Fenton Friday: Record-Fast Beans

This week as the Olympics go on in Tokyo, I'm happy to report a personal speed record at the community garden -- I picked my first pint of the Castandel bush beans I planted as direct-sown seeds exactly 42 days ago! It is a nice compact plant perfect for small space gardens and the beans are so slender and sweet (not to mention speedy and prolific!), I definitely plan to grow this variety again.

We finally got some rain this week though it arrived in the form of a violent storm on Monday evening that took down large trees and powerlines followed by pea-sized hail that tore some of many leaves to shreds. Still, I am grateful the min-drought here was broken and that we also had a couple small rains throughout the week to top it off. 

We harvested more cucumbers and zucchini this week along with a 'Shishito' pepper. The 'Sungold' tomato are so close to ripening, but not quite yet.

I cut more bouquets from the celosia, gomphrena, and zinnia. I am still awaiting on the double cosmos plants to bloom, it will be so fun to make arrangements with them.

What is growing in your kitchen garden?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Bean Gone

The beans are definitely done. Someone/some thing came and nibbled all the top foliage off yesterday. I think it was a rabbits, but am not sure. In any case, bean production had pretty much ended and I was planning on clearing out the space this weekend for starting some cool season crops.

The weather has moderated and the humidity comes and goes, so it is not unpleasant to be out in the plot during the day and I am more motivated to start anew.

I'll be switching everything over to cool season edibles and cover crops after Labor Day. It is too early to start planting garlic, though I need to make sure to save a good-sized spot for it.

Meanwhile, the Swiss chard is growing beautifully and tomatoes are still producing.

How is your edible garden growing this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: A Break in the Heat Wave

Today a cool breeze blew through and we finally broke our chain of 90+ days (and record summer heat) in Washington, DC. I don't want the summer to end, but today is a but of a relief.

This week at the community garden plot, we kept on picking tomatoes and beans - I am at that stage of giving away as much as I may eat. You know that point in that season where you are actually tired of fresh, juicy, off-the-vine fruit? Well, I'll be kicking myself this winter for not taking more advantage of them.

And speaking of tomatoes, I hope you will join us tomorrow (Saturday, 8/24) for our 12th annual Tomato Taste at the FreshFarm Market in downtown Silver Spring, MD. Here are all the details: https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2019/07/calling-all-tomato-heads.html. The farmers have already submitted set aside some great selections for us to try and I will have seeds, recipes, kid's activities, plus much more to share. It is always a fun time!

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Bean Gardening

We pulled out the last of the peas and planted two kinds of bush beans this week - 'Red Swan' from Hudson Valley Seed Company and 'Dragon's Tongue' from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. I have never grown either variety before so am curious to see how they do for me (barring rabbit interference) and how they taste compared to my usual 'Blue Lake' beans.

I also put in some 'Rainbow' Swiss Chard seedlings and a 'Savor' melon seedling that looks a bit weak, but I hope it recovers for me.

The cauliflower is developing nicely and I tucked into under a cover cloth in case the sun gets too intense this coming weekend.

What is growing in your edible garden this week?

About Fenton Friday: Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the FentonStreet Community Garden just across the street from my house in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: New Seeds In

Picking lots of beans from my community garden plot - even in this relentless heat. Looks like cooler temps are coming (though no rain predicted), so the interns and I went ahead and put in some cool weather crops.

We planted Arugula, Lettuce, Radish, and Carrots. I am deciding on whether a fall crop of peas is worth it. I also plan on picking up some Broccoli starts, though I have not had such luck with then in past years.

How is your edible garden growing?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 5th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Fenton Friday: Beans, at last

This week started off with more hot, dry days. It was difficult to get motivated to get over to the garden plot to even water for a few minutes in the scorching sun, so I did neglect it a bit. Thankfully, the heat broke and we had some decent rain in the last couple of days. That means I now have beans! I should be able to harvest a very nice amount over the holiday weekend and I am now contemplating also digging up the few potatoes I had put in and pulling out some of the worn out herbs as well.

It is transition time and I'm a bit late getting some of my fall crops in, but I see still more 90+ degee days forecast for next week, so I'm not going to rush into things.

