Back at the end of October, over at Not Dabbling in Normal, I posted some photos and notes about what was happening in our garden. There was a photo of one of the beds that had recently been raised higher and planted with transplants from a nursery.
This is what that particular bed looks like right now. Quite a difference!
30 Nov 2012
One of the broccoli got a little top heavy and I had to stake it upright. It seems quite happy now. There are a couple of varieties of cabbage, some that are growing quite large! Another that is much smaller and not taking over as much.
I added some Red Sails lettuce in between each plant and they are doing really really well. The leaves are about twice the size of my hands and amazing.
Early Wakefield Cabbage & Red Sails Lettuce
Everything in that box is growing like crazy. I attribute that to a few things; I got the plants in earlier than I normally do so they have a nice head start and all that fresh new manure, compost and dirt along with things I added like green sand, zeolite, rock phosphate, bone meal, blood meal and probably a few other things I have forgotten already.
We are eating lettuce like crazy and looking forward to some wonderful broccoli and cabbage in the future.
How is garden doing right now?
Sincerely, Emily
Sincerely, Emily 
Drooling over that lettuce!! My garden is doing not much of anything right now! Enjoy! Nancy
Thanks Nancy – the lettuce is wonderful! So nice to have fresh greens growing again.
They look amazing! You will have to share your soil secrets with us 🙂
Hi Fran. No real soil secrets. Amend, compost, amend, compost. When I raised the beds up more I started filling the beds with composted horse manure that I pick up every quarter. Then added some garden soil from a local place that had some compost in with it. I also added some more compost to their mix. When I got it as full as I could I added in a good amount of green sand, dry molasses, and zeolite and mixed that into the top portion good. I mix up blood meal, bone meal, rock phosphate and dry molasses to add that when I put my transplants in the ground. From time to time I will add sprinkle more dry molasses around the beds and when I water it gets watered in. I will also add more compost around the bases of the veggies as they grow. The dirt has already settled into the beds and I will need to add more before the next planting. When the oak leaves start falling here I will pick up bags from the neighbors and use that on top as mulch to help retain water and as they breakdown they add to the soil.
Your lettuces look fabulous! We’re completely under snow here – longing for spring…. 🙂
Thanks Sheryl. It is too blazin’ hot here to grow lettuce and spinach here in the summer. I look forward to the winter garden and all the greens that we can grow. I can imagine you are longing for spring. Growing up in Mn & WI I would long for spring and summer. Here I have had to reverse my thinking and I look forward to fall and winter.
If you are interested in that quilting rack it was in the Sept, 2012 Wood magazine. Probably not still on the stands but you may be able to get it from your library. I found the idea on this blog but I don’t know what day it was! http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com/ I hope you can have your neighbor help you make one!! I didn’t see your e-mail ads so am writing here in hopes that you will see it. Nancy
THANKS Nancy. My neighbor has that magazine and he will help me make a few of those racks, downsized for displaying my antique and fun tea towels. CAN’T WAIT! Thank you. I will definitely post about it when they are done. but don’t hold your breath, things are happening slowly around here right now.
Unlike iceberg lettuce, red sails lettuce does not form a ball or head. It is classified as a leaf lettuce, which means it forms individual leaves that can be harvested for salads and culinary needs at will. Red Sails forms dark red leaves which are very frost tolerant, quick growing and have a nice buttery flavor.
Hi Irene. That is correct. red sails lettuce is a leaf lettuce. I stick to the leaf lettuce varieties so as they produce I can pick and eat and they just keep on growing. The Rail sails is beautiful also, the colors are amazing.