Gardening Updates!

Hey frenns! 

If you’ve been following my instagram, you have already seen this! (Shameless plug: follow me here) 

But I am officially updating you guys on #TheHarveyGarden2020. It’s so weird- Even though I totally know what my garden looked like when I started- the side by side surprises even me to see the tremendous growth in my garden over just a mere 5 weeks. 

I’ve purchased some things (read: a lot) at the beginning of gardening season and even a few (read: several) more vegetables/fruit throughout the beginning of the season. Here is the video showing what my seedlings looked like at the very beginning. 

Now, there has been so much growth. I pretty much have the produce section of the grocery store.

My garden is starting to look so lush.

When I look at the photos of growth- it is shocking. The one that’s really surprised me the most is my Purple Cabbage. I call her (the cabbage not the media mogul) Oprah. I know you guys have seen that video of Oprah and her ridiculously large cabbage. I cannot believe that my ONE cabbage is almost to Oprah status. Well it feels that way in my mind. But it’s well on it’s way to winning the state fair!

As I look around my garden everything is growing. I’d love to say it’s my wonderful green thumb (I still don’t think I have one) but I also have been fertilizing it a lot. I also make a POINT to fertilize when I know rain is coming so I can get the double whammy of rain PLUS fertilizer. So far this strategy has worked. A lot of people ask me about what fertilizer I use, and it’s your standard fish fertilizer. It smells positively AWFUL but it works wonders. Which is also why I only use it when it’s about to rain because well…it helps to wash the terrible scent away. If and when you buy some- please don’t act brand new because I just TOLD you that it smelled #turrble

To Prune or Not to Prune That is The Question

I’ve also been pruning a lot more this year. Pruning is one of those things that are the “great debate” in gardening. To prune or not to prune that is the question. I had really never pruned much until this year. I was just afraid to take off anything that was “growing.” But one day, I was listening to a sermon and it talked about how pruning helps us (humans) grow. Not physically but mentally and spiritually. The biblical verse reference is John 15: 1-2. In that verse it specifically says, “I am the real vine and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does not bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.” (Good News Bible Translation). Not to preach a Sunday school lesson but this makes PERFECT SENSE. Sometimes, the branches that are not bearing fruit really are just sucking energy and taking up unnecessary space. So it makes sense to me to prune. That sermon really convinced me. I’ve been pruning my tomato and Tabasco pepper plants. And it may be in my head but it really seems that EVERY TIME I pruned I would see more and more leaves (on the pepper plant) and tomato (on the vines). So to me, it works. I think I’ll do a longer post about the benefits of pruning and why I am “pro” prune because it’s more than just breaking off branches it’s a science and method to it as well.

I’ve been eating and consuming my herbs and eating some of my kale. I did a post on how to harvest the kale and I also used my dill for some roasted potatoes. I’ll do a longer post on some recipes and ideas for using your herbs.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before but I am growing some items in the containers. Mostly because I wanted to do it for you guys. I usually plant in my raised bed but I know a lot of people do container gardening and I wanted to experience it as well. My containers are going well “for the most part” However- – I really made a mistake with my tomatoes (I have two different types- early girls and cherry) in the container. I didn’t use “container dirt.” I used to subscribe to the mindset that “dirt is dirt.”But dirt is NOT dirt. Dirt is different for different purposes and I absolutely know I should have used a lighter dirt so the dirt in the tomatoes could drain more. Now every time it rains the container gets extremely muddy and i have to tip over the container to get the dirt out. It does not drain well at all. Even with my own (still a rookie) mistake- my semi greenish thumb is shining through. Those tomato buds are coming, I have babies and I yet have growth. 

So far, I haven’t really dealt with many pests but that’ s because I have been SUPER proactive. I do all organic gardening so this year I have spraying neem oil on my plants. I like this neem oil because it is already mixed in. It has an interesting scent as well. I make sure to spray my leafy greens and those surrounding them with neem oil. Those little white butterflies are NOT your friend they are pests! Neem oil is a great preventative and organic.

It’s just honestly really nice to see so much growth and know that there is more to come. 

Enjoy the snaps from my garden and the full review video below. 

Here’s the full list of herbs, fruit and vegetables in my garden. 

Herbs: 

1. Basil
2. Cilantro 
3. Chives
4. Dill
5. Lavender
6. Lemon balm 
7. Lemon grass 
8. Parsley
9. Rosemary 
10. Sage 

Fruit: 

Vegetables:

1. Bell peppers 
2. Cabbage 
3. Corn
4. Jalapeño peppers 
5. Greens (mustard and collards)
6. Okra
7. Tobasco peppers 

And ONE SURPRISE that NO ONE can seem to guess. Let me know below if you can guess my surprise vegetable I’m growing in my garden.

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