Birdhouse Gourd
We enjoyed cauliflower and broccoli at the table tonight, though neither of them came from my garden. I hope that changes soon. All the plants are looking healthy and perky from the recent rain. Last week I saw a green worm and what looked like eggs, but apparently a bird came along and had them for lunch. There isn’t a single trace of whatever it was, though chewed leaves are in abundance.
After a life of eating mostly from the grocery store, I get pretty excited at the prospect of real vegetables growing out back. I wasn’t raised eating either of these vegetables, but have grown to love them both. I prefer my broccoli steamed or in soup and my cauliflower raw.
The pair of birdhouse gourds are still hanging on, but it won’t be long now. I’ve seen some amazing examples of painted gourds on the web. Time to start pinning ideas.
Broccoli and Cauliflower, November 9th
Broccoli and cauliflower, December 17th (six weeks later)
It looks like at least one of the radishes survived the kitty onslaught, or it could be an herb that I don’t yet recognize. I love the mystery of it all. And yes, those are pumpkin plants in the lower box, a self-seeded crop growing away in mid-December. Go figure?
Gardening Nirvana 
You love the mystery of it all and I love your passion! It all look gorgeous, those staggered and raised planter boxes are the cats meow. I can’t wait to see what you do with the Birdhouse gourds. I was thinking about what kind of vegetables got served up when we were kids. I was such a picky eater. I do remember loving carrots though. My grandpa had a giant garden in his yard, it was a vegetable Palooza every other weekend when we’d visit him. Lots of Carrots, Potatoes, Peas and green beans, which I hated then but love now. I don’t think we ever tried broccoli or cauliflower but I know someone who grows it here, very well. I need to check into that community garden soon…I can walk there and it would be so fun.
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Oh you would have such fun with a community garden if you could walk to one. Do you rent a plot? When I was reading about your rainfall, I also saw that your growing season is late June through early September. You really do have to make the most of that short time.
I too was a picky eater!!! And yes, carrots, potatoes, peas and green beans. I never liked carrots or beans cooked, but I did enjoy them raw. It’s easy to forget now that we are so globally intertwined, that all those green vegies and yummy fruits had to be shipped from somewhere else. They were rare and expensive. Did you get a piece of fruit in your stocking? We received nuts and tangerines.
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I’ll have to contact the Oliver community that operates that garden…posted somewhere back there. I believe it’s an annual rental. They probably have a waiting list, it’s so central….fingers crossed.
I think I remember a lot of canned vegetables in the winter…yuck, canned peas and carrots…bleuck (spelt?) We actually use to get a Christmas plate with fruit and candy and cookies, it’s a German tradition. Except none of us like the cookies, but ever year they turned up ??
I do remember getting a box of Japanese oranges and thought they were the greatest thing, probably a real treat since 1 box was usually it. O boy, now I buy a box a week…wow we’re are so spoilt.
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We sure are. I read recently that one of the biggest factors to preventing cancer of any kind was to eat fruit. Lots of it. We are very lucky indeed.
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Jim’s very good about eating lots of fruit, admittedly, I have a long ways to go.
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Me too. It’s not that I don’t like fruit, either, but that it is easy to grab, you know, the other stuff. Sigh
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Peas in a Pod :oP
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:_)
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PS. Thanks for the compliment!
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😀 xoK
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