Harvesting the Fruits of Spring

The seeds and seedlings I planted this spring are finally coming to fruition. Pun intended.

 The garlic cloves I planted last November turned into fairly large bulbs, considering they're grown in a container. I had three. The third was delicious :)

I planted peas on April 16 (late) and harvested them July 5 (also late). Only one pea plant came up this year, probably because I planted the second in uncured compost. I got 7 pods, and a handful of peas. Their flavor was good but the texture a bit woody, so next time I will pay closer attention to the calendar and harvest earlier. This dwarf variety requires 65 days to mature, but I harvested them after 80.

I am also starting to harvest from two Red Robins. They are dwarf cherry tomato plants and heavy producers. The limbs were bowed over with the weight, but the plants are too short for my store-bought tomato cage, so I have a crazy staking scheme to keep them out of the dirt.

Of course, every harvest should end in a meal. With a bit of olive oil and salt, I made myself a summer salad.

What are you harvesting from your garden this season?

Garlic Growing

I was surprised this morning to walk into my backyard and see shoots coming out of the earth in my self-watering containers.

Garlic and a corner of clover

I got a bulb from the farmer's market last fall, figuring they would have to use a variety that grows well in New England.  I planted the individual cloves and waited. But when I last checked in the fall, the dirt looked as though something had been rooting around in it so I assumed my garlic was gone.  Now my only question is: when do I dig them up?