I'd like to say these came from the alleyway . . .
. . . but they actually came from my husband's garden in the backyard, where the soil is just a bit more productive... And the gardener is okay, too. ;)
But still, we grew them, and I love them!!! My house is normally littered with toys, smeared with food, and covered with crayon drawings on the walls. So I'm really, really enjoying this little breath of beauty beside me as I type.
Here's what is growing in the alleyway this year. So I complained in an earlier post that I couldn't even successfully cultivate a zucchini in the alley. This year, after bags and bags of composted manure, there is a little more success. Here's a pic taken by my four year old (I hadn't even realized he'd snagged the iphone and brought it to the alley in his pocket--later I found the pics and thought, "Wow! A budding photographer!!!").
But do you notice the yellow and somewhat shriveled end of that one little zucchini? They are still suffering from nutrient deficiency. Last summer, every zucchini, once it reached about an inch in length, shriveled, turned yellow, and fell from the plant. This year, each zucchini received approximately 15 lbs of composted manure in the hole before it was planted, yet I'm still having to give them doses of miracle grow to prevent this zucchini death.
But here's what's growing just great in the alley!!! Raspberries! And besides pruning in the spring, we don't even need to do anything. They just spread and spread. Look for my favourite raspberry recipe from my childhood on the blog tomorrow!
Have you tested the Ph in your garden? Raspberries like acidic soil, zucchinis, not so much. You may want to adjust for Ph. In addition to composted cow manure, I like a slow release fertilizer like Osmacote instead of Miracle Grow. I think we put a total 35-50 pound bags of composted manure in our gardens this year, 20 bags last year, and 25-30 the year before and are just now beginning to reap the benefits. It's a bit of an investment, but more than the produce we are beginning to enjoy, it's the fun of seeing the beautiful things that are growing now. It's cheaper than paying the counselor for treating me for depression! Your garden looks really great, and I hope you get some of that tasty zucchini this year!
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