Gardening in Maine this year has been quite the adventure, that’s for sure! It’s hard to imagine that this field was planted with vegetables at the start of June.
What started out as a dry and hopeful summer, quickly turned into a big time rainfest across the state.
Gardening. Some years are winners. Other years are total duds.
Luckily though, at least we’ll get a few tomatoes this year from the raised garden beds. Not a lot, but enough for a few batches of fresh salsa
The kitchen garden this year along with its raised beds though, is doing really well this year. Here it is late September and it’s still going strong.
We still have plenty of rhubarb.
And the kale seedlings I planted last month are coming along nicely. Some for me, some for the insects to nibble on… That just seems to be the way it goes here in Maine. 😉
The beets are currently the size of golf balls. I plan on roasting them though so I think I’ll let them get a little bigger.
Leeks! This was my second year growing leeks successfully from seed. They are HUGE and almost too pretty to harvest. I think I’ll make a batch of potato leek soup next week.
And the broccoli, it’s coming along too. I just hope we have a few more weeks before the first frost so it has time to grow a few heads. Fresh broccoli, you just can’t beat it. It tastes sooo much better when harvested out of your own garden.
And last but not least… My Bloomstruck hydrangeas. They are STILL blooming! And I adore all the different color combinations that you get from a single plant. These were by far one of the best gardening purchases I’ve made in recent years, that’s for sure.
It will be fun to see just how long they’ll go on producing this year. Who knows, it could be another month.
So what’s new in YOUR garden these days? Have you packed up all your tools yet, or are you still harvesting mountains of vegetables and flowers? Do tell.
~Mavis
Brianna says
Hydrangeas. We bought our house October last year and everything was unrecognizable. I waited until spring and used an app to help identify what to keep and what to remove. Mostly builder-grade plants. Anyways, there was a hydrangea and I was super excited. It grew and grew over the summer and became a huge leafy bush. The deer ate one side of it, but it still grew. Then it started getting leaf spot and that spread all over it. It never developed blooms either. I cut it back last week after deciding it was a loss and to keep the leaf spot contained. I am not sure if I should give it a try again next year or just remove it entirely. I love hydrangeas, but mine might be a problem one.
I have a few Rose of Sharon and a very dark crepe myrtle and cedar I am going to relocate this fall. They planted them all right next to the house and they will be a problem in a few years if I do not remove them. It has been an interesting year of removing the builder grade bushes and the clueless previous owners plantings. I have some invasive butterfly bushes to remove too. I took care of your favorite day lilies awhile ago. The Mexican pinyon died because it shouldn’t have been planted in northern Virginia. I hate when people put non native or invasive plants in the ground or plant too close to structures and do not pay attention to the mature size or have little knowledge of what they planted.
Joely says
I am still picking a few cherry tomatoes, eggplant, pole beans, scallions, chives and other herbs. I have a few potatoes left to dig up. My leeks are hanging out nicely. I do get a rare (tiny) summer squash or two. Definitely a dud of a growing season. None of my winter squash grew and my beet plants are tiny. My fennel looks downright microscopic. I did plant some spinach and winter lettuce seeds that have started to come up so maybe some fall salads will be on the menu. Gardening sure keeps you humble.
Courtney says
Wow! Those are beautiful hydrangeas. Wondering what type of grass seed you use. That grass grew fast and looks great. Props to the HH.
Judi Y. says
I was just going to say the same thing about the grass! It’s gorgeous!!! I live in Texas and everyone’s grass looks awful because of the drought even with watering it.
Jamie says
Hydrangeas are amazing! Broccoli usually lasts thru the 1st couple of frosts so hopefully you’ve got some time.
Mona R McGinnis says
There have been a few hard frosts here in NE Alberta. The only thing left in the ground right now are carrots & a few beets, probably for another week. There are green tomatoes laid out in the basement awa onions to finish drying. Tomatoes have been canned awa soup; salsa & sauce have been made. I’ve canned green beans & zucchini “pineapple” to be baked into carrot pineapple muffins this winter. I’ve eaten peas, kale, lettuce. I love gardening and processing the harvest & eating it.
Rosemary says
I am in Zone 8B. I read that we can plant a second garden in July-August (our weather is usually warm until November). So, that’s what I did! I planted beets, bell peppers, banana peppers, tomatoes, green beans, onion, cucumbers, pumpkins and watermelon (everything from seeds – except onions). The cucumber plants have some tiny cucumbers growing and the green beans have flowers (so hopefully I will see green beans soon). The beets, bell peppers, banana peppers and tomatoes didn’t seem to do too well . . . until now. They are growing but are still small – don’t know if they will mature before winter. Only one pumpkin plant survived (attacked by black aphids) but it is doing well. The watermelon plants are doing well also – just waiting to see some flowers. My garden seems to do better when I buy plants instead of starting it from seeds. It will be interesting to see if this “2nd season garden” is a success or not. This has been my year for experimenting!
Margo says
Started my broccoli seeds, carrots, kales, lettuces,bok Choi, and chards. Peas are coming up,and I’m still getting a few cherry tomatoes ( summer tomatoes were a bust this year), and cucumbers. Peppers are just now coming into their season and I got a good amount of shishito peppers yesterday that we will blister in hot oil and munch as a snack later today. Love being able to grow all fall and winter here, and there is so much less insect pressure then. Going to have to enclose the garden in netting to keep rodents out, though. To be planted soon are beets, scallions, and cipollini red onions. The base of that leek look huge, Mavis! Enjoy the leek and potato soup!
suzanne says
kale and green beens are still going strong. Cukes and romaine did well. I’ve been able to replenish me and my girls stocks of dried herbs. Like your beets I’m in no hurry to harvest the kohlrabi. I’ll be lucky to get 25 lbs of sauce tomatoes (greenhouse grown). So far the deer have left my tomatillo’s alone but wiped out the ground cherry’s growing next to them. Waiting as long as possible for the jalapeños so I can make cowboy candy. Nardello’s are slowly going into freezer. I’ll replant garlic end of October and maybe try some fava beans this year. Almost everything not grown in the greenhouse has been a bust here PNW. I need to pick up my game for the greenhouse next year.
Nancy says
We LOVE potato leek soup. I don’t use Ina’s recipe but I make alot and freeze a bunch. So good in January! Makes me feel good using the leeks and potatoes from our garden. Your hydrangas are beauties!
Sherry in Sumner says
There’s always fried green tomatoes, Mavis. In fact, I just made some last night from The Lost Kitchen cookbook by author Erin French, who has a restaurant in Freedom, Maine. They were delicious.
Emily says
Your hydrangeas are beautiful! I bought one in that variety this year too.
Could you please share your fresh salsa recipe? I was just thinking I would like to make some with ny late tomatoes.
Mavis Butterfield says
Here you go: https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/easy-heirloom-tomato-recipes-rainbow-salsa/
Jules says
We finally got rain here in Oregon. Just after finishing our first round of hazelnut harvest. Cucumbers are done, green beans are probably done now too. And rain means tomatoes are done. We will still be getting late carrots and potatoes though!
Norma says
If you don’t eat the tougher ends of the leek leaves in your soup, I highly recommend dehydrating them and grinding them into leek powder that can be sprinkled on most savory things that need a little lift of flavor. I do this with the tougher green tops on my onions too, and it works really well.