'How Does the Garden Grow?'

Along with a basket of freshly harvested produce came the sudden realization that a few weeks have passed since I shared garden photos! The early spring rains finally moved on and made way for some gloriously sunny days, both which have produced one of the most beautifully lush and healthy gardens we ever have seen here in the last fourteen years! With the new 'bones' of fence, posts and raised beds in place, keeping our hens and assortment of wild critters at bay has been a breeze, producing a kind of lovely sanctuary beyond the gate. The gardens have flourished and produced quite a bit of food, flowers and culinary herbs so far this season.
The bamboo poles are full of spiraling vines laden with flowers and tiny beans. The Rainbow chard continues to put out new growth. The zucchini and cucumbers are giving us more fruits every day and we are thrilled to have the first harvests of early heirloom tomatoes: Tigerella and Bloody Butcher. The rest of the heirlooms are loading up with fruits, likely to ripen later in the month when the nights get warmer. All ten of the tomato plants are surrounded by their companion plantings of basil which I have been plucking at for a few weeks....even the first batch of pesto batch been consumed already this summer. Now to perfect the mozzarella cheese making!My curiosity got the better of me yesterday after a good soaking thunder storm. I was convinced that the storm must have caused the new potatoes to swell so I rocked a plant back and forth a bit in the moist soil and pulled up this bevy of beauties. We promptly cooked them up with some eggs for breakfast. A simple potato never tasted so good!! Oh, to have the patience ( and will power!) to let them be and grow to full maturity....and what would potatoes be without cabbage?? This is an early photo of the brassicas which all grew into lovely firm heads that I harvested a few days ago. A second crop will go in shortly for fall sauerkraut making.