Good Morning and Happy July!
We left for a camping trip last Thursday (our last day of school was Wednesday) and came back to the work, garden, home and the new summer routine first thing Monday morning. I’m trying to get everyone settled in and caught up so I’ve been quite absent from The Salem Garden. Sometimes I wish I just had a few hours a day to garden and blog, but, that’s not the deal. Things are looking pretty good out in the garden anyway!
This statue is a recent gift from Michael. I saw it in a shop downtown and liked it so he traded some chairs that were taking up lots of garage space for it. That’s scarlet runner bean ready to climb up the pole and decorate. I’m not sure that I agree with the “have no fun” ending to this saying, especially in terms of the speaking part, but I think it’s cute.
Zucchini are cooking… well, not cooking but growing. Last week I saw the beginning of the squash borer infestation and I buried the stem at the base of the plant immediately. I’m keeping an eye out for more but so far so good.
Oregon sweet peas
And the alaska variety… salmon and peas are on the menu for the Fourth of July!
The horseradish is back. This got a slow start this spring. I think I harvested deeply last year so it took a little while to reach the surface again.
Tomatoes are coming along. They need to be staked and weeded asap.
Some marketmore organic cucumber taking off. This variety got good reviews and so far I can see why. A trellis might be helpful here.
I bought cauliflower seedlings at the Witchcraft Heights Elementary School plant sale. Remember my cauliflower fiasco last year? Click here to read about it if your feeling brave. These plants were so cute and for a good cause so here we go again…
Sweet little marigolds… they’ll be everywhere soon!
I slid some peppers in here and there where I found bits of space. We’ll see how that approach works.
Silver and Gold are still working their way in to the flock. I think their dreaming about better days but they’ll be okay soon.
Kale… anyone have a great kale chips recipe?
The red onions look happy with the exception of the obvious weeds and rocks which I need to remove, and I will, as soon as I get a few minutes, sometime… soon.
Here’s their flower. When are they ready? Betsey, talk to me!
Lavender!
The window box on the coop is planted, not perfectly, but it’s okay.
The cold weather has been awesome for lettuce.
Mesclun has bolted and will be coming out to make way for some swiss chard that I have started.
And finally, here’s my favorite rose bush, the one that I rescued from the Harrington estate…
nestling a carefully kicked football in it’s branches.
That’s how things are in a yard full of kids, chickens and chaos…
Time to get to work!
How’s your garden growing?
Lots of love,
Michele
The Salem Garden 
I think everything looks great! We will be coming back from the lake the end of the week, so not sure what I will find in my garden!
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Hi Brenda!! I love being away and coming home to find the changes, especially when their good, which is usually the case.
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Garden looks great Michele. I wish ours was bigger. Matt
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HI Matt!! Thanks for commenting! Small gardens have lots of benefits! Hope I get to see yours soon! xo
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Your veggies and flowers look terrific. 🙂 Ours are doing well also – thank you for asking. I love chickens and even love the fresh eggs more, but the hens are like a group of junior high girls as far as getting along aren’t they? LOL Have a great weekend.
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Hi Judy! Yes they are! There is a pecking order that’s for sure! Glad your garden is doing well!
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Very nice! My bok choy bolted already, and the plants were only 3 inches tall. My Amish deer tongue lettuce seems to be doing just fine with the heat this past week. I am jealous of those tomato and squash plants. Mine will hopefully give me some veggies in August
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uh oh, that’s crazy bok choy behavior Michele! The tomato and squash just popped so hang in there, yours are coming!
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I know! Crazy bok choy. At least my lettuce is doing really well — the little volunteers that I moved out of the grass. They are looking beautiful.
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Our gardens are coming along. The weather has done some odd things. The asparagus has stayed really long this year. Other things are starting to take, but were slower this year.
Our new veggie this year is spinach.
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It’s been very odd here too… not bad weather for spinach actually. Glad your enjoying your asparagus!!
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Michele, your vegetables are really growing quickly! My perennials and herbs are flourishing after our very rainy June in the Midwest. ♡
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The rain really helps doesn’t it? We’ve had lots of rain in the last twenty hours here on the coast of Massachusetts because of the hurricane that passed to the east of us. I’ll take it! Glad to hear that your garden is flourishing!!!
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We’ve been watching the news reports of Arthur’s path, and thinking of all of our East coast friends. Hope all is well in your area. Sunny wishes! ♡
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