Harper Harvest

It's planting time!  The new garden extension is finished, the fence is up, the soaker hoses are out and the little plants are coming up.  There's a chilly night expected tonight and I've covered the tomato plants but so far, everything's looking great for a good Spring and harvests to come.

Here's how it's looking:

All the prairie grasses are still brown (no rain), and the trees haven't started to bud out yet.  The lack of rain out here is really going to make growing difficult, and there won't be any wildflowers to speak of this year either.  But soldier on we must!  I have a well, the water is tasty-good and cold, and last year's crop seemed to like it!

The Schedule of Harvests:

APRIL:

Spinach - lucious dark green leaves
Swiss Chard - Bright Lights - colorful and delicious
Radishes - if you haven't had a radish straight out of the garden, you haven't really ever had a radish!
1015 Onions - yummy!
Mesclun Mix - a wonderful mixture of 7 garden greens:  endive, red kale, argula, red and green romaine and Salad Bowl and Lolla Rossa lettuce
Herbs including Italian Basil, Parsley and Cilantro (make a pesto and freeze in ice cube trays for later); Chives
Flowers - Red Amaryllis, Alyssum, Hummingbird Sage, Sedum (2 varieties-ground covers which need no attention)

MAY:

Garlic - a wonderful, mild bulb garlic developed by the Aggies
Cream Peas - fresh or frozen for later
Tomatoes -  Big Beefies, Big Boys, and heirloom red and yellow pears (you can eat 'em like chips!)
Mesclun Mix
Swiss Chard
Shallots and 1015 Onions
Radishes
Green Beans
Herbs - Dill, Lemon Grass and Thai Basil (this is a new one for me-can't wait to try it)
Flowers - Vines including Queen's Crown (Grandmother's favorite) and Cardinal Climbers (a beautiful red trumpet shaped flower that self-seeds); Red Gomphrena
Blue Fescue Grass, Pink Paint Brush Grass - each more beautiful as the season progresses

JUNE:

More and more tomatoes - as above, and new this month, yellow grape
Yellow crookneck squash
Slicing cucumbers
Lima, Black, Green and Snap Beans
Peppers - Jalepenos and Serranos, Flavorburst Bells (yellow, gold and lime green), Sweet Bananas
Red, White and Yellow Onions (have you tried them on the grill yet?)
Flowers - Pride of Barbados (young 'uns but give them a year and you'll want more)

JULY:

Tomatoes
Squash
Cucumbers
Black eyed Peas
More Beans
More Peppers - Poblanos possibly!
Bi-color Corn on the Cob!!!


One note:  Mother Nature is in control of the Harper Harvests!  I'm just the helper so the schedule above is our plan but I must reserve Mother Nature's right to change things up.