Vegetable gardening thoughts

I've been away from my vegetable garden for almost two weeks, but had access to veggies with our Home Exchange partners and their neighbors' garden. The red kale was remarkably good -- apparently it's an almost perennial veggie for them in Kauai; I was surprised at how delicious it was, even with temperatures in the low to mid 80's in September. There were lots of tomatillos to enjoy, along with peppers, and herbs.

At home in Western NC, kale gets decidedly tough through summer, and more bitter with heat; chard does well if it has enough moisture, and is still quite decent.

I sowed spinach, mesclun, mustard, and kale in my beds at home before I left; perhaps I'll return to flourishing cut-and-come-again plantings, or maybe not. Ditto for the kale, lettuce, and broccoli starts! They may have just been woodchuck food. We'll see.

We've just arrived in Vancouver for a couple of weeks, again in a lovely Home Exchange house, but one that's surrounded by a small garden space, with just a few herbs in pots.

It's so interesting to be in our Home Exchange partners house -- while they're in ours. Such different experiences, I think, on a day to day basis.

Comments

  1. How wonderful, to experience gardens in such diverse climates. I must say, I don't know how you do it - If I'm away for any longer than a week, I start fretting about the garden.

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  2. I fret, of course, but I've also planned my veggie garden for being away this fall. And we have the very experienced young gardening daughter of our neighbor watering as needed for our other plantings, largely the pocket meadow and the native plantings around the house and in the woodland below. So, we worry, but not quite as much as we did before engaging our young helper for watering!

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  3. I tried to grow tomatillos this summer as an experiment. I was not successful. Just not enough heat or growing days, I guess.

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  4. I've been able to grow tomatillos in Asheville in warm summers quite well, but they do need a long period of warmth! I think they were downright weedy in Kauai.

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