Garden updates

This is the raised bed that last year held Celery. I expanded it width wise by about a foot & removed the rectangular pavers that sat on top of each cider block which allowed me to plant the perimeter with the French Army a.k.a. Marigolds for insect control.
Back of the bed has 2 Rhubarbs going on about 3 or 4 years old now. This year trying recipes from Ball's Complete Book of Preserving - pg. 193 Sunshine Rhubarb Juice Concentrate (similar to Cranberry per the book) & Victorian Rhubarb BBQ Sauce pg. 259. Also old standby favorite Strawberry -Rhubarb jam.
In the middle is Broccoli a hybrid variety. While it may look great foliage wise I'm disappointed that the heads aren't the size of basketballs or even volleyballs. More like the size of an Acorn Squash. Will be harvesting them today so that any off shoots can produce smaller heads. I'll have to experiment to see if I can get the those heads to the size of softballs.
Thanks to a fellow HT'er on the Garden Forum Broccoli is a cool weather plant so the red plastic mulch idea is a bad one.
In the very front is one of 2 beds of Chard Rainbow Variety. I love Chard. Sauteed in a bit of butter, lemon, & garlic.
Potted plant in the foreground is (L) is a Bee Balm which will be planted next year after I'm familiar with it. Tiny potted plant to the right is Lemon Balm to dehydrate later for Winter's tea.

Far right is what is left of the salad garden planted in Spring. The top of the cold frame has been removed. I was bemoaning the fact that I forgot to plant mustard as I had hopes of canning up some Beer Mustard pg. 274. DH informed that all those greens , ones with the yellow flowers that I was pulling up & feeding to the buns are Mustard. I'll thin out that bed & leave the mustard greens in hope of having enough (1 cup) and the right type (brown) to can up some gourmet mustard.
Today hitched a ride with a GF to a local Nursery where they had flats for $10 so I picked up a six pack of cabbage (planting in 1/2 gal pails), more broccoli (5 gal. pails), Green Bell Peppers (no clue where to plant) , cantaloupe (again no clue) , and pretty flowers. Now to go scrub down plastic pails bought curb shopping. Poke a few holes and spray paint them black.
Also need to can up a few things since it isn't suppose to rain today & tomorrow.
This bed has about $27 worth of plants not counting the Rhubarb which has recouped it's cost last year ($6).
Starting more of our plants from seed would have been much more cost effective.

~~ pelenaka ~~