After the initial bumper crop of lettuce, zucchini and yellow squash, we are finally reaching the point of harvesting our other veggies (and sugar baby watermelons).

We have been really pleased with the tomatoes. Three of the plants have really taken off, and we’re expecting at least 100 tomatoes before the season ends. We planted Celebrity Hybrids from seed and the fruits are deep red, firm and solid almost all the way through (I am not a fan of the watery goosh in tomatoes, so I am especially pleased about that last part). We made homemade salsa with the tomatoes yesterday and it was delicious! We plan to can some as well.

The potatoes are also a nice surprise. We simply planted baby yukon gold potatoes that we had purchased in the produce section at the supermarket. We let them grow eyes and planted them whole. The ones pictured are the result of a single seed potato.

Elsewhere in the garden, the onions and beets are growing quite well. The dark green sugar baby watermelons have produced sweet, juicy rewards. The carrots grew masses of fingers in the hard clay soil, as expected, but we hope this year’s work will help break up that soil for straighter carrots next year. (We will power till again before the spring planting.)

The peppers were supposed to be red bell peppers, but they are growing long and lean, more like a hot pepper. We do have an Anaheim pepper plant in another section of the garden and we’re wondering if somehow they were cross-pollinated. We haven’t tasted them yet, so I will let you know if they have any heat.

Last, but not least, we are trying our hands at canning our hard-won harvest.

My husband bought the mother of all pressure cookers (I’ll share a photo in another blog) and he’s been canning everything from smoked beans to roasted peppers. He showed me the process when we canned a large box of peaches we picked up in Palisade, Colo. (if you have never eaten a fresh Palisade peach in August, you have not lived), and he made the zucchini/yellow squash pickles pictured.

More adventures in canning to come.

The garden is thriving (for the most part) and we are anticipating a good harvest. We have already started eating the squash blossoms, zucchini and yellow squash.

The rogue giant zucchini that always seem to hide under the leaves will be turned into bread, and the small, sweet ones have been excellent sauteed with a bit of olive oil and herbs.

I have been happy to see so many welcome bugs in the garden: lady bugs, daddy long legs and honey bees. We have been fortunate that the unwelcome bugs seem to have stayed away for the most part.

The carrots seem to be growing above ground, but I wonder how they are doing below. Our first-year, clay-packed garden may be turning those roots into odd shapes. You can see in this photo that the white carrot seems to be massive and the purple carrot seems to be growing multiple fingers. The fall carrot harvest will be good for a laugh, if nothing else.

We have lots of green tomatoes ripening, the corn stalks have healthy silks and the sugar baby watermelons are almost perfectly round and growing bigger everyday.
  

I have been watching flowers grow in our front bed since late spring, convinced at first that they were peonies. As they grew, it was obvious they were not peonies, but I could not place them. They finally began to bloom last week, and they are spectacular this morning.

From the research I have done online, I believe they are asiatic lilies.

Yet another pleasant surprise offered as we watch our gardens come to life during this first year in our home.

In the backyard, where things are still quite…um…rustic, there are a few nice surprises among the rogue grasses and weeds.

The plant I knew as “Indian toilet paper” as a kid, verbascum, is popping up everywhere. I love its velvety texture.

Several soft ferns are growing in the shade along with clover and these delicate white wildflowers. I am not sure what the flowers are called.

My only complaint about the flowers so far is that everything seems to be white, pale yellow or purple. Our house is also painted a light color, so it is too much of a monotone look for me. Next year, we will be sure to add some bright colors for contrast.

The vegetable garden is also doing well.

The alternating rains and hot days have done wonders for it, especially the corn, which is now well above four feet tall.

I am growing a vegetable garden for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the satisfaction of growing my own food. Yet, I find myself reluctant to harvest some plants because they are just too pretty to eat.

Our lettuce right now is gorgeous. Stunning. I would like to frame it and make it art in our home. This photo doesn’t do it justice, because I snapped it more than a week ago. You should see it now!

I did finally break down and snip off several leaves for us to enjoy with dinner the other night. You know what? It’s delicious as well. I suppose I will have to settle for the occasional photograph and enjoy the “art” on my plate.

