My Friend’s Garden
My running buddy has a giant, completely organic vegetable garden. He just built a new house and this is the first year that he has had his garden in this spot. Last year he started the spot, enriched the soil, and put in strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and asparagus. He spent most of the winter enlarging the garden and double digged in composted manure and some other goodies, all by hand. The man would literally dig for eight hours a day. Anyway, this garden is a site to see. I went over to the garden yesterday to pick what is ripe because my friend is out of town for the week. I forgot my regular camera, but luckily I had my phone with me and I was able to snap a few pictures. I enjoy just looking at his garden because it is so neat and organized. He mulches it with composted leaves and there’s usually not a weed in sight.
The garden pump that you can see in the picture below pumps water from underground tanks that store rain that runs off the roof. He has rain barrels on steroids!
The tomatoes are thick and so tall that they towered over my head.
You can see the new house in the background. I love the red roof!
This bed held a spring crop and has been prepared for a new planting. Spinach? A second planting of beans or squash? I’ll have to ask what will be planted here.
I didn’t pick any Okra because I wasn’t sure what it is supposed to look like when it is ready to pick. The bloom sure is attractive.
You can see his strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and asparagus plants in this shot.
I don’t know if he is planning on digging in this composted horse manure or if he will move it to another area of the garden to use. There is a stable not even a half a mile away, so he’ll have a steady supply of manure.
His third planting of corn looks good. Don’t you love the old chimney? Their house is built on the site of the old barn. They put the pond in a few years ago.
My garden goodies are ready to take home. I got enough beans to can but am afraid to use my pressure canner. Mama is coming tomorrow to visit and I’ll get her to show me how to use it. I started a batch of pickle with the cucumbers and I made a great tomato, pepper, and cucumber salad for our dinner. I picked corn and we’ll enjoy that tonight and tomorrow night.
The eating sure is good this time of year. There’s nothing like eating vegetables that are home-grown.
What a beautiful garden. That must take alot of time.
BTW, that okra pod looks ready to me.
WOW! That is one GIGANTIC garden. Lucky you to be able to help yourself to garden goodies. We have beautiful tomato plants this year and our cucumber is doing well too. The past couple of weeks we’ve had a bountiful harvest. I can’t imagine trying to keep up with a garden like your buddy’s. Enjoy your veggies!
What a garden. Looks like good eating to me.
The okra is definitely ready to cut.
Forgot to say that if you cut the okra be sure to wear gloves. Have fun!
WOW!!!! What a garden. The weeding is the hardest part for me to stay on top of, and I only have a few measly beds and a tiny little garden of 3 tomato plants and 3 thyme plants. :s You got a good harvest there! 😉
Gorgeous! Everything looks like it’s growing so well. Soil preparation is the key, I think!
Manuela
now that is a garden! please send your friend to my house…
Awesome garden. There has obviously been a lot of hard work put into it! You are right…there’s nothing like homegrown veges. You are sooo lucky to get them!