Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 5/25/15

First, I wish each and every one of you a blessed Memorial Day. May we all remember the great cost of the freedom we hold so dear. And may God comfort all of you who have lost loved ones for the sake of freedom.

This long holiday weekend, I have spent quite a bit of time in my garden. The weather has been beautiful, and I found quite a few nice surprises.

WHAT’S NEW:

Lots of new fruit growing, some of it I was surprised to find – like these Filius Blue peppers almost ready to harvest!

Filius Blue peppers almost ready to harvest

I found a couple of these (a butternut variety).

First Butterbush (butternut) squash forming

You can see my first cucumber forming against the trellis in the center of this picture.

First Boston Pickling cucumber forming

I’m so excited! My first Rich Sweetness melon (a variety similar to Tigger melons).

First Rich Sweetness melon forming

All my snap beans flowers are beginning to produce tiny beans.

First Black Valentine snap beans forming

My very first San Marzano tomato.

First San Marzano tomato forming

Look at this stunning flower! Another purple pepper flower. The Filius Blue flowers are lavender and white (blue-purple fruits). This deep purple flower is on my Black Hungarian pepper plant (a dark purplish fruit). Even the leaves have a purple tint to them. Beautiful!

Black Hungarian pepper flower

IN THE GARDEN:

My Black Krim cutting that I transplanted is doing great, and the first tomato is growing large. However, the second cutting, which I removed from the top half of the first cutting, is also doing well – and growing its first tomato!

Black Krim tomato on a cutting from a cutting!

One of my orchids (inside my house) has started blooming again. I must be doing something right. 🙂

Orchid bloom

My white astilbe are starting to flower.

White astilbe flowers

Here’s one of my hydrangea blooms – white with a hint of pink.

Hydrangea bloom

Although my Granny Smith apple blossoms never turned into apples (the tree is devoid of fruit), my Pink Lady tree has several fruit growing. They’re starting to look like apples.

Pink Lady apple growing

My raspberries are starting to ripen! In May! 😀

Caroline raspberries ripening

My Garden Wilson caught these two land snails procreating on some plastic sheeting in my yard. He was so busy taking this picture, he neglected to get rid of the pests! Tsk-tsk, my Garden Wilson. Ew!

Land snail sex

GARDEN BOUNTY:

This looks like the last of my pea harvest for the season. I’m surprised they lasted until May.

Tom Thumb peas

I brought in the beginning of the spring radish harvest this weekend.

Purple Plum radishes

Yesterday, I actually harvested my first raspberries. Just a few, but soooo good! There are so many flower clusters on my canes, I’m going to be inundated with raspberries soon. (Yeah, like that’s a problem. LOL)

First harvest of this season’s Caroline raspberries

This weekend, I also cut my first gladioli. They look beautiful on my dining room table.

Gladioli

IN THE KITCHEN:

On Friday, I was craving a garden lunch. Other than the cheddar cheese, everything on this plate came from my garden. It was also the first time I had ever eaten raw beets. They were delicious! Sweet like a carrot with a beet flavor and a mild earthiness. Drizzled with a homemade Italian dressing, this was just what I needed.