Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Garden surprises


When we first started planting a garden several years ago, we just thought everything would grow just like the photo on the seed pack, but that just didn't happen. We had immediate success with some things like green beans, and then there were other things, like broccoli that just never seemed to mature and grow for us. It just immediately went to seed and produced a few little loose tops -- never enough to eat.

Later, we found that things like broccoli and Brussels sprouts had to be planted in the fall (in Georgia) if you wanted to produce a harvest. We didn't find out about that until this year. We did plant some Brussels sprouts and we just gave up on them. I haven't even looked at them for awhile. I don't think I have fertilized them or sprayed for worms or anything for some time. I just assumed we wouldn't have them this year. Good try but it just wasn't our year. We planned to plant more this fall and baby them through the winter for a good spring crop.

That is why I was totally surprised when my husband sent me this photo of our Brussels sprouts. I guess even though the conditions aren't perfect, you just can't stop some things from growing, if they want to grow. I don't think we are "supposed" to have them. We did plant plants, rather than seed in the early spring and I know they do take a long time to mature. I was just shocked that after the very warm weather, that we had anything like this at all.

I don't think we will have as many as if we had planted them earlier and I also don't think they will be as large before they seed, but I am very encouraged. What do I know? From what I have read, they aren't supposed to produce in a heat wave. Perhaps we are doing some things right to have something we aren't supposed to have. I am very thankful for this little surprise.

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