NCPaul's Garden 2011

[Big Guy]

Nice little garlic cloves, I haven't tried soft neck, I plant only hard neck variaties. They get huge and tasty. My harvest won't be until the end of July possibly a little later this year as its been very wet and cold here.
Keep the photos coming

[NCPaul]

Green beans seem to be early this year (1.5 pounds); I should be able to start a second crop soon. Yellow squash is about one per day from one plant.

[NCPaul]

Here is the artichoke I started the year with; nice big plant but no choke. I don't think I have the right climate.



Lettuce and kale needs to be eaten.



Hard to see, but the yellow flowers will be cucumbers.

[big_onion]

Artichokes are so weird. We bought a couple of small plants from a nursery at the end of last year and planted it. By March or so we were getting artichokes left and right.

Here was one of the first ones we got:

http://yfrog.com/h2kx1mjaj

We actually let a couple of them go - we had two varieties, I think, one was definitely globe, the other was probably meant to be ornamental. I got a pic after it had blossomed. It's quite pretty!

http://yfrog.com/gybpyrej

We had a surprisingly cool spring this year (very odd for New Orleans). As soon as the heat of summer picked up, though, the plant started suffering. It started to grow some shoots, so hopefully I can divide it and replant it for next year ... if it survives.

If you've never grown them before (this was my first time) the first one is big, then the next ones are a little smaller, then each one after that is smaller. The ones on there right now are about the size of a walnut. I had read about this, but we found it to be true.

I'm not sure what climate they thrive in, and I've heard of lots of people down here having all sorts of issues, so maybe we just ended up lucky. It looks like yours is still going, though, so I wouldn't give up hope yet!

[NCPaul]

We've had a really hot start to Spring; it will be in the 90s all this week. Maybe I could get some articokes if they overwintered and got an early start next year.

[santhavi]

That's amazing. You have a very nice skill.


Kitchen Garden

[NCPaul]

The two cucumber plants have become the bullies of the garden bed. They have crashed through the fence for the sugar snap peas and I've have to take them off the two pepper plants and the one eggplant.



The first of many.



The first attempt at natural fremented dill pickles; I put an air lock on the lid to keep out mold and yeasts.

[dorsets21]

my eight ball zuks are still only 6" high bring on the sun garlic,s doing fine planted 150 only one hundred have come up their about 2' now

[dave zac]

The first attempt at natural fremented dill pickles; I put an air lock on the lid to keep out mold and yeasts.

You are gonna love the fermented pickles! So much better. Doesn't look like you have any dill and garlic in that jar though. What type of pickles??

Next you will want to try some sauerkraut. Goes fantastic with a homemade smoked hot dog or a genuine German brat

Dave

[NCPaul]

I used the dill recipe described here:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distributi ... j1091.html
I am a little worried about their progress since the brine has turned a little cloudy. Is this normal? I do have 2 cloves of garlic in there with some dill fonds. I do hope to do some kraut and some olives in the fall if this works. It is normal for me to worry constantly about projects like this by the way.

[dave zac]

I used the dill recipe described here:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distributi ... j1091.html
I am a little worried about their progress since the brine has turned a little cloudy. Is this normal? I do have 2 cloves of garlic in there with some dill fonds. I do hope to do some kraut and some olives in the fall if this works. It is normal for me to worry constantly about projects like this by the way.

Yeah, my brine was a bit cloudy when I finished too. I ferment mine in a 5 liter clay crock so I didn't know the brine was cloudy until I was done. Once they were in a jar and in the fridge the finings fell out and the brine cleared a bit. Good luck.

[NCPaul]

I've neglected this thread - sorry. You've missed the carrot harvest, two meals worth and a poor harvest of potatoes. Second crop of green beans setting flowers.



Eggplant - I've had three and seem to like it grilled then topped with tomato, basil and then back on the grill to melt some mozzarella.



Spaghetti squash going over the fence for the neighbors yard (I hope he likes it).



Another first for me - cantaloupe. All of these viney plants want to jump out of my garden beds; I'll have to watch where I mow.

[NCPaul]

All does not go as planned in the garden; look what squash borers have done to my plant (and I was warned about this problem of fall squash). The big spaghetti squash shown above was riddled with them, so none for me.



Green beans, yellow wax beans, peppers and eggplant continue however.

[NCPaul]

The garden is nearly done but I am still getting a few peppers.



I roast them on the grill, peel them, then marinate them in balsamic, olive oil, minced garlic and salt and pepper. They are great on toasted bread. They are Marconi sweet peppers.