Going Big with Bolero

For years I have had difficulty starting carrot seed. While I continue to struggle with the perfect way to start carrots, I tried a new technique this time around. I seeded and watered the bed. Then I used a white 1-yard macro bag (like those used for carrying sand) to cover the top of the bed. After a week or two, I saw little seedlings sprouting up when I lifted the bag from the bed. Given that I have never had success growing carrots in Fairfield, this was a big win.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I did overseed, so I spent quite a bit of time thinning out the seedlings. But over time, the results were worth it. We mostly ate them a little at a time until the heat kicked in. Once the temperatures started getting to around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the carrots began bolting. If you have ever had a woody carrot, you understand the importance of harvesting the root before it bolts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, we had plenty of carrots. We were able to store a couple of bags and give quite a few away. I’m always grateful for the opportunities I have to share carrots – or any of my vegetables – with others. While I don’t usually grow any kind of hybrid vegetable, I feel that this was a good way for me to start down the road of growing carrots in the area where I live. In the future, I would love to do some trials with other vigorous heirloom varieties to see if there is anything else that might work well in my climate.

Winter Wine Barrel

While not as safe from critters as planting in the greenhouse, planting in a wine barrel worked out pretty well for me this winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I learned three things while using the wine barrel for my winter garden. The first was a bit of a surprise. Despite my previous experiences, I discovered that I actually like radishes. Don’t get me wrong. I am not a fan of spicy radishes; but rather, at least to me, chopped up and stir-fried radishes are really good. Unlike in the heat of the greenhouse, the lettuce that grew in the wine barrel was very thick and dark. But also unlike the greenhouse, the squirrels bit through the barrel lettuce - so I didn’t get to enjoy much of that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last thing I learned from my winter garden was that I can actually grow carrots here in the Bay Area. Howbeit I am starting off with hybrid carrots, hopefully sometime in the future I can ease into a vigorous open-pollinated variety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, I'm grateful for the opportunity to garden in a wine barrel this last winter. Despite the occasional attacks from the squirrels, we managed to realize a bountiful harvest.

A Couple of Carrots

My very favorite time to grow carrots is from the fall to the spring. Unfortunately, due to the dry weather in the fall and the squirrels in the winter, I rarely get any carrots at all. So here is a picture of a few carrots I harvested last spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Garden Visits

Before the end of the school year, I appreciated some small gardens at local schools and neighbors. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did.

The first garden is located in the middle of the school grounds. The halls of the school go around it on 3 sides. As staff and students walk around the halls, they can see the garden in the middle. For me, walking by the garden is quite a rejuvenating experience.

Flowering Fava Beans

Onion Flower

Borage

Borage and Nasturtium

Orange Nasturtiums

Sprouting Cauliflower with Aphids

More sprouting Cauliflower

Interesting shape of the Cauliflower as it blossoms

One last look

A bed of onions.

Peas

Black eyed Susan?

Favas with seed pods.

A close look at the fava beans

This bean is sideways - or is it a sideways picture?

Fava beans are prolific!

Another look at the prolific fava beans

One last last fava picture

These strawberry plants are doing quite well.

A closer look at some mouth-watering strawberries

I'm resisting the urge to pick these

One last look at the strawberry plants

The second garden is located on the west side of a school, near the younger grades. There are plenty of interesting things to see here as well.

An assortment of winter vegetables

Flowering Kale

Swiss Chard anyone?

The sign says it all.

Potato Plants

Flowering Carrots

Another bed of assorted veggies.

Some sweet pea flowers

Some radishes

Some kind of celery plant sprouting up from the roots.

Another celery plant sprouting up from the walkway

Celery again.

Celery and assorted veggies.

Swiss Chard and other veggies.

Cale and flowering parsley or fennel

Chard

Now the strawberry patch is being infested by the celery.

Some strawberries are growing.

Ripening strawberries

One last look at this garden

Not all gardens are kept up. Here is one that could really use a little more attention.

A neighbor of mine always has a very well planned-out garden. Here are some pictures from his front yard.

Zucchini of some sort.

The color is just exceptional.

The zucchini continues to grow.

My neighbor's tomato plants.

Some wildflowers in a lawn in the front of a school.

Things are not always as they seem. In the next garden I was really impressed with the beautiful color of the lettuce pictured here. However, once I tasted one of the leaves, I regretted my decision. This variety is apparently very sensitive to the heat and becomes very bitter.

A mix of spinach, lettuce and carrots

As you walk around your neighborhood, I hope that you will be able to encounter some beautiful gardens like these. Even if we are not enthusiastic about getting our hands dirty in the soil, vegetable gardening is good for all of us in so many ways.

 

One last look at the purple kale from the second school garden