Sunday, November 29, 2015

Digging Potatoes

      Our potato supply had dwindled to essentially nothing. I had planted lots of potatoes in March, but had not dug them as needed in July or August because it was too stinking hot. The tops then all died off, and it was very easy to forget about the potatoes. I threw in some leaves where the bed was, and hoped the vole damage wouldn't wipe out everything. In early fall, my grandson Wesley helped me dig a section of the bed and we did quite well with a harvest.
      Never having left potatoes this long in the garden, I was fearful when I invited Wesley for a potato hunting adventure when Barb and Emily and all the kids and hubbies were here yesterday. Wesman and I raked backed the leaves and I started to dig. Bingo, we soon had a hit. And then another. Some big, some small, some whoppers. Wesman was scooping up potatoes, and throwing them in a pile. As we moved along the bed and away from the pile, it made sense to bring the little green wagon into play. Then Wes took the wagon by the kitchen to show everyone. At that point Ella joined in the digging, so I had two eager helpers.
      The haul was much better than any of my expectations. Our supply has gone back up.

Potato haul, November 28, 2015
Wesman, the Potato Man
Do you think he had fun?
       Wesley and family did take some of the potatoes home, but I will move the rest to the basement for storage. And, did I mention that all of these potatoes were free? They were started from left overs from last year that sprouted and were then planted in March. These are scrumptious Kennebec potatoes. I will keep a bunch that have some vole damage for seed potatoes for next year.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Lettuce Bonus

      I have lost track of the last time I visited or tended my park gardens.  Weeks at the very least.  I got a call this morning from the gardener who tends the plot next to mine.  He told me there was harvestable lettuce at the back of my garden, and he wondered if he had thrown some seed back there.  This is part of what I found from my visit.

Park Lettuce, 11/10/15
      Wow, I was able to pick enough for a salad tonight, as this was just part of the plants. And no, he had not scattered the seed. Instead this is a result of my having been lazy and leaving in the spring crop. It went to seed, germinated, and now is providing me with a free surprise lettuce bonus.  I hope to transplant some to cold frames to extend the harvest even more.
      Instead of calling this lettuce by its name Black Seeded Simpson, I will prefer to think of it as Self Seeded Simpson.