Our urban garden has been soaking up the sun and rain and the spring harvest is in full swing. Every year I learn a little more, and my garden and harvests are larger and healthier as a result. Even though I make mistakes, I do get to eat the delicious successes!

My spring harvest has been a success, with lots of mixed salad greens, herbs, and radishes gracing our table. Peas, beets, and cilantro are on the horizon! As I have been harvesting spring plants I have also been planting my summer secession of tomatoes, beans, squash, and peppers amongst the spring plants. By the time the cooler weather plants are starting to fade, ideally, the summer plants will just be growing strong and demanding more resources. I suppose time will tell!

Planting:

• Tomatoes, peppers, flowers, basil from starter trays
• Eggplant, okra, cucumber
• Direct sowing Long beans and Blue Hokkaido and Butternut squash

Harvesting:

• 2# Radishes (Daikon, scarlet globe, watermelon, and French breakfast) with greens
• .5# Peppermint, spearmint, anise hyssop, sage, tarragon
• .5# Elderflower, mugwort, and blooming yarrow
• 2.25# Mixed greens including kale, arugula, spinach, and scarlet frills
• .75# Sugar snap peas
• .5# Rhubarb

To-Do List:

• Direct sow tomatillos and peppers
• Hunt cabbage moths and slugs
• Turn in greens as they start to bolt and mulch
• Take calendar notes on plant succession for reference next year

Reading:

• Will Bonsall’s Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening by Will Bonsall. I have been learning a lot of Bonsall’s time-tested gardening ideas from his book and have also been enjoying his anecdotes and fend-for-yourself approach to growing food. If we could all just do a bit more for ourselves, as Bonsall encourages, perhaps we’d be better off with more flavor and security in our lives and food.
• Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers by Stephen Harrod Buhner. I return often to this text and have been reading again lately for information about spring herbs that I am adding to meads and teas, including yarrow flowers, elderflowers, and mugwort.