Am I alone in this eccentricity?

It has been a rough couple of weeks for our new garden. When we planted on May 15, I really didn’t expect the rain to continue as long as it did. We were socked in for days, and some of our tender seedlings paid the price.

The watermelon, zucchini and cucumber seedlings effectively drowned. We have planted new seeds in their place, so we’ll see. Now that the sun seems to have made a return and the temperatures are rising, I feel more confident.

On the plus side, the lettuce and spinach is doing well and we have corn, shallots and potatoes breaking through the surface.

The tomato plants are still holding strong. I will continue to fertilize (we’re just using Miracle Gro in addition to compost this first year; I have hopes of going truly organic next year).

The soaker hose system works beautifully and that will make all the difference as we face more 90+-degree days.

Elsewhere around the yard, we have planted a few flowers and we have added a bird feeder and birdbath. A metal rooster planter, an antique store find, is our new yard mascot.

Of course, after all the rain, we’re fighting a valiant battle against the weeds that threaten to take over our entire lawn. We are growing quite a lovely crop of dandelion and thistle.

In my email I have received a great offer that gardeners will love.

This one is a Groupon coupon from Groundcovers Greenhouse and Nursery. For $25 you get $50 worth of plants and gardening supplies. Coupon expires Nov 30, 2011.

Located at 4301 East Iliff Ave Denver CO 80222,  2 blocks east of Colorado Blvd on Iliff, and Iliff is 2 blocks south of Evans Ave. The Groupon coupon has a limited quantity available, so it might be a good idea to head on over and pick one up.  “A neighborhood garden center, Groundcovers Greenhouse fills its shelves with fleets of flora, gardening gear, and outdoor décor.”

Colorado gardeners, it has been quite a season so far, hasn’t it?

As thankful as I am for the much-needed rain (let’s not even talk about the May snow), I am ready to see the springtime sun, and I am definitely ready for warmer temps.

In spite of the cold and rain, we planted our vegetables this past weekend. May 15 has always been my target planting date, and I stuck to it. I have been hardening the seedlings for several weeks, so I have every hope that they will manage well even in the cooler weather.

Light of the moon

My 95-year-old grandmother, who comes from Iowa and Nebraska farm families, recommends planting above-ground plants in the “light of the moon” and below-ground plants in the “dark of the moon.” I had every intention of following that advice in her honor, but we were on a roll and just planted everything at once. The moon was waxing as we planted on May 15, so I hope our potatoes, shallots, beets, carrots and onions won’t mind.

We also have prepared our first round of critter control: Enemy number one being our sweet, but persistent, tomato-and-lettuce-eating Welsh Corgi mix. We devised a simple fence of plastic rods and coated chicken wire, leaving enough space to walk around the front of the garden bed. She has already broken in once, by pushing over a corner rod, so we have reinforced some areas with bricks and we strung an extra line of cord to the top of the rods.

I’m quite happy to provide this updated list of garden tours in Colorado for 2011. Last year’s list became quite a popular blog post, so it’s great to see how many people are interested in touring the wonderful private gardens that these generous people open up to the public. I was sad to find no information for a few of the ones I had on last year’s garden tour list, but perhaps it’s just not easily found on Google yet.

As with any garden event, take lots of pictures and become inspired for your own gardens. Let’s get this season off to a great start! Be sure to tell us how much fun you had exploring your town. And don’t forget to pass this information on to a friend you think might enjoy it.

Be sure to visit the website of each tour to see if any changes are made to the event or if there are cancellations.

