This post is a day later than I usually publish, but I’m excited to share some garden progress and growth. The kids have been so much help. We are generally out here daily, weeding, wheel hoeing, or harvesting. It’s important to spend a few minutes in maintenance daily!

This is the best year ever for our brassicas! The bare spot you see was where our lettuce grew. We’ve harvested it all and enjoyed it! Kale is next (above the onions). Maybe some pesto in our future.

Here is a view from the south east of our garden. This is the most and best looking onions I’ve ever grown! Tip: I learned from Ruthann Zimmerman’s blog that you want the mulch moved away from the bulbs as they begin forming. Then the sun can reach them and they grow into large storage sized bulbs. You can also see our green beans have begun climbing the arch; the carrots are lovely and bushy; and the zucchini and cucumbers are climbing/fanning out nicely.

Some little zucchinis are beginning to form at the ends of the flowers. Our family enjoys zucchini and eat it twice a day when it’s in season. Skillet meals, diced into pasta salad, cooked with Alfredo dishes….

After being gone from my garden for a few days, I was delighted to come back and see my zinnias smiling sunnily at me! I saved seed last year, ended up with a large quart jar full, and have planted them at least 3 places around the home and garden as well as given some away!

Our shell peas are closing in on harvest time. Because they grow this way, I harvest them all at once and shell them over a day or two. I plan to rise very early (for me) the day we harvest and once they’re all harvested, pull out the peas for my hens or compost pile, and plant the next crop in!

I usually only grow 1/3-1/2 row of sunflowers but I’m sure next year it’ll be an entire row. These bright beauties are pollinator magnets and gorgeous in a bouquet.

Here is another view of the sunflowers, peas, zinnias, and potatoes.

Last but not least: my first tomato! Ah! This year I planted two varieties from seed: Amish Paste and Cherokee Purple. Alas, one died but a friend sold me a San Marzano and filled in our vacant spot. The peppers and basil are thriving as well. The bunnies had attacked the basil, but it came out of it and I’ve already taken the flowers off of it once so it’ll keep bushing out and grow full and luscious.

What does your garden season look like? Have you had a damp spring? Cool? Warm? Comment and let us know!