So Much Has Happened!!

  So much has happened!!   Time and circumstances has not let us get to the garden as much as we would like, but Look at what has happened!

First of all thanks to Linda, Annette,  Terry, Donald, Sarah and  all others that have helped us water and weed! For a while there it looked like the weeds would win, but we conquered for now.   We are so proud of being named Garden of the Month.  We are blessed with an awesome team who God uses in a mighty way! 

The has been much speculation about the almost five foot tall flower in Bed 33  We think it is a Sunflower, but it looks like something out of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  If it starts dropping pods, I'm gonna RUN!!!!!!!

Our FIRST Purple Cherokee tomatoes!

The garden is doing really well.  We have fruit on the tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet and hot peppers and squash.  Our lettuce is still going strong!  We are all enjoying salads.  Our fellow gardener, Andrew watered our lettuce for s for the few days we could not get to do it.  Thanks Andrew, and I hope you enjoyed your lettuce!!
 

Our FIRST Green Zebra tomatoes

Our FIRST cuke!!

Linda "accidentally" ate our first cherry tomato yesterday.  She said it was the sweetest tomato she had ever had!  She said  we need to plant more Sun Gold tomato plants.   I will swing by Woodley's and get a couple today.

Look at  the size of those squash leaves?  They are HUGE.  We have lots of blossoms, and we fear the squash will be squished.  Linda will be thinning them out today, replanting some of the smaller squash in one of our other beds.

Bush beans and beets

Bed 5 on April 26

Bed 5 on May 18

We will be planting our last bed today.  Small yellow meat watermelons and Crimson Sweets, and carrots!  We have a plethora of seeds, so will also plant a little bit more of this and a little bit more of that. 

Well, I think we caught up on everything, more pictures will follow (can't find my camera cord), will post more tomorrow.

WLTX Meets Gordon's Gardners!

Lauren Talarico, WLTX Producer,  came out to the garden last week and did an excellent story on the community garden.  A 'breaking news story' prevented it airing that night, but it did air yesterday.  She took lots pictures and interviewed several of the gardeners.  

Auntie Karen and Gordon's Garden got some air time too!! Here is the link to the interview,  WLTX News Story            

Our First Harvest, Gordon's Lettuce Mix

Annette, Sarah and Joan hauled two 40 lb bags each of mushroom compost and peat moss to prepare Gordon’s fifth bed on yesterday evening.  We raked all of that organic material into the soil along with plant food to get the bed for planting.  Annette and Joan planted a half row of white cucumbers and a half row of bush beans while Sarah was a weeding Wonder, weeding the entire lettuce bed.

Linda joined us and we all took a final look at the back half of the green and beet bed.  The general consensus was that we either did not plant anything there or, what we planted was NOT growing.  So we turned to soil over and re-planted it with Lima beans.  Linda and Annette re-staked some of our tomatoes, they are growing taller everyday!

Weeding Wonder, Sarah continued her prowess and weeded the tomato bed.  The basil is sprouting up all over the tomato bed and Sarah  planted the marigolds n the tomato beds as well.   

Annette harvested our first lettuce.  We picked a little of each, Winter Density, Black Seeded Simpson, Buttercrunch, Red Romaine and Tatsoi.  If we keep the bed watered, we should have lettuce through May!

SIDEBAR:    Linda dropped a bag of Gordon's Lettuce Mix off for Karen.  When I talked to Karen she raved about how good it was!  

 
I had a Gordon's Lettuce Mix salad for lunch today.  I added some spring onions (from Azeeze's organic farm), feta cheese, grilled salmon and I topped it with a homemade, Strawberry Vinaigrette dressing (see recipe page)  The homemade dressings are so flavorful.  They make a perfect topping to our fresh picked lettuce!

We ended our evening by watering all of the babies and toddlers. 

Out, darn'd weeds! out, I say!

Thanks to Tractor Supply Co. in Irmo for their donation to the garden.  We got 12, 6 foot bamboo tomato stakes, a garden fertilizer sprayer and three packages of seeds, 2 marigolds and 1 Chives.  We must name a bed for Tractor Supply Co.and make sure they get pictures.

Thanks to Priscilla, Mr. reed and JC at the Lowe's in Harbison.  Lowe's donated 2 bags of peat moss, 3 bags of mushroom compost and 12 pair of garden gloves.  We can finish bed 5 and start on bed 6 thanks to them.  Another bed, named for Lowe's!

Gordon met a new friend, Dean Chanter, last evening!  Dean was out tending his garden when we got there.  He is known as the Food Dude in Cola, FoodDudeincola@gmail.com.  He is a personal chef and he is interested in working with us, cooking with the kids and recipes!  We have video, but…  I need a few minutes to figure out how to post it!!  Thanks Dean!

 

Annette, Barbara and Sarah, tat soi on the ground

Annette, Barbara and Sarah weeded the lettuce and squash beds last night.  The weeds proliferate... we need a concentrated effort to get rid of them this weekend.   Look at that beautiful  tat soi on the far end!  I braised some for dinner last night and boy, was it good.  Can't wait for our harvest!!

The lettuce will be ready to harvest this weekend.   Have you tried one of the dressings on our recipe page yet?

