Amber Garden and Raised Beds

This year I'm also gardening at the Amber Garden managed by the Nazarene Church down the street. It's been very nice so far. The plots are about 4 x 24 feet, plowed in the spring, and somewhat irrigated with drip irrigation (but it isn't working as well in some places as it should). There are over 100 plots, most of them being used. It is surrounded on 2 sides by fields, and has the county fairgrounds parking lot on the third side. It is so very peaceful working out there!

 My three plots are the straw covered ones at the front. Compost and aged manure piles were available for soil additions so that was good. Plus there were seedlings, seeds, tools, and wheelbarrows there for anyone to use.

 The Bintje and Purple Viking potatoes are from my raised bed garden at home. This is the 1st harvest. I like the Bintje. I love the Purple Vikings, but they seem more susceptible to worms in the tubers.

 Having read about replanting the potato plants after harvesting the bigger tubers, I tried this on any plants that still had tiny potatoes showing. So far (2 days) the plants look good. I watered them in well and cut about 1/3 of the tops off to help the roots set in again.

 The raised beds are really lush this year. Maybe it was the 12 wheelbarrow loads of new compost - maybe the cool moist start we had to summer. I don't know, but I like it.

 Pattypan squash doing well in the new SWC. But the squash bugs have arrived.

 Mostly pepper plants in these Earth Boxes. Several varieties that I neglected to mark. We did a taste test yesterday with Bob testing for hot ones - but I got ahead of him. Found one! Ouch. I don't do hot.

 The first batch of Zesty Zucchini Relish. I hope to do at least 2 more batches. I love a spoonful of this stuff on a salad with smoked deli turkey and some honey mustard dressing.

 The Blondie Cucumbers are doing well this year. Last year I got one deformed one. Just enough to decide I liked it and should try it again this year. So far I've harvested about 8 of them.

 The Polish Softneck garlic all harvested and drying. This year I hope to order a couple more varieties from wegrowgarlic.com. They have a very large variety to chose from but I'm still awaiting their 2011 online catalog. And this year I'll know better than to plant the tiny cloves. Last year I planted every scrap and most of them grew but they're very small like pearl onions.

 My first year growing Japanese Black Triffle tomatoes from Totally Tomatoes. The shape is so cute. None ripe yet.

 And the Japanese Black Triffle plants. Very large and prolific. Hope they taste good.

 I also put in 3 Opalka paste tomato plants from Totally Tomatoes. There are about 3 tomatoes growing on one plant. Very disappointing!

That far bed has the 3 Opalka and one Belgian Giant. None of the plants are as green as my other ones and none are showing many tomatoes. A few flowers but mostly just big plants that are pretty bare. I've tried more tomato fertilizer and also a misting with Epsom salt water twice. Nothing.

So that's the mid-July garden.