The Garlic is In

Last June when I harvested my garlic and braided it, I saved half a dozen of the biggest bulbs for planting. Today they got planted. You're not supposed to grow garlic where you grew it last year, so that left me in a bit of a conundrum. I didn't have enough space left in a single bed so I've split the crop in half, planting half in one of the new lasagna beds and half in the bed where I grew lettuce, basil, cucumbers, and beets last year, planting around the remaining cucumber plant and around where I just planted some lettuce and beets. I'm a bit concerned that the new bed doesn't get enough sun in the winter, but I suspect that won't matter much to the garlic. However, I wasn't willing to gamble my whole crop, since I grow all my garlic. (Didn't have to buy any at the store last year and I use a LOT of garlic.)

The peas I planted two weeks ago are just beginning to show signs of life, as is the lettuce.

I've started drying some tomatoes in the dehydrator today. If I remember correctly, they'll take a full day or two. I'm also going to make up some pesto for the freezer since I've got plenty of basil right now.

Autumn Plantings in the Vegetable Garden

I'm still harvesting tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, apples, parsley, basil, and cilantro. But I'm thinking ahead also...

A few weekends ago I planted a bed of strawberries, doing the lasagna gardening bit in that new bed. In last year's garlic bed I planted starts of red cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Plus scattered in a few rows throughout the different beds I planted some yellow onion sets. Yesterday I planted seeds for lettuce, arugula, spinach, and more beets.

Praying Mantis

I know they're good in the garden but they are kind of gross, too. Weird looking. I've been lucky to spot a few around the vegetables this year and last year. Yesterday, my daughter spotted one sitting on the driveway, a large female. Should have grabbed the camera I guess but it would have been a boring picture sitting there on cement. And the second time we spotted it would have been even worse... We came out later and it had left the driveway. My friend spotted it though... Apparently a neighbor's dog had a lift a "gift" on my front lawn and the praying mantis had gone over there. The flies come; she eats. Smart little bugger I guess to go where the food comes to you!

I've been busily harvesting parsley, rainbow chard, tomatoes, beets, and cucumbers all summer. I had the hardest time getting the cilantro started but it is now looking good.

Where the garlic had been growing, I've just planted 6 plants each of Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and red cabbage. Along the edges of a few different beds I've planted about 30 yellow onions.

I have two unplanted beds at this point and one that will be ready for garlic pretty soon, when the cucumbers are worn out (and I'll just plant around the basil I guess). The hardest part, to me, about trying to have a year-round garden is the tearing up of plants that are past their prime but still producing something.

The two currently empty beds are around the far side of my yard, away from easy watering, although I hope to add some drip watering over there soon. For now, it means dragging a hose around the corner of the house from 30' feet away. I am thinking, though, that at least one of them would make a nice spot for perennial vegetables. I have asparagus growing elsewhere that is not in the best of spots and would like to start a new bed for that, plus rhubarb. And I'd like to try some Jerusalem artichoke as well. I want to add the artichokes into the flower border.

So that's the state of my garden.