Redman Family Favorites: Garden Beginnings

Just over a week ago we were finally able to get the garden planted. The weather has been super crazy this year. Even today started about 40ish and high of 60 and yesterday we made it into the upper 90's. We need some rain and heat and things should take off. These are some of the newly planted pepper plants. We lost one plant already, probably due to the weather. Last year we got big, juicy peppers. Hoping for the same this year. I think I should have planted about 10 more plants because our kids will eat them like apples, but in order to accomplish that I think we need a country garden!

Tomatoes are all growing nicely. I planted 10 "Big Momma" variety plum tomatoes. If you have never tried them and you make sauces or juice, etc., these are for you! I'll post a pic of the huge tomatoes you can harvest off these plants when they are ripe. We planted a grape tomato too, for enjoying fresh off the vine.

Tomatoes up close. This year because of the wind the plants have needed some extra sheltering....that's why the ice cream pails are around them. So far so good....

Our first rows of green beans have begun to sprout out of the ground. We planted two rows early and tomorrow or Saturday we'll plant a couple more. Hopefully, that will keep the canning at a steady pace and not green bean overload all in a week. My husband and I had a bet at how many days it would take before they sprouted. I said 8 and he said 12-14. I won. (I also read the back of the seed package, shhhh!) We are planting 3 different varieties to see which ones we like for canning and freezing.

Here they are all popped and crooked. You can't see the whole row but they ALL look like this.

My rhubarb that is growing by the pine trees pretty much died off this year. So much so that we could not harvest any stalks from it. The other large, gorgeous rhubarb just got lost in our raspberries. So, at the nursery I found these last remaining two and brought them home. The very next morning the plant on the left had totally disappeared, leaves and all. Not sure what happened but now we are down to the plant on the right. Hopefully it will grow. I am going to plant him in the flower garden. (If it survives).

Looks like a good year for the Paula Red apple tree. It was full of blossoms and now turning into these cute little apples. Last fall, the deer ate 1/2 the tree and I am surprised at how it is coming back, more than ever before! Maybe the deer gave it just the right pruning it needed.

My favorite of all is the grapes that come every year. The vines are so pretty and the grapes are just "cute" when they start their little bunches. Ever so tiny...and my vines are full! Yum!