Meanwhile, Back at the Farm ...

It won't be long before the tractor at the Community Garden farm transforms into plowing mode to turn under the remains of the plants that did their job in supplying the bushels of fresh, organic produce this growing season.

Today, I picked the last handful of green and yellow beans, the rest of the onions, lots of red tomatoes, and a few hot peppers.  There are baby hot peppers that still might have time to mature.   I'm leaving the green tomatoes on the vine a little longer.  I'll have to watch the weather, because if frost is in the forecast, the green tomatoes and peppers will have to be picked beforehand.

The farm that leases parcels to the Community Garden members grows pumpkins to sell at their garden center.  Here's a photo of just a small portion of the hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins in the field.

Community Garden Scenes

Lots of produce is being harvested at the Community Garden -- tomatoes, beans, beets, carrots, eggplants, peppers, onions... Despite (or maybe because of) the hot and dry weather, the vegetables have thrived. 

It's a different world at the Garden -- so peaceful and quiet. I love going there to work the plot, water and harvest the crops, watch the goldfinches and butterflies on the sunflowers and zinnias. It's like a little slice of heaven.

Reflection of the sunset on nursery greenhouse

Some of our produce

View of the barn from the Community Garden.  It would make a nice painting!

The cherry tomatoes have been a great success!

This summer's weather has been good for the onions.

Nursery sunflowers at entrance to Community Garden

Have you ever seen a white eggplant?  I haven't, until now. This is in our neighbor's garden.

Our hot banana peppers in all colors. Spicy!

Community Garden Update

There's a garden where the peppers

Were all growing on the vine,

The tomatoes and the pumpkins

And the string beans very fine.

Harmony had been so perfect

In this garden where they grew;

And the sunshine and the showers came to nourish them, they knew...

~

Gertrude Tooley Buckingham

The Community Garden is in full swing this time of year, producing a continual harvest of organically grown vegetables and flowers. Basement grow lights enabled me to start the Cherry Baby and Big Beef tomatoes from seed in April, ready to plant in our parcel the end of May after danger of frost.  The cucumbers, Marketmore 76, resistant to a variety of diseases, were seeded directly into the ground. I usually direct-seed the beans, but had good results this year from little nursery-grown starter plants.  The lettuce is a slow-bolting crisphead variety that is resistant to the heat, called Superior 1.  

In addition to the above vegetables, I planted Spanish onions, red onions, hot banana peppers, sweet bell peppers, beets, eggplant, carrots, dill.  The flowers in our parcel include violas, zinnias, stock, marigolds, milkweed and cornflowers to attract butterflies and bees.

Community Garden

Essential advice for gardeners:  grow peas of mind, lettuce be thankful, squash selfishness, turnip to help thy neighbor, and always make thyme for loved ones.

 author unknown

To supplement the small vegetable garden in our yard, we've rented a parcel at a Community Garden, just 5 minutes from our home.  It's a space 4' by 25' which we've planted with flowers and vegetables, organically grown.  The photos below were taken at the beginning of the planting season.

Extra produce is contributed by the gardeners to the Share Shed for use by a church food pantry and other garden members.