Getting the Garden In

We've been working really diligently the past two weeks getting the new garden in. The old garden was 8' by 10' (80 square feet) and last year it held herbs and vegetables. We wanted to dramatically expand our growing space this season, and instead of adding on to the old garden, we decided to build a new, separate garden in the middle of the yard. The new vegetable garden is 10' by 20' (200 square feet) . Building it was hard, but enjoyable, work. Not only did we dig the grass out, we hauled and spread 1,000+ pounds of organic soil amendments into the freshly tilled soil and built a fence around it to keep Emily out. The old garden is now 100% devoted to herbs and the new garden is all veggies! I'm THRILLED! I finally have an ample herb garden for my needs!

What did we plant, you ask? The question is what DIDN'T we plant!

These herbs now live in my herb garden:
Curly Parsley
Italian Parsley
Garlic
Chives
Dill
Sage, 3 varieties
Oregano
Mint - pineapple, chocolate, apple, peppermint
Patchouli (a must, if you know me!)
Eucalyptus
Lavender, 2 varieties
Curry
Summer Savory
Rosemary, 4 varieties
Basil, 3 varieties
Tarragon
Thyme

The following herbs survived the mild winter we experienced last year: Dill, Italian Parsley, Mint, Sage, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary and Eucalyptus. So, even though it's early in the season, with a lot of young plants freshly added, the herb garden is already going with gusto with several well established large plants!

These vegetables comprise the new garden:
Onions - white, red
Shallots
Mustard Greens
Chard
Butterhead Lettuce
Purple Butterhead Lettuce
Salad Bowl Lettuce
Peanuts
Eggplant
Bush Beans
Bush Cucumbers
Jalapeno Peppers
Sweet Banana Peppers
Serrano Peppers
Red Bell Peppers

And lastly, we have a total of 19 tomato plants, including the following varieties: Sweet 100, Sun Sugar, Celebrity, Roma as well as several heirlooms in all colors (purple, green, orange, yellow, striped/multi color)

I can't wait to stand in the middle of the garden and eat the first warm tomato off of the vine!All of these organic, fresh veggies and herbs will eventually end up on our own personal dinner table, as well as the dinner tables of many faithful Crosby clientele!

Happy spring planting, everyone!

Chef Jeanette