Heirloom Sun Gold, Green Zebra and Cherokee Purple

The plants we got from Mr. Mustafa have come alive.  Ingenuity was the keyword to our ‘staking’ process! Bamboo, knitting yarn… you can imagine the rest!   We need to finish the job this weekend.  

Heirloom Green Zebra and Cherokee Purple

Some of our tomato plants are at least a foot tall.  The sun Gold cherry tomatoes are full of blossoms!   Some of our Heirloom indeterminate plants were bending over.  We MUST get some cages or we are at risk for losing them.    

Heirloom Rutgers

Our Heirloom Rutgers, determinant tomatoes, are blossoming as well..

Growth Spurt... Reaching Toddler-Hood

Boy, when I said rainwater was an elixir, I didn't realize how potent it could be!  Our garden is lush, green and growing!  Sarah and I were there on Thursday evening.  Things looked really good so, we didn't water.  We didn't get to the garden on Friday or Saturday.  Sunday, were we SUPRISED! 

The tomato plants are no longer babies, they have reached toddler-hood!  They grew at least 3-4 inches taller and have grown fat little stems since Thursday.  Both the cherry tomatoes and the determinant tomatoes have blossoms! 

Sad news, we lost three sunflower plants.  We also lost two tomato plants and two are struggling but all others look good.  The toddler tomatoes really NEED some Fish Emulsion,($11.00 at Lowe's) and  If the tomatoes continue to grow at this rate we will also need at least 10 tomato stakes and 14 tomato cages very, very soon!

The sweet and hot peppers have grown 2-3 inches and all are bright green and bushy!

The squash beds are growing.  The cukes are coming along.  The beets are still little slow but new leaves sprout through every day! 

The lettuce and tat soi bed is full, Lettuce soon!!

Thanks to Linda and Lisa for watering the babies last week! 

Thanks to Uncle Donald!  He called today and offered to get into our watering rotation.  He also wants to help us plant out last beds.  Speaking of beds, we are still in need of 6 bags of Mushroom compost to finish our prep work. 

Is Your Fairy Status In Jeopardy!

Linda, our Morning Water the Garden Elf, checked yesterday and the garden was still moist from the previous day's watering.  The cool weather is somewhat reducing our workload.  Elf Linda reports the babies are fine, growing like weeds... I mean plants! 

We are still in need of a Fairy Godmother or Godfather to help us with the materials to complete our last two beds.  Are you about to lose your Wish Granting Fairy status? Are you in jeopardy of having your Wand revoked and your Fairy Dust suspended?  Are there any Fairy Godmothers or Godfathers out there who need Good Deed Continuing Education credits in order to keep their license to wand?

We would be glad to help you keep your Fairy status in tact and your wands spewing dust!  5 bags of mushroom compost, a bottle of Fish emulsion and a few tomato cages and stakes, are high on our list.  Any contribution will bring you current on your dues.   

If your wand has already been suspended, come and help us weed, rake, hoe and plant.  You may earn enough Containing Education credits to restore your privileges.  

Leave a comment and one of Gordon’s Gardeners will contact you.   

Gordon says THANKS!!

Meet Our Lettuce!

Every time we miss a day, things seem to shoot up overnight!  We won't get out to the garden again before Sunday so, I expect the beds will be in full bloom! 

Ahhhhh, rainwater, natures garden elixir!  Nothing is any better then God and Mother Nature tending your garden for you!  Thank you Lord, for the RAIN!!

The lettuce is looking good... The rains will probably make them ready for a harvest some time next week.  Since we are not in the garden today, let me take the time to introduce you to our Lettuce bed.  

Winter Density

Winter Density is heat and frost tolerant for an all season selection.  It has dark green leaves and heads that are tightly folded and rounded in when mature.  The texture is a cross between a Buttercrunch and a romaine with good flavor throughout the season.

 

Buttercrunch

Buttercrunch Holds into the fall without bolting, and as the weather turns cool, it gets even sweeter!
It is similar to bibb types but with thick, juicy green leaves and a small tight head. You'll appreciate Buttercrunch maintaining its sweetness during summers' heat without turning bitter.

Black Seeded Simpson

Black Seeded Simpson withstands a lot of adverse conditions including some drought, frost, and heat.  It

is an old favorite, both because of its flavor and because of its earliness.

Tat Soi

Tatsoi has sturdy emerald spoon-shaped leaves with a sweet, earthy, mustardy taste.The stalks are sweet and almost creamy. The texture is similar to mache, but much heartier. This green is popular in spring mix/mesclun mixtures.

It is low in calories yet high in minerals, vitamins, and health-promoting antioxidants.  Tatsoi is high in beta-carotene and Vitamins A, C, and K; they also have good amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorous and iron.
Mix with lettuces and other greens; drizzle with dressing or vinaigrette. Steam, wilt, lightly stir fry or sauté and serve as an accompaniment to chicken, fish, or other proteins or as a cooked, chilled salad. Toss in soups for flavor and texture or use as a bed or garnish. Substitute for basil in pesto. Use quickly after harvesting.

Red Romain

Red Romaine, a colorful romaine lettuce with leaves in shades of red, bronze and green. Flavor is somewhat tart and spicy. Best color and flavor are achieved when grown in the cooler parts of the growing season.

We will be ready for salad soon. To keep it healthy, check out some of our homemade salad dressings on our recipe page!