It’s time for another update on the vegetable garden here at Happy Acres. I’ll break it up into two parts since I have quite a few photos to share. To start, the weather here has been fairly dry this spring with rainfall running a bit below average. We have gotten enough rain to get things growing though, and the vegetable garden is looking pretty lush at the moment.
Vegetable Garden in June
Brassicas are usually the first crop to go in, and this year I got ours planted early in May. They have taken off since then, and I have been spraying with Bt and neem oil to keep the cabbage caterpillars under control.
spring brassicas
The cabbage plants are heading up, and the big Kossak kohlrabi will be ready to harvest soon. We mostly use these big kohlrabis for fermenting, and the cabbage for fresh use as well as for making sauerkraut.
cabbage plant
Kossak kohlrabi
I got the pole beans planted in late May, and they have really taken off! My main trellis has quite a few of my old favorites planted. I’m trialing a couple of test varieties over on the other side of the garden, using the remesh trellises I use for the vining squashes. Last year was a terrible year for the beans and I am hoping for a better harvest in 2026. In 2025 much of the seed rotted before sprouting, but that has not been an issue this year and I have a good stand of them.
pole beans
trial beans
And speaking of the vining squashes, they are taking off and climbing up the supports as well. I’ve got a couple planted by the fence that surrounds the garden as well as the ones on the remesh trellises.
Tromboncino squash vines on trellis
Centercut squash vines
I got the tomatoes planted in Mid-May, and they are over a foot tall now and climbing up in their remesh cages. They should begin blooming and setting fruit soon. The first ripe tomatoes are always a treat for us! I set out about 50 plants in all, so hopefully we will have plenty for eating fresh and for processing into sauces and such.
tomato plants
I got the eggplant and peppers planted in late May, and they are just now getting established and starting to grow. Some of the hot peppers are already starting to set fruit though, and the rest shouldn’t be too far behind. I’m using folding cages to support all these plants.
eggplant and peppers
young eggplant
hot pepper with fruit
I hope you have enjoyed this tour of the garden here in June, and I’ll be back with part 2 of the tour soon!