Gardening

Jun 4, 2010 by pearsonsprogress    7 Comments    Posted under: blessings, Gardening, Grocery Challenge, photos, saving money

I’m very encouraged by my little efforts with my garden. Again, I only have a small patch of land in the back yard, but I’m determined to use it to the fullest advantage toward my goals of reducing all costs, saving my grocery money for other urgent expenses and of course eating  fresh produce.

We’ve eaten  this month beet greens, beets, mustard greens, collard greens, onions, a few potatoes, leeks, and lots of fresh salads. We’re looking forward to the tomatoes and the peppers. Thanks again to Tom & Jeanne for the Santa Fe Pepper seeds.  Basically, I have not purchased vegetable at the market this month.  Thrilling!

One of the things I need to learn is how to manage the garden. By that I mean, how to make sure I always have enough lettuce & onion & leeks to keep us in salads. One thing I’m trying to avoid is buying vegetables to make salads, which we eat twice a day. I’ve planted some new seeds in starter trays and I plan to start a new tray each week.

I’m  also trying to plan for the colder months and have learned from friends, Tom & Jeanne that they had tomatoes into December!  Here, in this climate, that will be difficult but I want to learn. To that end, I have planted tomato and tomatillo in planters which can be taken into the greenhouse and hopefully we can have tomatoes into the winter.

My fava beans are finished… harvested, blanched and frozen. We have enough for the entire year. I always like to add them to my Spanish Paellas.

Potatoes & fava beans cooking

Tomatoes, peppers & Tomatillos

Swiss chard gone to seed

My hanging tomato plant … to save room

potted tomato plants

cilantro & dill

scallions

a new tomatillo plant

potatoes in the green house

A mature tomatillo plant with flowers!

chives

tiny cucumbers!

Lettuce for lunch

Tags: fava beans, garden, lettuce, photos, saving money, tomatillos, tomatoes

7 Comments + Add Comment

• 
  Anita June 7, 2010 at 4:37 am

  your garden is gorgeous! I am working on this too.
  I would like to have produce most of the year. I bought some shelves and have a corner in the house where i will keep plants in the winter by a window with light. so that will be my ‘green house’. see my blog for my garden post… i had a dinner party on sat night. we had greens from my garden mixed in and rose petals in the salad.

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• 
  Tom E. June 15, 2010 at 12:19 pm

  Wow! seeing all that wonderful new growth makes me want to prepare a salad nothing like fresh from the garden. I tried one of those upside down tomato hangars. Worked good, lots of cherry tomatoes.

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  • 
    pearsonsprogress June 15, 2010 at 12:53 pm

    Yes Tom, I’m just loving the garden. Whenever I get ‘fuzzy’ from working in the office (no windows!) I go out and just marvel at the new growth! When I get back from the village I’ll take new photos… I have tomatoes!! The cutest little green ones! Oh, thank you for telling me about that hanging thing…I also planted cherry tomatoes in it and have flowers. Also,. I have planted tomatoes & tomatillos in containers to take into the green house when it starts to get chilly. You inspired me when you told me how late in the season you were STILL eating tomatoes! Thanks for loving this as much as I do!

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• 
  John C. Pearson June 18, 2010 at 8:42 pm

  Nice garden. I hope to have mine outside this weekend and into the dirt under the new high tunnel. I’ll send pics soon..

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• 
  Joan Russell-Brown July 1, 2010 at 12:08 pm

  Nothing tastes better than home grown fruits and vegetables! Absolutely spoils you, doesn’t it! I don’t know about in Spain, but in California the store-bought tomatoes especially have NO flavour. It’s wonderful to be able to go to your own garden and pick fresh things for your meals!

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• 
  Lonie August 6, 2010 at 11:59 pm

  What do you mean by LITTLE garden? It looks HUGE!! Beautiful too! Lucas, years ago made me a raised (waist high) herb garden in Romoland. I loved it
  Here in Ramona I can find scrumptious tomatoes. I make the salad Paddy invented; oil, vinegar, little sugar (she put sugar in EVERYTHING) thin onion 1/2 slices, pepper & fresh snipped parsley. YUMMMM!

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  • 
    pearsonsprogress August 7, 2010 at 5:25 am

    Hi Lonie, It’s actually only 250 sq. feet but the Lord has been blessing my little efforts! Love Paddy’s recipe! I will try it.

    Reply