Organic garden report: Spinach, mesclun, and new growth
“When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.” ~Author Unknown
If you’ve been to Oregon in the spring, you know that it is an unusually unpredictable time of year for weather. Granted, in every season in the Pacific Northwest there are always oddly spaced hot, cold, windy, and wet days; but spring is an especially volatile mix of late freezes, occasional heat waves, and tropical guests in the form of a warm torrential downpour. The sun teases you with 90-degree spells encouraging the optimism that summer has arrived early, suggesting that you to box up the wool overcoats and knitted scarves for the season, only to dash those hopes the next week by wrapping it’s chin in a dripping cotton beard.
In Oregon, it is not uncommon to have yesterday’s sunburned shoulders under today’s winter coat.
Although this may be frustrating in terms of wardrobe and recouping some vitamin D, the meteorological variety can do wonders for a garden. Freezes notwithstanding, a searing hot couple of days followed by a few days of clouds and rain (lather, rinse, repeat) can encourage even the most reluctant root vegetables to spring up a start or two. We’ve had just such weather this year, and the organic garden project is going crazy.
Lettuces do particularly well this time of year. Our current harvest includes spinach with leaves the size of footballs, heads of romaine, and a terrific mesclun mix. Of the few items we’re buying at the Farmer’s Market, we’ve been particularly enjoying beet greens. Beets are one of those foods for which I am still working on acquiring a taste, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the greens. Lightly cooking the greens with a vinegar base is a simple, pleasing way to develop an appreciation for what’s in season.
Our tomatoes are getting a slow start, but the strawberries in the children’s garden are already full of green berries just waiting for some heat. The sugar snap peas are also sprouting like crazy.
Beyond the garden, the weeds in the flowerbeds are insanely aggressive, some of which shoot up nearly a foot a day. Where there was winter’s pine needles and moss, there are now patches of weeds nearly three feet tall. After spending some time pulling the obvious offenders (and a few others that my wife may have wanted to keep…oops…), we’re starting to get ahead of it again, but it is a constant effort during the spring months.
We are also fortunate enough to have had the original owners of this house take great care to plant trees and bushes that flower in turn throughout springtime. Japanese maples, a fully mature silk tree, rhododendrons, and plum blossoms give the air a translucent glow and intoxicating scent, particularly in the early morning and late evening.
Although the weather can leave something to be desired when you’re trying to plan a picnic, we love living here. There are few places more beautiful, clouds, sun, and all.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Wow…the garden is looking great. You’re making me wish I had a green thumb and a garden to plant in.
Our weather is jumping around like that but I think you guys are ahead of us garden wise and tree budding wise and other wise. There are frost warnings out for tonight. I will have to put all the potted plants in the garage and cover the tomatoes. We don’t have the rest of the garden in yet and John is busy making another section for our raised garden. We plan to add some more next year. I think that will finish the project. I love it! I can weed sitting in a chair. It seems almost wrong somehow!
I won’t have a garden this year, but I’m glad I’m sharing yours. BTW, are the kids helping pull some of those weeds?
@Joy: We really are enjoying it from a cooking/dining perspective, in addition to the fun of seeing things spring up each day. And the spinach truly does taste better picked straight from your own patch of dirt.
@Christine: The raised beds were really my requirement – it took a lot more work, and money for good soil, but in the end I’m with you – if you make the weeding easy, I’m there!
@Lisa: Funny you should mention…Our youngest has developed a taste for dirt…oh boy…and our oldest likes to help me weed, but his version is plucking the maple leaves off of the lower branches. Not exactly what we have in mind, but as they say, good help is hard to find….
LOL…………..One of my proudest moments as a parent was when my oldest was about 2 and she proudly ate a bug………………:)
It’s still funny.
Now I’m feeling guilty that the only time I’ve been in the garden is when I’m on my way out for a run…
Oh, you so make me miss my garden! It’s been several years since I’ve been in a place where I can have one.
Please be sure to post a photo of those tomatoes when you get them!
I have to admit… I’m getting a late start on gardening this year. The weather on the other side of the state has been just as fitful. I don’t know that physically I am up to digging a garden, so I have ordered something called earthboxes and will give them a try. At the least, they will give me growing space where we get our best sunlight… i.e. on the concrete pool decking. I’m contemplating getting a couple wine barrels for the front yard, where we also get good morning sun.
There is nothing better than the taste of veggies you’ve grown yourself! If you do green beans, be sure to try some raw in salads when they are tiny! Green beans are GREAT this way!
@Andrew – isn’t it funny that you are feeling guilty for not being in the garden except for on the way to a run, and I am feeling guilty for not being on my way to a run because I’m in the garden!
GiGi – We will definitely do that!
Cynthia – Wow let me know how that goes – those earthboxes sound really interesting. And we will certainly give the green beans a try (I believe we have those as well).
Will do. They actually arrived this morning from Amazon.com. The box itself is far sturdier than I had thought it would be, I’m impressed. Now I need to go find some potting mix and some plants. Sure hope these work! I really would like to make some narrow raised beds for our strip along the fence, but don’t think I’ll have time this season. Meanwhile, temps are barely 60F and cloudy. No summer here yet, LOL!
Almost Fit's Organic Garden Summer Update | AlmostFit.com Says: 14.07.08 at 12:43 pm
[...] of our family experiment with sustainable living, we are putting our money where our mouth is and growing our own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. We supplement our crops with what’s in season at the Farmer’s Markets in our area, [...]
Cool Information!