1. 9th Annual Whittier-Mapleton Hill Garden Tour - June 4, 2011 (Boulder)
2. The 20th annual Grand Valley Garden Tour – June 11 and 12, 2011 (Grand Junction, Western Slope. For more information call 970-245-9030 or 244-1840, Western Colorado Botanical Gardens)
3. Enchanted Gardens of Northwest Denver – Saturday June 11th 2011 (Denver)
4. Mayfair Cottage Garden Tour – June 11^th 2011 (Denver)
5. Festival of Flowers Garden Tour – June 17 and 18th, 2011 (Longmont – For information please call 303-684-7523)
6. 29th Annual Terrace and Garden Tour on June 18^th 2011 (Fort Collins)
7. Washington Park Garden Tour – June 18th 2011 (Denver)
8. Park Hill Garden Walk – June 25^th 2011 (Denver)
9. 8th annual Loveland Garden Tour - June 25^th 2011 (Loveland)
10. Evergreen Garden Tour – June 25^th 2011 (Evergreen)
11. A KALEIDOSCOPE OF GARDENS – June 25th and 26th 2011 (Colorado Springs) – Ticketing info and questions to: Jane Fitzgerald (719) 488-5619
12. El Paso County Open Garden Tour – July 9 – 10th – 2011 (Colorado Springs)
13. Crested Butte Wildflower Festival – July 11-17^th 2011 (Crested Butte – nature hikes)
14. Cat Lady’s Open Garden and Daylily Sale – July 16^th 2011 (Aurora)
15. Strings Kitchen and Garden Tour – July 16^th 2011  (Steamboat Springs)
16. SUMMIT COUNTY 21st ANNUAL GARDEN TOUR – Saturday, July 23rd, 2011 (in the mountains)
17. Garden and Landscape Tour (their Inaugural tour!) – Saturday, August 13, 2011 (presented by the Kiwanis Club of Windsor) Thanks to our reader, Audrey, for this mention. Happy to add it!
18. Colorado Parade of Ponds – August 27 – 28^th 2011 (Franktown – premier Water Garden Tour)

Also, if you know of any garden tours in Colorado you would like to see listed here, please let us know.  Don’t forget to include the website where people can purchase tickets and find out more info.

Tomorrow, May 6, is National Public Gardens Day. Gardens across the country are opening their gates to the public, free of charge.

In Colorado, the Denver Botanic Gardens, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in the Vail Valley and The Gardens of Spring Creek in Fort Collins are participating.

The Denver Botanic Gardens annual plant sale also runs May 6 and 7.

Visit the Better Homes and Gardens home page to learn how to get your free ticket for National Public Gardens Day (requires registration for the coupon).

Happy May Day, everyone. In some countries, May Day is celebrated as a labor day or workers’ day, but being of Scandinavian descent, it always makes me think of flowers and maypoles. The maypole dance is regarded as a dance of fertility and rebirth, which is perfect for spring.

So, on this May Day, although it is gray and cloudy here in Denver (45 degrees; brrr), I thought it was a good time for a garden update.

One of the exciting parts of being a new homeowner in a previously owned home is the joy of discovering the plants and flowers the last residents left in our keeping. I feel a childlike excitement every time a new flower blooms or a new shrub begins to turn green.

"Cheerfulness' double daffodils

Currently, there are several varieties of daffodils and tulips finally making a showing around the yard. The miniature white and yellow double daffodils in our front bed are beautifully delicate. I believe they are both a variety called “cheerfulness.”

'Cheerfulness' yellow double daffodils and dragonfly garden ornament

The dragonfly (or is that a butterfly?) garden ornament was a housewarming gift from a coworker/friend and I am in love with it. It is made out of old flatware. She found it at the Artisan Center in Cherry Creek, and I plan to visit their shop soon for some more garden finds (as well as unique jewelry and other items).

'Tahiti' double daffodil

There’s a lovely large, yellow double daffodil blooming that I think might be the Tahiti variety.

We have also made progress on the vegetable garden bed. My husband’s sister was nice enough to help us by hauling a truck bed full of compost (sourced at Pioneer Sand Company), which we raked over the surface. My husband also built the irrigation system from a variety of PVC pieces connected to the house by a garden hose. Each of the five bed sections will have its own soaker hose that can be turned on and off with a valve. (I am seriously impressed by his design. It’s not something I would have created on my own.)

Vegetable garden irrigation system; pvc pipe and soaker hoses

Try to ignore the state of the lawn in the photos (blush). That’s one of the many garden projects on our ever-growing list.