2023 Garden Recap

Tomatillo seeds, it turns out, were lurking in the old compost we used up to build a new perennial bed.

We live north, and tomatillos grow here, but it’s not their latitude of choice. Here, they ripen late. Many don’t make it to fruiting–not if we get a colder August or September or if it rains too much.

They flourished in our new full-sun, rich, fluffy-soil home. It also helped that rabbits took a pass on them. Once I figured out what they were, I let them be, since we haven’t yet figured out the plants that will establish the new garden site.

I harvested about 10 pounds of them! We have many batches of salsa verde now in the freezer, and I was able to pass plenty on to happy neighbors.

The pumpkin is also a volunteer and a gift of our neighbor, with whom we share a fence. Harvesting them earlier when smaller yielded the sweetest pumpkin I have ever tasted! From now on, I’m going to look for them much earlier in the farmer’s market.

Winner: Volunteer of the Year Award

A friend gave me a straggly root clipping from her Anemone. Since it managed to fight its way through all of the tomatillo plants, I am hopeful that it will establish well.

Winner: Prettiest Peek-a-Boo/Most Likely to Succeed

In the department of continued education, I let this Pokeweed grow, knowing that I’d pull it eventually. Birds love the dark purple fruit, but each part of it is mildly toxic to humans, and I don’t have any personal need to dye anything dark purple.

Here it is, at the end of one season. Since it grew up in perfect, fluffy-rich, new soil, I could pull it! Be warned: don’t let it grow in more dense ground!

Winner: Most Impressive Beast

This really should be in the ‘winner’ category.

Three years ago, I picked up this seedling from a local farm spring sale. The *#@%*!! rabbits** kept eating the tender leaves. I’ve been writing it off each year, since the attacks have been relentless, and it has barely been able to keep any green leaves on itself. Perhaps the harsh trimming was enough to keep energy directed toward building strong roots? Three years later, it bloomed! And here it is. It’s supposed to be 8-feet tall, but I’ll take the 4 feet!

Honorable Mention: “Take That, Rabbits”

Since our Catalpa has been declining, it has been putting out babies like crazy! They pull easy, but don’t wait too long, since they survive on a long tap root. We’ve let one grow in the side yard.**

I’ve found babies everywhere! The new garden was a hot bed; I yanked out at least 20 saplings. All of them had to go, since that site is too close to the sidewalk. (They can be a pest with their dropping long ‘string bean’ pods all over the place.)

This flower pot happens to be directly under the tree. A picture-perfect landing.

Honorable Mention – Best Mini-Me Maker

It’s hard to get a good picture of a tangle of green. I learned this year that parsley is a biannual. I’m thoroughly confused about what will show up next spring. I planted more this year, and, well, you see here that it thrived. Presumably, this will go dormant, and another year’s planting will reveal itself.

I’m making peace with tossing chopped parsley into everything. It’s green and appears to have many beneficial intentions. In the past it was a pain to buy a whole bunch at the store, when you only needed a wee bit. That is not a problem I have anymore.

Honorable Mention: Best ‘Skip the Store’ Crop.

Growing garlic*** is my nod to vanity. I have no intention of ever growing enough to live on. You may recall that I am smitten with the scape phase of its life. That doesn’t stop me from ‘harvesting.’

It’s my garden, so my call:

Honorable Mention – Most Vain/Most Fun at a Party