Category: State of the Garden

A clever weekly state of the garden memo is current on what is scheduled to be grown, what’s been planted and its progress, what is close to prime time and eventually…what will be in short supply.

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Chef's Garden Gaillardia Or Blanket Flower

state of the garden

Our pollinator meadow is teeming with life. Gaillardia, native to much of North America and commonly known as blanket flower, attracts bees for the nectar.

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Peruvian Peppers Grown in Chef's Garden at The Allison

state of the garden

Our pepper patch includes three varieties of peppers, which we simply refer to as “Peruvian peppers.” We grew these peppers last year as well, and now we have the privilege of seeing how they are used in traditional Peruvian cuisine, thanks to guest chef Olenka Brandon.

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Chef's Garden California Poppies

state of the garden

The California poppies, with their vibrant colors, are a stunning announcement that spring has sprung.  We let them self-seed, ensuring a breathtaking display each spring. These cool-season flowers gracefully fade away as the weather turns hot.

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Chefs Garden Entrance With Fresh Mulch

state of the garden

New mulch gives the Chefs Garden entrance summer pizzazz, declaring that we are ready for summer events and visitors. Yesterday, we finished pulling the flowering broccoli and kale in preparation for tilling, which will happen this coming week.

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Live Queen Bees at The Allison - Photo by Maximilien Ratthe

Meet the Helpful Honey Bees at The Allison

On Thursday, April 25, Master Gardener and Beekeeper Anna Ashby received a very important package from California. A strong harmonious buzz could be heard from it. The box was marked: Live Queen Bees. Keep Out of Sun. In that cardboard box were 35 smaller wooden boxes, each with a queen bee, and surrounded by hundreds

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Chefs Garden Spring Flowers

State of Chefs Garden

April showers are bringing May flowers. While we grow the petunia flowers for their beauty, we also have several edible flowers. Our harvest of violas continues, and this week, we added flowering chervil and horse radish flowers to them.

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Chef's Garden Spring Violas

State of The Garden

We have violas scattered throughout the Garden. Spring is their favorite weather, so we have plenty, which we are harvesting regularly.

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Blooming Camas Flower in Chefs Garden

state of the garden

The camas are blooming! We planted them in an area of the garden with a high water table during winter, hoping that they would thrive where everything else we have tried to grow in that area has failed. Finally, we have succeeded. The camas love their new home.

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Baby Blue Eyes Flower With Green Clovers In Chefs Garden

state of the garden

Weeds are plants growing where we do not want them. Since we spend increasing amounts of time dealing with weeds, it’s beneficial to look at their beauty while removing the unwanted plants. Baby Blue Eyes popped up in the middle of Clover in this photo.

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