The Time-Lapse Kitchen Garden

One of the great things about blogging is that you have a permanent visual record of your garden. Day to day, year to year, I always think that I will remember everything. And of coarse, within weeks I forget a lot. It is always fun to look back at the pictures of my garden over one growing season just to appreciate how much growth and change there was. The top picture was taken on 04-03-2011. On a dry April day I had the chance to finally get the kitchen garden all cleaned up from the precious year. I added a fresh layer of Nature's Best Compost, raked it all in and it was ready to go for the new growing year.

04-10-11

Here the first two raised beds have been made and the radish and lettuce have been planted.

06-05-11

By early June the radish are being picked and enjoyed. The lettuce is ready also but under the protective cover of a remay tent. Both onion varieties are planted and growing and the tomatoes are in the ground now too.

06-27-11

By late June everything has been planted in the garden except the "Butternut" squash transplants. The remaining lettuce will get pulled after the Fourth of July weekend to make way for the last 2 hills of squash. With the cool weather, I kept a remay cover over the "Marina di Chioggia" squash for a while to provide some extra warmth.

07-11-11

Now the kitchen garden is all planted for the Summer.

07-25-11

By late July the tomatoes are at the top of the first tier of their cages. The morning glory have also reached the top of their support towers. The onion bulbs are really expanding and the "Marina di Chioggia" squash is starting to crawl.

08-01-11

By the first day of August the garden is really starting to fill-in. By this time it is obvious that the late-transplanted "Butternut" squash are not going to make it. This is actually good news because the "Marina di Chioggia" is about to engulf their whole growing area.

08-15-11

By mid-August the tomatoes have reached the top of the second tier of their towers. The "Delicata"squash is finally coming on in size just as the "Marina di Chioggia" reaches it. The onions are slowly disappearing from sight, lost in a sea of squash leaves.

08-29-11

By the end of August the garden has completely filled up with green plant material. The squash are pushing out of the deer fencing, only to get eaten every night. Both morning glories are blooming profusely.

09-06-11

Everything has grown over the tops of their respective towers. One vine of the "Marina di Chioggia" is now growing up the inside of the deer fencing, heading toward the sky! You can't see it in the picture but the plants are loaded with green tomatoes and maturing winter squash. Harvest time won't be far away!