It looks like a jungle out there, we'll have a bumper crop of tomatoes this year. My veggie garden is looking so good this year I just have to brag a little. Yesterday it hit 95 degrees, so the garden is beginning to struggle with the heat here in Florida.
That means it's harvest time for us.
I am telling you the heirloom variety Brandywine that I planted will have tomatoes the size of Texas, can't wait to taste those.
I planted eight plants, all different varieties, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes (small and large) plus a Roma and an heirloom tomato.
Don't they look good enough to eat?
They are all producing like crazy and did I mention that I garden completely organic?
Cherry Tomatoes - looking good:)
Medium size
Little grape tomatoes
Tried a new organic fertilizer this year
stank to high heaven,
but the tomatoes loved it!:)
Gardening in Florida is definitely a challenge, but I have to say this is the best my veggies and herbs have ever looked.
My veggie garden 2011
This year for the first time ever, I started planting everything early (last week of Feb and first week of March) so it would be strong and healthy by the time it got hot around here - around the end of April.
I was happy to see that my lemongrass and all my rosemary and garlic chives and even a parsley somehow survived from last year.
Somebody please tell me how to best freeze tomato sauce,
since I planted plenty of basil and parsley and garlic chives too and the lemon thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, lemon verbena and lemon grass are all doing well.
There was a stand with edible Australian plants at the annual Green Thumb Festival and the guy talked me into trying something that is a relative of cilantro - excellent flavor and loves the heat and so far, my garden too.
I managed to rescue my favorite basil of all, Blue African Basil, hopefully I will have seeds to plant in the fall.
So far I've already made two big batches of tomato sauce - one with red wine and mushrooms and the other with lots of basil and oregano.
Promised my girlfriend I'd make her a fresh batch with meatballs, her hubby's favorite dish, there should be enough ripe tomatoes for the next batch by this weekend.
More grape tomatoes
leaning down into the flowers
Some are taking over the garden furniture
draping over the chairs:)
Did you notice too that the prices for herbs skyrocketed this year? No more 99 cent deals, not even a buck ninety nine. I swear they price fixed this between the big box stores $3.79 wherever I looked - so in defiance I bought seeds for some instead.
My dill is already going to seed
I'll be sure to save a few dill seeds for myself,
the rest I'm saving for my garden friend,
who uses the seeds for pickling.
Yup, that is a pink flamingo in the background:)
I am in Florida after all:)
Roma tomato and a cherry tomato
I keep trying to find ways to stake them better
as the stalks get thicker and the branches heavier
laden with tomatoes.
Yup, we are having a bumper crop this year!
This is the heirloom tomato - called Brandywine
looking fine - don't you think?
Ripe and juicy - ready for harvesting!
All images taken today May 26, 2011
© 2011 Rose Hill
So now that I've bragged about my garden,
tell me - how does your garden grow?
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Comments: 59
What was the new fert you used on the tomatoes?
It said it would last to feed for three months and all I added was some Osmocote about 2 weeks ago - no I just water until they are all done.
That is discouraging to have a garden destroyed like that, maybe you could try an electric fence or something like that?
After the sauce cools down pour a cup of sauce in a quart size freezer type ziplock - freeze flat and then stack them in freezer
I roast my tomato sauce
Noodles make me happy:) - it's always my comfort food of choice:)
I've used it in so many ways I can't remember them all!
I hope you like it as much as I do
I wished I could remember how my father did his spaghetti sauce. Once a year we would come home from school with these HUGE pots that barely fit on the stove and everyone could smell the aroma from down the road..... I do remember that he put them in sealed jars and they were put in the pantry and used up that year. We helped a little, but I think we were more in the way than anything.
I love to grow many varieties of tomatoes. You've reminded me to plant dill this year.
It's easy to forget that when I lived in Germany our area always waited until around May 15 for planting to avoid any late frosts.
PS - thanks - you know I do love my garden:)
It's kinda fun to grow all the tropical and heat loving plants, but it was a huge adjustment when I first started gardening.
Thank you so much for sharing with Animal & Nature photos, videos and posts.
I envy you the space. For the time being I'm renting, so everything is in containers. But I'll be moving into my own home soon and I fully plan on setting up a number of raised beds. I too do all organic gardening, so we'll see how next year goes in the new place. Please keep the pictures coming. These are great!
As long as you have at least a balcony you can probably grow something, most herbs are not too demanding.
Great photos, love the pink flamingo too.
Last year, for the first time, I froze chopped tomatoes. Dipped the tomatoes in hot water, slipped the skins off, chopped them, and then put 2 to 3 cups in ziplock bags. When thawed, they were a little watery, but worked great in soup and chili, and tasted a hundred times better than store-bought tomatoes.
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Congratulations.
I hope you will have the time to view the other posts, photos and groups that are spotlighted as well. Have a wonderful day.
When we lived in FL we planted a garden, but we did ours in late OCT or early NOV and it lasted until around mid Jan when we had our one frost of the year. We never tried to plant a spring or summer garden.