Short, honest write-ups from the garden. What's growing, what's dying, what I learned this week — in my own words, from my own backyard.
Picked the first ripe Earliglows this morning. They're always the best tasting ones of the year — something about how slow they ripen when it's still cool. Bird netting went up today before I lose the next round.
Also noticed the mulberry tree has tiny green fruit already. We're going to have another ridiculous year.
Strawberry SpringThey figured out how to climb the trellis. I didn't think squirrels ate peas, but apparently these ones do. Dad helped me put hardware cloth around the base, plus a spray bottle of hot pepper water. We'll see.
I still love them. They're just… a problem.
Pests PeasI planted forty cloves in November and they're all up. I'm trying softneck this year because my dad says it stores longer. Harvest isn't until June, so… patience.
Garlic WinterLast year we picked so many mulberries I ran out of ideas. This year I'm ready. Pancakes, smoothies, and a ridiculous amount of homemade ice cream. The freezer is basically mulberry at this point.
Kitchen MulberrySix varieties this year: Cherokee Purple, Sungold, Better Boy, San Marzano, Black Krim, and a Brandywine. I built a shelf in the garage with grow lights. Last frost is around April 15 in Apex, so they'll be inside another two months.
Tomato IndoorMap of the garden, drawn on graph paper, taped to the fridge. Tomatoes on the south fence. Peas and beans on the east trellis. A whole raised bed for salad greens. Muscadines are into year four and should be loaded.
Planning