days of warmth and lovely rich soil are an unbeatable combination for vegetables ..

so .. again .. we work with what we’ve got .. and still the broad beans make beans .. and stunning flowers ..

i’m beginning to realize that i could go on here for what might seem like pages .. the newest addition to the veggie garden is our pea trellis .. which doubles as an arbour for the clematis that grows on the garden fence .. this clematis is actually in our neighbour’s yard .. and we have the benefit of it in our shared garden ..

the peas will grow merrily up the trellis frank put up .. mmm .. i love peas .. fresh picked .. raw .. again, i am so looking forward to peas ..

to make the trellis stronger frank ran cedar from the fence across to the top of the trellis .. this is where the clematis will climb ..

so .. even though it was raining it was obvious that the veggie garden was where i needed to be .. sometimes you don’t hear them calling .. until you are right inside the gate .. where time becomes irrelevent ..