NCPaul's Garden Beds

[NCPaul]

I thought I would share what and how I grow. I thought I would wait until my garden looked perfect, then I realized it never does. New things are starting while other things are going to seed. The raised beds require very little weeding which is key to my effort (or lack thereof).

Tomatoes:



Carrots:



Pole Beans:



Herbs:



More herbs:



More pots:



Vegetable bed:






Vegetable bed:

[Big Guy]

Nice little garden.

[NCPaul]

An update after a month or so -
Cucumbers on the way -



The ones I've already picked have been turned into 6 pints of bread and butter pickles and 4 pints of relish (2 plants).



The summer squash is coming fast now (two plants; one next year).



Snow peas, maybe a stir fry with the summer squash? I planted a second crop 3 weeks after the first.



"Delicata" squash, I use these for ravioli.



Fennel bulb almost ready. I like this sliced very thinly against the grain (sideways) with an equal amount of celery sliced very thinly and mixed with lemon juice, salt and pepper (orange segments optional). A great summer salad after a heavy meal.

[beardedwonder5]

I could airfreight you about 50 rabbits. You then wouldn't have to do any trimming or pruning.

[NCPaul]

My Blue Lake pole beans have cleared my deck rail, 12 feet (3.7 m). I have to use a ladder to pick some of them.

[NCPaul]

I planted 4 okra plants and they are now 5 feet tall (in far raised bed). Still getting a few tomatoes (though a poor year for them), eggplant is starting (large plant in near bed, planted it late) and peppers ("corno de toro").





I'll have to make some decisions soon as to what I want for fall plants.

[Jogeephus]

Fantastic job Paul. I like your utilization.

[NCPaul]

I got the book you recommended Jogeephus and found that I already use many of his practices. I have started to add vermiculite and moss to my beds for moisture control.

I'm trying for a second crop of green beans and it will be close against the first frost:





I have my garlic in (first time trying) Lorz Italian for next Spring:




It's a much smaller patch of garlic than Big Guy's but should meet my small needs. One of the pleasures of small scale gardening is the harvest, of course, but I am thinking that the growing process and the potential is as satisfying. I check my plants every day and get to see them grow day by day, harvest is just the end of the process. The daily growth, especially at the start, is every bit as exciting. I get to feel the sun and worry about the rain even if my investment and effort are small. It's good for me to feel a connection to my food, without having to depend my gardening skills.

[Chuckwagon]

Paul, That's impressive! And a lot of work pal. I noticed that you allow your rusty rhinosaurahorse in your garden. Don't you fear for the carrots?
Best wishes, Chuckwagon

[NCPaul]

The hippo ( or "rhinosaururahorse") protects my garden from squirels, rabbits and "Great Salt Lake Nocturnal Tuna Fish" (a more dangerous predator). You don't see any of them around do you? I'll pull the carrots in a couple of weeks and show how they came out. I'll have to find your brittle recipe for the few peanuts I planted.

[Sam Newman]

Very Cool
Got to Love those raised beds.

[NCPaul]

Paul picks and pickles a peck of peppers (actually a quarter peck, I had to look up that unit of measurement).





I do love having raised beds Sam, there's a lot to be said for not farming at ground level.

[johnfb]

Nice collection there Paul

Could I ask you to post your pickle recipes and Chutney recipes. I am making lots of jams , pickles and chutney at the moment and am always on the lookout for new recipes

thanks
John

[NCPaul]

1 Kg sliced peppers
1.5 L white vinegar
0.5 L water
Pack peppers into 500 mL sterlized jars or smaller. Boil pickling liquid then immediately cover peppers leaving 1-2 cm of head space. Seal jars and process in boiling water for 10 minutes. I use recipes from the "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving". Their recipes are also expressed in metric units. I never deviate from their instructions. Maybe Santa could get you this book?

[johnfb]

Thanks Paul, I will have a quiet word with Santa about this