How is your edible garden growing?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 5th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Fenton Friday: Bean Waiting

my beans with Jesus House Church in background

Finally the record temps are falling to highs "just" the low 90s and we had some decent, soaking rains this past week. The bean trellis was knocked over twice by the strong storms, but it was easy enough to put back in place. The beans plants themselves are putting on lots of growth and flowers. I expect a big harvest any day now...

Last weekend I entered the county fair, those who have been by already tell me I won about 9 ribbons, which include 2nd place for both my Okra and the 'Sungold' Tomatoes. I think my zinnias, sunflowers, and celosia from the garden plot also placed, but I won't know for sure until they release the awards on Sunday.

I should be planting my cool-season edibles for fall now. I am procrastinating though as the heat may return and I am just not ready to say farewell to summer yet -- even in the abstract.

How is your edible garden growing this week?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 5th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Fenton Friday: Bean Stalks

student documentaians

This week in my community garden plot, some student documentary filmmakers came by and took some footage of the gardens. I did a brief interview with them as well. The final product will be under 5 minutes long, so I doubt I'll make the final cut, but it was fun to participate in it. The heat was unbearable and one of the students was overcome by heat exhaustion. She is fine now, but that is a good warning to all of us to take extra precautions in this weather.

Red Okra

My red okra is starting to produce regularly now and my basil is about ready to harvest for making pesto. The zinnias have jumped up -- right on time for my flower class this Sunday at On the Purple Couch.

The beans planted only last week are now six-inches tall. It is really stunning what these little powerhouses can do! I am looking forward to harvesting them in August.

Bean seedlings

How is your edible garden growing this week?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 5th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Fenton Friday: Beans Late. But Better Than Never

This is a flower on a 'Blue Lake' pole (green) bean plant. You better take a good look at it as it will be a bean in a matter of hours. I never noticed the flower before, but it is actually pretty and a bit like a snapdragon.

The interns planted these beans at the back of my community garden plot on on June 24 and just six weeks later the plants are over our heads and producing dozens of flowers. I expect to be picking scads of beans this coming week. We timed them to produce before their summer internships ended and I think we will meet that goal.


A bonus of this late crop is that the county fair entry is next weekend and we might have enough good-looking beans to put in an entry for them. Not going to jinx things by saying too much more. I do not have many other things that I'm looking to enter at this point, maybe some of the cherry tomatoes and a variety of cut flowers. I can also see if my herbs will make a decent collection entry.


How is your garden growing this week? Anything you have your eye on for possible fair entry?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 4th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)  

Fenton Friday: Beans Climb, Tomatoes Leap

The three summer interns planted 'Blue Lake' pole beans on June 24. A week later the beans had sprouted and were 4 inches high. The next week, they were almost 8 inches high and sending out climbing tendrils, so we inserted these poles for them to climb up. Today, just two weeks and two days after we planted the, they are all well over a foot high and reaching much higher. We hoped to have actual green beans for them to eat before going back to school at the end of August. I think we may well make that tight schedule!

Meanwhile, I let several volunteer tomato plants run amok in the middle of my plot and thy are all setting on wonderful cherry-sized fruit. I feel like I should never bother again buying or babying a tomato seedling plant, when I can get all this sweet bounty from basically free plants!

How is your edible garden growing this week?




 

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 4th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Fenton Friday: Green Beans and Tomatoes (no Ham)

 This week in my plot at the Fenton Community Garden, I was able to pick a second quart of 'Kentucky Wonder' green beans. (The first quart I picked the day I left for the annual Garden Writers Symposium and gave to my neighbor/cat sitter as I was running out the door.) They were more than enough for a big dinner for myself and were delicious. If I'm lucky I may get a third quart off the plants before they are spent and I will have to pull them out.

My tomatoes are all ripening at once, it seems. The 'Evergreen' tomato though is a bit of a puzzler. How do you know when a green tomato is actually ripe? I tried one about a month ago and it was definitely not ready. As you see pictured here they are now beyond green and getting into the yellow-orange range. I left a few on the vine past this point and they rotted, so I feel fairly sure this is as ripe as they are going to get. I ate one of them and it was "okay" -- not sure I'll grow this one again.



How is your edible garden growing this week?