More ugly maters' and a partial tour of the garden

This view is of the Steemit tomato from the bottom side. The 4 different tomatoes are clearly visible from this angle. I wanted to add this view to the blog and introduce the rest of my current garden. There isn't a lot growing yet because we had a very cold winter and spring is kind of sluggish here. The old groundhog hit this one it seems winter is hanging in as long as it can.

White onions that I planted last October can be seen in the background of the giant tomato picture. I grow onions just about year round and haven't found the need to buy onions for over three years. It is great being able to grab a fresh onion to cook with or eat with a meal. These onions will be ready very early this year. I also have two new short rows of white onion sets between the current onions pictured. I will be planting onions in stages throughout the spring so that I have onions all year-long. The green tops died back over the winter and have emerged recently as the weather begins to thaw a bit.

These are the chives I planted last year. They were single plants when I planted them and have multiplied over the course of one season. I plan to transplant them throughout the garden to help repel harmful garden insects. The onion smell repels some pests. I plan to do the same with garlic, white onions, and garlic chives to create a staggered barrier throughout the garden. This is one of the ways I garden without harmful pesticides.

The bare spot behind the chives actually has a cover crop growing in it now. It is just getting started so we will watch the progress together this year. The strawberry patch is to the right of the bare patch. The plants are just starting to break dormancy and should start growing well over the next few weeks. Last year I harvested over 10 gallons of strawberries from this patch. I usually make strawberry jam out of them but this year I splurged and mixed them with raspberries/blackberries to make Three Berry Jam and I do have to say it is the best jam I have ever tasted. I highly recommend it.

Finally got around to pruning the cherry, nectarine, and almond trees. Time was running out the buds were beginning to swell and should start blooming soon. Nectarines have awesome looking blooms, I think so anyway. I have only been able to harvest two nectarines from the trees and that was two years ago. They had a fantastic flavor so I am hoping that this year they don't get hit by frost like last year. I planted the mini orchard about 5 years ago so the trees are just beginning to produce fruit. Last year I harvested the first apples from the apple trees.

Here are my shredded leaves that I use to help with weed suppression so I don't have to use herbicides. Common tree leaves are one of my best amendments to my garden. They are loaded with concentrated nutrients. Leaves will shield the soil from the sun keeping valuable water resources from evaporating away using less water which is good all the way around. Water run off and erosion are minimized using a ground cover of shredded leaves. The leaves also feed the army of earthworms that constantly till, fertilize, and aerate the soil resulting in increased plant vitality and vigor.

They drag the leaves down into their burrows to eat introducing organic mass underground which in turn retains more moisture for the plants. They leave worm castings (concentrated natural fertilizer) and their nitrogen containing slime coating their tunnels. The plants find an easy mine shaft loaded with pay dirt to extent their roots into. The whole system forms a very efficient eco balance that if left minimally disturbed is the way nature intended for plants to grow so produces naturally healthy plants reducing the need for fungicides. Amazing how beneficial simple tree leaves can be. There isn't a lot going on in the garden but there will be soon so stay tuned and thx for dropping by!