More than tomatoes growing

We admit we've gotten a bit carried away
with tomatoes recently, but can you blame us? 

500 of those beauties is a lot to salivate about. 

But now it's the patience part of farming, so, like you, we will wait
until it's time for picking to enjoy the fruits of those labors.
Well, we will do more than wait-we promise to tend them!

John picking tomatoes last summer

for now, John like the rest of us, is still in tending mode

 thoughts of this keeps us focused!

So, we turn our attention to the other plants at the farm 

that are in "ready" mode--our beets and radishes are very close 

to harvesting and the carrots are not far behind.

beet salad at the girl & the fig

carrots a few weeks ago

carrots this week

carrots next week!
photo by Steven Krause for
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey through the Seasons in Wine Country

We haven't forgotten the upper quad beds–we've planted lots of potatoes 

including Butterball, Fingerling 

and Russian Banana (which is actually a Fingerling variety). 

yet another way to keep us focused on our work

Something else going on in the upper quads caught is really interesting. 

We planted fava beans because they are good cover crops

 during the interim period as the farm transitioned from winter to spring. 

The nutrients from the favas "fed" the soil. 

As the pods mature, they are like decoys, attracting aphids 

but the aphids attract ladybugs, who get to work right away.

Ladybugs are busy getting rid of the aphids 

and all the other good work they do as our partners at this biodynamic farm.

Did you know that one ladybug can eat 5,000 aphids in a lifetime!
(and on average that is only one year!)

Learn more about our ladybug pals and other friendly bugs from

UC Davis "The California Backyard Orchard. 

Always lots of good stuff going on at the farm, even 

when we aren't picking food to bring to table.

And the same can be true in your "backyard farm."

We like this book and website tips and resources.

There is a lot of good information out there for you, 

whether you are planting a big space, part of a community garden, 

or even just tending a few pots of vegetables.  

We recently stumbled upon this online garden forum 

and have enjoyed the ongoing conversation. 

Check it out, join in with a question or if you have an answer to share. 

And please do the same here, as you follow the farm project with us.

What are you growing? 

How Does Our Garden Grow

 Grey days when winter won't let go yet 

and the work at the farm continues to be all about prep. 

We stay steadfast and patient doing the incremental work 

that we know will soon yield harvest.

planting radish seeds at the farm

results a bit faster from the greenhouse:
The white one is an Easter Egg and the pink is a Heirloom French Breakfast variety.

this radish starter at the girl & the fig 
keeps us focused in both farm locations 

 Then a bright spot lifts our mood and we know spring will be here soon.

nectarine tree in bloom 

The work at the farm will bring us the greatest abundance

 but takes more time than our patch of farm behind "the fig." 

But we work on both and much of what we start in the greenhouse 

will soon be planted in the fresh new beds at the farm.

the first tomato starts 

So, how does our garden grow?

Chefs at the girl & the fig dash outside to cut microgreens for garnish 

or check on the progress of vegetables growing.

fava beans anyone?

And the garden outside the kitchen door 

is offering up other goodies for us right now.

rainbow chard ready to be picked

chives coming up

Calendula loves the late winter and early spring weather. 

This variety has attractive brilliant orange flowers. 

The blooms can be used as attractive living accents to cocktails 

or dried and made into tea. 

It is also very good for your skin

calendula in raised beds behind "the fig"

At the farm at Imagery Estate Winery, we are prepping beds 

to plant potatoes knowing soon there will be lush growth 

joining the fava beans we will soon harvest. 

The garden grows, we do our work.

beds for potatoes cleared just beyond our favas

This video gives you tips on the joys 

of growing your garden at home, even in a small space.

How does your garden grow? 

Growing just beneath the surface

We continue along in our "preparing for spring mode." 

While it may not look as if much is happening, we know 

the cover crops we planted at Imagery farm are nourishing the soil 

so it will be rich and ready for planting. 

Edible Landscaping Made Easy, a new blog we've discovered reminds us:  

"A cover crop is an area of planting that is sown for the purpose 

of improving the soil and keeping the ground “covered” to prevent erosion.

 It’s not a good idea to leave any areas of your garden bare in the winter. 

Rain will compact the soil. The ground is subject to erosion 

and leaching of nutrients when nothing is growing." 

We've talked about why fava beans make good cover crops. 

"Fava beans germinate quickly and grow even faster. 

You can use the tops for compost, eat the beans, and when you’re done 

with the plants you can leave the roots in the ground. 

Fava beans  will have put more nitrogen into the soil than it takes out."
And a shout out to another blogger we like, Urban Artichoke, Edible Landscaping
and a recent post: "Fava Shoots From Garden to Plate" with great recipes. 

Working just as hard as the fava beans to provide our farm with nutrients 

is our community of worms in the worm bin in the area 

we farm behind the girl & the fig restaurant. 

Matt and Ray from Local Landscapers crafted a new worm bin 

which has better air flow and can now process more compost. 

They combined the finished compost with worm castings from the old worm bin. 

We are especially proud that we are now diverting 

100% vegetable waste to farm behind "the fig."

the first version of the worm bin

kitchen scraps become compost become rich soil
finally become vegetables for the kitchen!

And the raspberry and lemon verbena plants at the farm have been cut way back, 

looking as if they are bare with "nothing happening," 

while indeed this annual pruning is just what the plants need 

to replenish and begin new growth.

pruned raspberry bushes now

raspberry bushes in bloom

and finally raspberry picking!

"For many herbs, pruning stimulates the emergence of new growth 

at several points along the remaining stem, but lemon verbena 

responds mainly at the whorl of leaves immediately below the cut. 

This habit gives the topiary gardener quite a bit of control, 

but it also means that frequent, severe pruning is required to keep 

the plant from becoming inordinately leggy and to increase foliage production."

lemon verbena pruned 

soon to be look like this

and finally this: lemon verbena custard photo by Steven Krause for
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country

But perhaps the best harbinger of spring and summer, 

are the tomato starts we just planted in the greenhouse! 

Nestled into our planting mix of coconut coir and organic compost, 

we will nurture eight varieties of tomatoes including 

Beefsteak, Pineapple, Carbon, Emerald Apple, and Amana Orange.

We have 500 starts in the greenhouse–which may sound like quite a lot, 

but once we are in high season, we can't grow enough of these babies 

to satisfy you once the chefs get going.

starting here 

getting to here! 

tomato watermelon photo by Steven Krause for
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country

What hints at spring do you see in your garden right now?

And what preparations are you making?