Vegetable Gardening

[GLC1968]

You definitely need to try some of that red Russian kale. I'm not a huge fan of ordinary curly kale either, but I like black (lacinato) kale in soups and stews, and the red kale is just plain delicious and really, really tender.

I have to second this! I like the curly Kale - but it would not be my first choice in terms of veggies. I wanted to grow Kale just because it's different and it grows almost year-round here. I bought red russian seeds because it looked pretty (and figured it would taste the same). We've been harvesting it like mad and I made my first big batch of sauteed kale and sweet corn the other day. I've made this 'recipe' before with curly kale and it was good. With the red russian? It's amazing! Sooo tender and slightly sweet...no bitter bite like the curly stuff. I'm a new fan (and super glad since I've got mounds and mounds of it)!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ok ok I will try some red Russian kale! (If I can get the seeds around here in the boondocks).

They broke ground for the new 40' x 18' vegetable garden in our back yard today- so exciting! They are coming back tomorrow to do some more digging and bring in some new topsoil and compost to heap in the middle. After that it's a matter of waiting for the fence to be installed around the perimeter (to keep all the marauding varmints and deer out), then lastly laying out and sculpting the beds and paths inside. I can't wait to starting planting! (but I'll have to).

Here are a few pix- I'm in the last two shots, after the guys went home for the day.

[tulip]

Lisa, that is going to be one wonderful garden! Congratulations!

EDIT: Wait, do you have TWO new gardens? Looks like another one over to the right.

[GLC1968]

Very nice!

(but I think you should have dug that by hand )

[OakLeaf]

Mmmmmmm, backhoe.

Sheesh, if her soil is as clay as mine was when I started, she'd still be digging out the third shovel full.

Plow attachment for the lawn tractor. Lots of shaking out sod by hand.

First year I pulled out the six-inch rocks.

Second year I pulled out the four-inch rocks.

Third year I pulled out some of the two-inch rocks.

Fourth year I grew beautiful carrots. (And I'm still pulling out two-inch rocks. )



PS. Seeds.

[GLC1968]

Oooh yeah, I meant to post this...

Red Russian Kale from my two favorite non-local seed sources:

http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Kale/Russ...or-Ragged-Jack

http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=625(OG)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, that is going to be one wonderful garden! Congratulations!
EDIT: Wait, do you have TWO new gardens? Looks like another one over to the right.

No- that area on the right was a decades-old old heavy 5" thick poured concrete parking area next to the house, it was cracked, heaving, and uneven and thus very hard to snowplow or shovel. Very ugly as well. My DH is so clever that he figured out why not, while we have the backhoe here and the fill freshly removed from the new garden spot,- well he had the excavator backhoe that cement out and haul it away and then use our own fill there and just seed it over with new grass. We have parking enough elsewhere. It was a brilliant and efficient move!

(but I think you should have dug that by hand )

I thought you were going to do it? Don't you remember offering??

Mmmmmmm, backhoe.
Plow attachment for the lawn tractor. Lots of shaking out sod by hand.
First year I pulled out the six-inch rocks.
Second year I pulled out the four-inch rocks.
Third year I pulled out some of the two-inch rocks.
Fourth year I grew beautiful carrots. (And I'm still pulling out two-inch rocks. )

At 55, I decided I didn't want to spend the next few years hauling rocks and killing myself. I can kill myself weeding it instead for the next 30 years, and at least eat well while I'm doing it.

Thanks for the kale seed links, guys- I'll def look into it.

Ok now I hear thunder in the distance again...dire weather warnings of thunderstorms and hail again tonight. It was a miracle the sunny window we had today when they dug and worked.