Sunday, November 22, 2009

Savoy



I usually do not plant cabbages in my tiny gardens, as they take up so much space and, with only one harvest, give relatively little bang for your buck. However, this year, when I came across some savoy cabbage plants, I purchased four. I have been pulling off the lower, outer leaves and feeding them to the hens for weeks, and they have been so excited to get them! Yesterday I harvested the first big, fat cabbage head for myself, and it is beautiful. Look at that pale, cream interior, the tightly formed head, and those crinkled leaves. Very few indications of insect damage. I think the lizards and toads really did their job this season, eating all the cabbage loopers (caterpillars) that otherwise would have made a mess of this beautiful vegetable.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Clusters of red, clusters of tangerine





I'm not much on house plants. In fact, the only ones I have are Christmas Cacti, one red one and three white ones, which are clones of one another. They live out on the porch all summer and fall, and come inside for the winter. The red one is in full bloom right now, and is amazing. It obviously needs to be renamed a "One Week Before Thanksgiving Cactus." Look at the cluster of blossoms!

I have one other plant which is supporting clusters of beauty. My tangerine tree (variety "Juanita"), which is only 4 years old, is groaning under the weight of it's tangerine crop. I especially love what a neighbor said when I gave her a fruit: "It smells like Christmas." You know what, it does. This is a more cold hardy variety, and lives outdoors, planted in the yard, year around. I have high hopes, as it obviously came through last winter, which was bitter cold for our area, with flying colors.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Tidal Flood!



This strange coastal storm has been bringing some high water, but no problems until this morning. As you can see, we have salt water surrounding all the garden beds, and the two lower beds, strawberries and blueberries, are filled with salt water. The tide was only about an inch from the entrance to Dolly's hive. This is more water than we have had with the worst of the hurricanes since we first arrived here in 2000. My only hope for the gardens is that they already were so saturated with rain water that the salt water did not soak in as much as it otherwise would. I expect to lose all of the strawberries and blueberries, but I guess it is possible that some may survive (due to the existing fresh water saturation). As soon as the tide goes down I will rinse the plants and flush the beds as best I can. It was something to be out in the yard at sunrise, with water coming almost over my tall boots while standing near the vegetable gardens! Sorry the quality of the photos is not better, these were taken with my cell phone in the dim, early morning light.

Do note how beautiful the vegetables are in the gardens. We are harvesting and eating fresh lettuces and greens every day. Because I was away so much, I did not get a second planting of lettuce in the ground, so it looks like I will not have a salad from my own garden for Thanksgiving. I will, however, have broccoli, collards, mustard, and savoy cabbage to chose from!