What’s Up In The Kitchen Garden
My kitchen garden is my happy place. It’s my baby. I’m drawn to open the picketed gate every day. Not because I have to check on it, but because I want to. I’m enchanted by the magic of putting seeds into the earth and growing plants. I look forward to seeing how things are coming along. Early summer is the time I can really see the results of the many hours, elbow grease and tablets of ibuprofen that went into prepping and planting it just a few short months ago.
My roughly 20 x 40 foot white picket fenced piece of heaven, is planted with a combination of annuals and perennials. The new vegetable plants and herbs are neat, orderly and linear. The mature plants, like my raspberries, currants, chives and mint, live a more gregarious life in the garden, adding a bit of a wild, freeform style to the mix. I love how they co-exist and look together.
Currently, the garden is growing like CRAZY, (I swear my basil grew 5-inches taller over the weekend!) thanks to the hot temperatures we’ve been having combined with the delivery of some much needed rain. Peeking out from under the leaves of the squash plants, I see gorgeous school bus yellow blossoms. The tiny, pale yellow flowers attached to the hairy stems of my tomato plants are starting to fall off, and little itty-bitty tomatoes are beginning to develop. I adore the licorice-like scent of the sweet basil when I brush by on my way to pick a few warm, ripe, juicy raspberries. The ruffled lettuces are thriving, and I just love the variety of textures of the rows of mixed mesclun greens and arugula. Everything looks so promising.
Here’s a list of what’s growing beautifully in my kitchen garden:
Arugula
Mesclun Mix Greens
Lettuces – Red leaf, Green leaf, Romaine and Bibb
Kale
Swiss Chard
Basil
Chives
Potatoes (they’re rogue potatoes from last year!)
Cilantro
Parsley
Sage
Oregano
Marjoram
Mint
Nasturtium
Zinnias
Currants
Raspberries – Red and yellow (yellow will be ready to feast on late summer)
Tomatoes – Heirloom varieties, as well as black, red, orange, and yellow grape varieties
Peppers – Bell and frying
Haricot Vert
Squashes – Yellow, Longneck and Crooked Neck
Cukes – Perfect for pickling!
As much as I look forward to enjoying the produce payout, I sometimes don’t want to pick anything. I just want to appreciate this moment, when everything is hearty, thriving and gorgeous.
Happy gardening!
Love, Nora
Dear Nora,
Thank you for your lovely posts and wonderful magazine. They give me great ideas and keep me inspired. Yesterday I got carried away saving several of your pins on Pinterest.
Marilyn
Nora, absolutely beautiful. It is a work of art..Thanks so much for sharing..Happy Summer..Judy
I would love to grow more food items in our garden but there is not enough full son areas. I do love the herbs I manage to grow…it’s comforting to know you can fix something with fresh herbs every meal in the summer months.
xo,
Karen
our garden is even smaller, isn’t it amazing what can be done with a little bit of dirt & care ? you have such a perfect variety, enjoy !
i so look forward to all your posts !
Nora, Hi you could have your own farm stand. Looks great!
Best, Janet ????
Fabulous! We are enjoying our kitchen garden tasties too!
And I had to laugh about the Ibuprofen comment. 😉 Saves the day, doesn’t it? My prescription after a day in the garden (but works equally well for post-snow shoveling) is…Ibuprofen and a long soak in a very hot bath, and then later that evening when muscles are starting to…ahem…seize up again…more Ibuprofen. Wake up feeling fit as a fiddle in the morning!
Happy garden munching!
-Kate
What a beautiful garden you have made for yourself. Do you have trouble with the birds eating your raspberries? They used to always eat my blueberries. I wish I could still garden like I used to, but age and arthritis have taken over. I’m so happy for you to be able to enjoy yours. Have a happy summer! xo
I love zinnias, my favorite flower.