Driveway Veggies: 6/18/15

It's about time I do an update on the veggies, don't ya think?

The spring goodies are pretty much finished, other than some carrots we haven't pulled yet, so now we're waitin' on the yummy summer produce.

Just for fun, here's a list of what we've got goin' on in the driveway (and the small section of side yard that belongs to our neighbor) this year:

10 tomatoes
1 zucchini
5 cucumbers
6 bush beans
2 pole beans
20 or so garlic
1 potato tower
1 tomatillo
6 chard
3 kale
1 raspberry
4 eggplant
2 peppers
1 watermelon
1 mystery - broccoli, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts

As for herbs, we've got lemon balm, spearmint, pineapple mint, shiso, chives, parsley, purple sage, tarragon, two different oreganos, marjoram and eight different basils.

And, in true Mindy fashion, I snuck some flowers in, too.  Cosmos, zinnias, calendula, nasturtiums, alyssum, and four 'o clocks, all from seed, as well as a lavender, annual vinca, the giant blue lacecap hydrangea, and some mixed planters.

Here's how everything's lookin':

The kids got these wood planters at the end of the school year through garden club.

I inherited the pot in the front from neighbors who moved and the back one is a free crate from our neighborhood Asian grocery store.

I've always had my herb pots scattered around the backyard, but I decided to try them out here this year.

The left side of this container is where our radishes were.

I just planted the bush beans in their place last week.

That's the garlic on the far right, and there's more under the beans on the left, that I also just planted.

Our neighbor across the street got a load of wood chips and shared two wheelbarrows full, so I spread that on the ground section.

A couple zinnias.

All but one of the tomatoes are heirlooms, started by seed.

A couple reseeded from what I had last year, the others were given to me as tiny starts.

I have no idea what I got, except for a Green  Zebra, which I grew last year and loved.

The one nursery tomato is Tumblin' Tom.

I committed to things for the new trough and went with lots of purples.

Two purple basils, the purple sage, purple eggplant, mmmmmm.

Then two of the peppers are in here, a four 'o clock from seeds that Grace sent me, and two nasturtiums and two calendula that a friend started from seed

It's gonna be so pretty once everything fills in.

The Dad got me a new window box built.

The one I built in 2002 literally had the bottom falling out of it.

So I replanted the existing pansies and fuchsias that were half dead and added a caladium.

My mom sold our old playpen to a family friend and in addition to the cash, she threw two pots into the deal.

I LOVE them.

I just got them planted last week, but they'll be pretty in front of the garage door once they start filling in.

We're just a few days away from eating our first cucumber and Baby's got her eye on the first cherry tomato that's almost ready.

I've already made a batch of pesto with kale and mixed basil - delicious.

And before long, I'll be cursing the amount of zucchini, I'm sure.

We've got blueberries, snap peas, luffa, onions, dill, rhubarb, an artichoke, current, and more peppers in other parts of the yard, too, so we're doin' okay with the mini farm this year.  :o)

Maybe some day we'll have a yard big enough for a dedicated garden space, but for now, the driveway setup is workin' A-okay.