Freshly picked...
This is the food I picked from our garden yesterday. This was just from yesterday! Our first year doing a fruit/vegetable garden has been extremely successful considering the fact that we've never done this before. I've got produce coming out my ears!
It's been so awesome to have such fresh ingredients available to feed our friends and family with. I'm going to miss it when the stuff is all gone...which is rapidly approaching. We pulled off a 32ft. x 32ft. garden this year and I believe next year's garden will be double that size.
We had success with:
- Corn
- Green Beans
- Lettuces
- Swiss Chard
- Tomatoes (at least 8 varieties)
- Green/Red Peppers
- Habenero / Serrano / Banana Peppers
- Cantaloupe
- Cucumber
- Butternut Squash
- Radishes
- Lots of Herbs
- Zucchini
It's been amazing. I truly have to credit Carrie, our currently MIA housemate (hiking the Appalachian Trail) for the success for this food mine. Her diligence in keeping it up daily made it seem super "easy" to the rest of us.
Next year I think we'll try our hand at:
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Asparagus
- Eggplant
Anyone got any other suggestions? Remember, this is Ohio.
26 waggish utterances thus far...:
Can you plant Chipotle burritos?!
Crap! I forgot to snag some of that butternut squash last night. I was distracted by Dairy Queen.
From one day!?! That's insane! Love the color combos, too.
Artichokes, and if you do plant them, try to leave one to bloom. They have the most beautiful purple flowers...
What about broccoli? It is my FAVORITE and so good for you.
How about watermelon, strawberries and broccoli? Do those grow in Ohio?
I guess another question is - did you plant anything this time that didn't work?
Are you going to do any canning?
Man, our garden is 15 x 6 and it produces as much fruit as I can handle. If I had more space I'd plant some raspberries. Earlier in the summer we were over-run with zucchini (now it's shredded and frozen for winter zucchini bread) and now tomatoes are overwhelming us (they will soon be peeled, chopped, and frozen).
I think asparagus takes several years to produce.
We tried watermelon 2 years in a row - last year from seed and this year from seedlings. Never worked. I love green beans. I tried carrots from seed this year but they didn't work. I would LOVE carrots, have you done any root vegetables?
I would almost kill for some fresh tomatoes... the ones in the grocery store taste like plastic! Gotta make a run to the Farmers Market! Great job!
kris
taking it back to simplicity. it's cool. my wife and i are just starting out now we got a garden (in england - less sun - more wet)
hoping for taters (potatos), carrots, onions, parsley, garlic, eggplants & more...
Awesome bounty! I live in Toledo, and we had success with eggplant this year. They went into a caprese salad with grilled eggplant, yum! We also have watermelon and raspberries (apart from the usual that you already listed) that seem to like Ohio weather.
Holy Tomatoes Batman!!!!! I am so envious right now it stinks!!!!
Try some beans and fruit and a grape vine or two.
A friend in NYC has a yard/deck smack in the middle of Manhattan and she gets the following from her small trees (in planters probably 2-3 wide):
Cherries (various kinds)
Peaches
Grapes
Strawberries
And the usual tomatoes and peppers. But you got those already.
You're just doing veggies so far, go for gold and try some fruit!!
they take up a lot of room, but since my kids were little, I've planted pumpkins...they are simply -- FUN.
Funny, I took a photo of what I picked in my garden yesterday for my blog. But I'm not posting it until later today!
What about strawberries, watermelon, spaghetti/acorn squash, pumpkins, carrots, or grapes?
Leave your green/red bell peppers in the ground. You'll be surprised at how long they will produce. YUMMY!! Try Okra - a truly southern veg, but fried up is so awesome, ask Pioneer Woman. :)
I am a lurker, found you thru PW. Love your site and your heart for God!
if you want garlic, plant it in the fall in a raised bed. get the bulbs from a good source, like here http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ my dad has been growing garlic for about 10 yrs now and it's amazing. sticky and so good! nothing like you will ever buy in the store. and he lives in maine so if he can grow it there, you can grow in ohio.
Okra, okra, okra!! My Mom's side of the family is from the south and fried okra is one of our favorites (we live in southwest lower Michigan). Just slice it, coat it in cornmeal and salt, then fry it to a crispy golden brown in a skillet. If you've never had it before (homemade is a must, it doesn't count if it comes from like, Cracker Barrel or something) you will absolutely love it!! And you may want to plant lots of little okra plants 'cause everyone you know will want to try it.
I am so jealous. My little try at a very small garden ...well two types of plants..ended up feeding the animals from the woods and getting killed by all the rain. BOO HOO! I have two very small tomatoes trying to hang in but they are still very, very green and I doubt they will really get much bigger if I leave them there..just too cold around her lately! I am sure you will be cooking and chopping like crazy with all that fresh produce and veggies!
Your loot makes me smile! I love plucking from the garden. Now you need to learn how to can. ;)
Well, I would grow jalapenos (the only thing that survived in our apartment garden and then died when we went on vacation) and cilantro so you can make homeade salsa. Fresh salsa made from the garden is so amazing it can not compare to anything. Cilantro can grow anywhere, although it grows really well in the fall.
Can I have a tomato or a zucchini? Pretty please? I like fresh goodness.
Delurking to tell you how much I enjoy your blog Ryan. Beautiful bounty!
I live in northern Ohio and have only tried tomatos in my garden...next year I do wanna try cucs and eggplant! :)
Garlic takes a really, really, really long time to grow. A really long time. Just be prepared. Or learn to love green garlic, as we have here.
And I'm completely and utterly jealous of all your peppers. I can grow just about anything out here, but pepper still confound and befuddle. Oy! You should try some fun bell peppers; I buy purple and white ones at the farmers' market, just to make my family ask questions. It's loads of fun. :)
~Brea
I planted beets this last year and loved roasting them and including them in salads. What about tomatillas next spring? Can you grow those? They are great to make sauces with. And strawberries. So much fun to have those. And I planted snap beans this last year and the kids loved picking them right off the vine to eat them.
I want your loot. That is an amazing spread from your garden - AMAZING. I have five little clay pots of various herbs. I want your loot!
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