Alright, so we said we would be better at blogging...but once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator. In our defense, we have been so busy farming, updating our blog seemed to take a back seat. So, now that we've kept you waiting long enough, here's an update.
Almost the entire garden is full now- all expect the future location of the brussel sprouts (which have been growing in a seed tray for about 3 weeks and should be getting transplanted in the next few days) and the area next to our green bean towers. Which brings me to the many structures you can see throughout the garden- all placed to allow better air circulation and lead to a better overall crop. We have our green bean 'tee-pees' which the vined green beans, black beans and purple long beans will climb. To the left of those, we have all of our pepper plants staked. On the perimeter of the garden, you'll see 60 tomato plants which are staked and also tied. While we're on the subject...I'm not trying to brag, but it looks like the best tomato crop, yet. We have 6 varieties, all heirloom, one being a cherry, one an amish paste, some San Marzanos and some varieties that looked so good, we couldn't resist. Everything is growing so well that some plants already have tomatoes the size of softballs- we should be expecting them to ripen by the first week of July! Now that is something to brag about...
Anyway, back to our architecture- In between the peppers and tomatoes, and along side of the artichokes, we have our cucumber 'lean to's'. These will allow the cucumber vines to climb, on an angle, so all the plants have an opportunity to flourish. At the same time, the open space underneath the structures will eventually be a lettuce bed. Since lettuce bolts in the heat of the summer, the plants above will provide ample shade allowing the lettuce to mature in a slightly cooler environment.
Many of our vegetables have already been pulled and harvested. Our rocky top mixed greens are growing faster than we can pick and our arugula is at it's prime. We've been harvesting radishes for about 1 month now- we had 3 varieties, all a little different from the other but just as delicious. 
Our pak choi has come and gone, but we can look forward to a good crop in the fall. So, let's see if I can give a complete run down of the garden, clockwise from the left corner: artichokes, tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, eggplant, tomatillos, squash delicata, yellow squash, boston bibb lettuce, cherokee red lettuce, jericho romaine lettuce, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, chives, cilantro, radishes, mixed greens, rainbow swiss chard, mustard greens, rhubarb, green and red flame lettuce, more boston bibb lettuce, asparagus (sorry, not ready until next year), red and yellow onions, scallions, rainbow carrots, red and golden beets, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, shallots, potatoes, snow peas, watermelon, a little more lettuce, black beans, green beans, purple long beans, soy beans, dragon tongue beans, chinese yard long beans, sweet peppers, hungarian wax peppers, jalepeno peppers, rosemary, english and german thyme, basil, marjoram, dill, cumin, a grape vine along the front fence, and a pumpkin patch off to the side. So, I guess we have our work cut out for us...I PROMISE I will update sooner this time, and if I don't...well, I guess you'll have to wait longer.
PS- If anyone wants to purchase anything or get a mailing update with our current vegetables for sale and prices, email me at imaheald@gmail.com and I'll add you to our mailing list!
