Thursday, June 25, 2015

Garden Greens and Goodies

When we were in Korea, I was very inspired of how Koreans doesn't waste any piece of land.  They utilize every inch of it for flowers and vegetables.  They even plant  veggies under the bridge!  So when we came back here, I started planting vegetables.  We started a very small plot first then  this year, I decided to expnd it by  tilling the  side of our yard and make it into a vegetable garden as well. 
Our neighbor gave us some kohlrabi last year and I turned it into achara (a filipino delicacy of picklong papaya).  Instead of using papaya, I used the kohlrabi and hubby got addicted to it that he  asked me if we could plant kohlrabi this year.  So that's the ones you see on the top photo.  I put  containers in the middle because there is a PVC pipe there that I don't want to  bust.
 I have been saving hubby's  coffee containers and he thought I was nuts of  saving them but I have a plan to use them as planters lol.  I love it's color and it makes a perfect boarder to  the  garden bed  beside our porch.  I just put some holes at the bottom of it, add some soil, and planted some marigolds in it.

I have four eggplants this year,  They are now blooming and I can't wait to pick the fruits.  We love eating  eggplant omelet so this would be perfect.
Here's the kohlrabi after  a couple of weks of planting them.
The tomatoes are now blooming too and I harvested 7 kohlrabi already and pickled them.  
 Some people like this  for their salad  which I would probably like too but when you turn them into achara, it tastes so much better.
 As you can see, it looks a lot thicker  now compared to the first picture I posted above.  I love  making my own sauce  so I love having lots of tomatoes to can. Ever since I  started  grwoing my own veggies, I haven't ought any sphagetti sauce from the store.  I have been using my  canned sauce.
 My flowers are so much thicker this year.  That's propbaby because we have been getting rain a lot even this month.
 My husband wants to tear down our fence but  I told him not to because I love the privacy and my plant is also protected from deer.

I mean who wouldn't like fresh spinach and kale to cook?  This is my first time growing kale and  love how it is a low maintenance green but very healthy.  Two years ago, I never give kale a  glance at the store but I read an article about its health benefits  so I tried it and thought  we could get used to the taste and we did. I like it because  when you cok it, it doesn't get saggy or slimy.  
This is the orginaly garden that we have started.  I planted my leafy vegetable in it.  Last year, I had tons of carrots but this year, the surprise frost killed  most of it including the beans.  I had to  re-olant  another batch of beans because only two  beans survived during the frost.
I picked some of the beans yesterday to entice my daughter to eat.  She was running a fever and usually she won't eat when she is sick but  I told her that I got her some green beans and sure enough, she ate!  Freshly picked green beans  taste so much better than store bought, that's for sure.  If you don't have  a space to put a garden,  try  container gardening.  
Today, my daughter  wants some garden salad so I picked some lettuce and   harvest some kale since it is getting thick again.  I have given away a bag or two of this kale to a friend and it just keep growing.
I was excited to see that our blackberry are already  ripening up.  These would be ready next week.
I am planning to buy a blueberry tree this year, maybe I could grow it too.  We love  all kinds of berries so it would be nice to have them in my backyard.

28 Smart Readers SAID::

Masshole Mommy said...

Your garden is lovely! It looks like you've had much success and will be cooking up lots of fresh meals for your family!

Megan said...

Your gardens are doing so well! It's close to the beginning of the season here, so my strawberries are just starting to ripen. Besides the berries though, I can't grow anything. I have a black thumb, and the soil here is not great. I would love to move somewhere where we could have gardens like yours!

Alli Smith said...

What a great way to recycle coffee cans! Your garden looks so healthy and it's beautiful. I kept saying I was going to plant a garden and I never got around to it. Maybe next year. Homegrown produce is so much tastier.

Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle said...

Your garden looks lovely. Down here in the south everybody has a garden. It's so much fun to watch your veggies grow!

Christy Maurer said...

This is so great! I have the WORST soil, but I'm thinking of just growing things in pots. I wish we could all just have gardens in our front yards, side yards, back yards...we'd be doing ourselves a favor!

Crystal Green said...

This looks like a great garden. You've done a fine job. That blackberry looks delicious.

mryjhnsn said...

I wish I could have a garden like this! And your use of coffee containers is pretty awesome. The contrast is very cool.

Tiffany said...

That's interesting that they plant vegetables under the bridge. Is there pollution? I wish I had a veggie garden!

Liz Mays said...

Oh it must be so exciting when it's time to harvest each vegetable. I would definitely be glad to have fresh spinach and kale available.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful garden, there is nothing better than eating garden fresh vegetables!

Carly said...

Your garden is looking really great! Ours is doing pretty good even though we got a later start on it.

Uplifting Families said...

I wish that I could garden. I did plant some tomatoes in a planter. They haven't produced any fruit yet. Maybe soon. I had gardens growing up and miss all the fresh produce.

ourfamilyworld said...

Oh how I envy you. I wish I had a garden, so I can plant fruits, vegetables and flowers.

Six Time Mommy TEST said...

What a beautiful garden. I wish I could have a garden again, hopefully at my new house. I dream of having one like yours! - Jeanine

ricci said...

I have always wanted to start a garden and I love your coffee can idea. Great tips!!

Mimicutelips said...

Oh wow, you've done a great job. The food looks really good. The coffee containers actually made some really cool planters.

Unknown said...

Wow, I'm like really jealous of your garden. Lol... How long did it take you to get thus far? I really want to start mine but have no idea about the process.

Chubskulit Rose said...

Hi Shaney, it's not that long for the plants to grow. Once you have planted them, just take care of them and wait for them to blossom and you will reap what you sow.

Margarita Ibbott said...

I just showed my mom, the gardener in my file, and she just loved them . Make sure to keep the fence up she told me to tell you. Keep those dear away.

krystal said...

I wish I had a garden like that. That is super smart to use those coffee cans. Never would have thought of that.

Lynndee said...

I would love to have fresh spinach and kale to cook, but I will never have the guts to plant vegetables because I am afraid of caterpillars. LOL. We do have a community garden here.

mail4rosey said...

So very lovely. I would like to start a little garden up here too. I'm hoping to grow mint and flowers.

Unknown said...

Your garden looks fantastic!!! I'm so bummed, aphids totally wiped out our pea crop this year. Next year I'll be ready though! lol.

Unknown said...

You have a wonderful green thumb! We only plant tomatoes and herbs, must try planing more vegetables next year.

Jennifer Medeiros said...

I have a greenhouse and we love using the greens, fruits and vegetables we have grown. I love a salad using greens that came straight from my garden!

Nile Flores said...

That's a nice little garden. My grandfather and grandmother grew up on farms and have an entire backyard that they grow all sorts of fruits and veggies. Grandma preps, and stores them in the freezer as they are harvested, or gives excess to the rest of the family and some close friends.

ProbablyCrafting said...

everything looks soo good. I love the coffee container upcycle. Such a great use instead of trashing them!

Kiwi said...

I love your little garden! I really want my own one day...I love your little blackberry tree!

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