Again this year, the Coo-op Community Garden in Norwich VT, gave us the opportunity to develop our inside gardeners. The lack of space at home was not a problem to cultivate our own veggies and flowers in that place, as you can see above the flower came from a seed, turning out in a cute Teddy Bear Sunflower, it was a birthday present from my friend Mimi Pearson, what a surprise! I called the photo "Running with the wind".
Sunflowers from our garden in Norwich, Vermont
FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL
Nice thing to start the plants from seed. Above, you can see the tomato seedlings growing indoor, when outside the temperature reached -26ºC. Unfortunately, when I transplated the tomato seedlings, some of them died because an unexpected frost... but some of my hot pepper seedlings survived!
JUNE, JULY - The Agricultural Disaster in New England?
Everything was fine until an unwanted fungus spread out to every garden in the area, it is called Late Blight which attacks tomatoes, potatoes plants and weeds. It was something devastating in the Northeast of the country. LB had not beeing seen since around 100 years. 
97% of my fellow gardeners lost all their tomatoes. Michael and I lost all of our tomato crop (24). I read several articles about this symptom, like this one but I needed a local help, our garden coordinator was away at thime. I spread the word in the garden about what I was told.
A prevailing atmosphere of uncertainty was among everyone in the garden. My first contact was Cooperative of Extension of New Hampshire asking for help, I received a prompt and an appropriate answer!
The advise was pulling out all the affected plants and throw them out in the garbage bin, not in the compost pile. It was a hard time for Michael and myself I just coudn't believe all our effort that we did at the beginning bringing compost from a farm horses in Hartland, VT where Mrs Polly Smith was so generous with us donating the compost; we did several trips driving our tiny blue Elantra Hyundai car... all almost for nothing.
AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER - After the Storm
My favorite crop: ONIONS
I kept going with my major enthusiasm after this sudden storm. Then, there was a time for the first harvest of radishes, arugula, lettuce, Swiss chard, hot peppers, flowers.
Between onions my favorite hot pepper! This has its own story. When I transplanted the seedling, I broke part of its root! I just got mad with myself... after an hour, the seddling looked so weak... I touched and talked to it saying what a fool I was... the next day for my surprise this tiny pepper plant looked alive and ready to go.. so, it survived! THANKS, I said. Since then I called it "El Malimuerto vivo" (something that the dead is alive)
Another surprise in the garden. Of course, gardening is also a kind of experiment. So, I planted the seed from this decorative gourd and look what I got.
GIFTS OF THE NATURE IN THE GARDEN WHILE GROWING THE VEGGIES
Cute nest of birds located between weeds in the plot of my neighbor Jerome, who is nearby my garden. 
Some days after a rainy day, I was cleanning up the garden from weeds (I heard it is easier to pull them out when the soil is wet), then I found this innocent and quite toad in between my onion crop! 
And finally, this bicolor spider was looking at me while I was harvesting peas :)
LOOKING FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO GARDEN IN OTHER PLACE
Starting the garden with raised beds. 
The CCG started late (June) but with so much energy!
Celebrating and sharing our first harvest.
The Canillas Community Garden group
Patty McGovern (right) is who is leading this project very well! I love to work with her and her team. In the center is Helen Brody and Rebeca Perkins (left). Behind, Normi, a friend. It is a nice team!!
COMMUNITY GARDEN - NORWICH, VERMONT
It is September and everything is growing fast, peas, onions, corn... It is a privilege to have a pleasant summer here.. everything grows fast. The flowers give their best to the environment: color, beauty, scent, happyness...
Here the first zucchinis. I was told that I can eat their flowers which I tried them with garlic and oil in a pan... Guess what! Delicious!
Cleaning the space, feeding the plants are our priority to have success with healthy and delicious harvest. 
When I sowed this tiny Chamolille seeds, almost invisible I couldn't imagine what will come later!...Then looking at these plants, their shape with flowers, it is something wonderful!
Onion, onions, onions, potatoes and flowers
Before ends the season, we had a Harvest Potluck with all the gardeners. I prepared a Peruvian spicy sauce with fingerling potatoes (see below photo in the red dish)
Dominica Borg our gardener fellow, cutting blueberry cake.
Then it ended up cooked in this delicious dish "Escabeche de Coliflor" a Peruvian dish.
Eating what we grew up in the garden this "Escabeche de Pollo" with carrots, onion, parsley, hot pepper, coliflower, peas, green beans. The recipe has chicken.
The kale is a strong plant. In the middle of october after several critical cold nights, the kale is still up. 
Before, this was the kale seedling among a path of green been seeds that I planted for companion.
The kale harvest was a lot! We need to buy a freezer. The plan is to enjoy the frozen kale in delicious green soup from Portugal... I cannot wait!! Michael at home having difficulties cleaning up the kale, because we got a lot!
That was our wonderful time in the garden.
With expectations, dissapointings, challenges but with lots of perseverance and care.. All these were the ways to do gardening. We love to see butterflies, bees, birds enjoying our plan... and of course, eating our organic veggies.
Videos that I recorded before we pulled out our tomato plants due to the Late Blight.
1 comment:
What a wonderful account of last year's gardens. Let's hope we don't have to deal with late blight this year!
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