The Fruits of my Labors

Last year I read an article about making compost using dog food, cat litter, and alfalfa pellets.  I blogged about the procedure (How to make quick compost) and didn't feel that the project was all that successful.  Last year was a cold, wet, spring that lasted all the way to the 4th of July, and the quick compost raised bed was a slimy mess.  This year, that raised bed is amazing!  Everything I have planted in it is growing twice as fast as the rest of the garden.

This is the raised bed with the quick compost base - peas down the center, beets on the right and carrots and kale on the left.  Probably too densely planted, but everything is thriving.

I thinned the beets and cooked them for dinner along with the greens.

I pick greens nearly every day and use a couple in our fruit drink in the morning and cook some for me to eat in the evening.  Ron eats beets, but won't touch the greens.

This raised bed is doing okay too, but not nearly as well as the other one.

The pole beans are finally starting to climb on their trellis.  Strawberries behind the beans are producing about two quarts every other day.

Today I picked them and made a batch of strawberry jam.

I really love this time of year when the garden starts producing a variety of good things.