Mixing Edibles and Ornamentals

I’ve been trying to mix my edible plants in with my ornamental plants because I’ve been reading that it’s a good way to deter pests. Not to mention I don’t have much edible gardening space so it’s nice to tuck them in here and there in my flowerbeds where I have an empty spot.

As you can see in this photo, I have a pink peony blooming with some catmint blooming in front of it. In the background you can see a pea climbing up the small trellis.

These are the only peas in the garden that the deer didn’t find, so I guess my plan is working. In front of the catmint I have cabbages & broccoli planted. It’s the only cabbage & broccoli that doesn’t have cabbage loopers on it and that they wildlife hasn’t nibbled.

Not only have I had great success with mixing my edible in my flower beds, I really like the combination. I love the way cabbages look when tucked in among other things. I think I’m going to be doing more and more of this.

What about you, any edibles in your ornamental beds?

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Harvesting Radishes

This is the first year I’ve grown radishes. I’ve never been much of a radish fan, but then it occurred to me that perhaps I’ve just never been much of a mass-produced radish fan. So I ordered some heirloom radish seeds from Baker Creek and about 3 weeks ago I planted the seeds.

I’m growing 2 different kinds:

Pink Beauty: A beautiful round pink radish that has become hard to find. It is sweet and tasty. Popular at specialty markets, a must for all radish growers! Wonderful and unique.

Suxa II: Popular European radish that matures in just 3 weeks; wow, they are quick! Bright red, smooth, round, perfect globes are crisp and delicious. Pretty and productive.

I must say, I’m hooked on radishes now. I love that they’re so quick to grow, there’s not much in the garden that’s ready to harvest 3 weeks after you plant. You also can’t beat a veggie that you just pick, rinse and enjoy. I just planted a bunch more yesterday and I’m going to order a few different kinds to try. I think radishes will become a favorite crop here at Chiot’s Run.

What about you, do you grow radishes? What kinds do you like?

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A Big THANKS!

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.

Since Memorial Day is traditionally a weekend where a lot of gardening is done, take the day, enjoy the long weekend and spend some time in your garden. Just remember to take some time to honor those that have died to allow us this freedom.

Brian and I had the honor of filming the memorial and committal ceremonies for local young veteran this past week. It was a sad way to observe Memorial Day weekend, but very moving. If you’d like to watch the video we made visit our business blog.

I’d like to take the time today to honor all of those that have served and currently serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, especially those that have died in service to our country. I’d like to offer a big THANK YOU to all of you who have fought for the freedoms we enjoy. I’ll be spending my day in the garden celebrating!

How do you celebrate Memorial Day?

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What’s in Your Pantry?

Yesterday my pantry was featured on Perfect Pantry. Head on over there and take a peek into my pantry.

I’d love to start a weekly series like this here, only I’d feature gardens each week, what do you think? Would you like to take a peek into other people’s gardens?

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Bees in the Garden

I love seeing the ladies in the garden working while I’m out and about. I’m always trying to take photos of them, but they’re always so busy and working so quickly. I finally got this one.

These chives are obviously delicious as you can see since she’s diving right in! I’m also very happy to see the ladies enjoying the strawberry blossoms. They’ll get lots of pollen and I’ll get lots of berries.

This year I’ve been noticing more and more pollinators in the gardens. We have many different kinds of bees and wasps around. I think it’s because we’ve been working on making our gardens more diverse with plants that are beneficial for the pollinators.

What are you doing for the pollinators in your life?

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