As the story goes...a few years ago, I began reclaiming lawn space building raised boxes, and blogging about my adventures in gardening. I think this is year 6 of the ever-growing garden that officially launches late May every year. The community that @GardenHive has become is for us green thumbs and I think you should check out the intro post here https://hive.blog/hive-140635/@gardenhive/the-garden-selfie-collection-happy-christmas-to-all-the-amazing-hive-gardeners if you haven't yet. My friends @sanjeevm @thebigsweed @farm-mom @lynds and @plantstoplanks are among many in the thriving community and showcasing how they get their gardens to thrive.
This week, I make yet another attempt to let the pictures do the talking but feel compelled to share my stories on each. We have a late season showing of colour!
How We Doin'?
Here is how we were a week ago after returning home after a few days camping to plenty of green and a shaggy lawn.
The image is a little fuzzy as I probably moved a little too fast with the panorama. Lawn freshly trimmed, everything a week older and diggy dog on the hot tub.
Peppers!
Might as well start with peppers again! The peppers are red! I harvested one of these a week ago and it was still green, but tasty. This week, their age and the cooler evenings have lead to an explosion of red and the one on the bottom is almost ready to harvest!
The sweet red peppers are not the only ones showing red. I have a jalapeno that is looking a little rosy. I will likely pick this one to use on meals, then let the others all get red for the sauce. Something about a bright red hot sauce that makes it even better.
Even the dreaded Carolina Reaper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Reaper are oranging up!
The 5-Colour Chinese peppers https://www.pepperscale.com/chinese-5-color-pepper/ are showing those other colours. Some are staying purple like the neighbouring flowers while others are shifting from pink to orange to yellow. Apparently, these are 4 to 20 times hotter than a jalapeno which I am eagerly looking forward to judging.
Pickles/Cucumbers - So Far So Good!
While I will admit defeat the last 2 years as critters ate my cucumber sprouts, I am prematurely declaring victory this year. I planted them under the cover of an extra guinnea pig caged hoping to at least have them harden before they were munched up. Not only did that protection work, they use it to climb in early growth, and the cage provided shelter from the zucchini leaves. A neat surprise is the morning glory vine which snaked up among the cucumbers but didn't appear to stunt them at all. I bet I will have a picture later this year of a handful of pickles mingling with some colourful morning glory blooms.
My next challenge will be to know the pickles from the juvenile slicer cucumbers...
Colours Everywhere!
From my hanging baskets to deck planters to the flowerbeds and everywhere between, I love my flowers like an old lady. Here are a few as of this afternoon.
Blessed Rain
This week's edition of The Pickleman Family Garden is brought to you by the rain barrel. All of the veggies and even the flowers have existed predominantly on captured rain water. There has been enough extra to fill up the dog's pool that he likes to cool off constantly, immediately before coming back in the house.
Mom started me along my path of growing stuff when I was a kid. Motivated by so many blockchain blogging gardeners, I figured I would plant and share and learn as I reclaim as much grass space as I can. It has turned out to be a fruitful experience and I hope to inspire others to sow and grow no matter what your location or experience level is.
Then, blog about it using #hivegarden / #gardenhive tags as we network and curate the journals of other green thumbs, outdoor enthusiasts and fresh whole foodies.
Wherever you are...JUST GROW!
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Excellent idea @zekepickleman , it is energizing, it calms the mind a lot and minimizes anxiety, spend pleasant moments in our gardens, I practice it in my small garden with my wife, it is also the environment that has helped me in my yoga practices. It is a good time for recreation and tranquility to be in our gardens. Good luck friend in your beautiful, motivating and pleasant publication. Congratulations.
Our tomatoes seem to be slowing down their production (raspberries have stopped producing altogether), peppers are so-so (after a recent heavy harvest), but pumpkins are going strong.
Vegetable growing varies so much from year to year, it’s always a bit of a mystery.
I’d take a pic, but it’s almost midnight and I’m having a Patio Perfection Gose on my patio so you should have a !BEER too.
Totally true!
I normally swim in tomatoes but am having issues this year. Cucumbers fail a couple years and are back again.
My raspberries took a couple years off to grow big roots and spread to come back this year. They are done now an yellowing and I suspect they will need to be pruned and will go nuts next year.
I also found a blackberry I planted a couple years ago and forgot about so I may get into jam production next season!
It is great the pepper glowing, it will soon reach for harvest
Very soon!
I am curious as to how my goofy King of the North peppers will end up.
Now that you have been home for a while, no longer galivanting around the globe, your garden is expressing its gratitude. 😁
The peppers are looking good, but those Chinese peppers look deadly, 4 to 20 times hotter than a jalapeno. I love the idea of collecting rain water especially if you're on city water and not a well.
The cage for the cucumbers is a winner and anytime we can repurpose something it's a good thing.
Thanks for the mention my friend, you're a colorful character just like your flowers!
Well I have great gardening, homesteading and blockchain mentors here.
Hope things are going well back in the woods! You must be about to explode in fall colours!
Very shortly as the temps are already dropping. The overnight temp for tonight will be in the mid-40's
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