Violetta Artichoke

Violetta Artichokes offering up their succulent purple goodness. These plants have been producing for around five years now here in San Francisco. Violettas are so very floral in appearance I'm reluctant to harvest them, but so yummy! This would look great as a big satin print hanging in a food co-op, restaurant or company dining area.

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Artichokes Skyline

We also grow the classic green artichokes. Playing around with depth of field one recent San Francisco Sunday it felt like I had a mini cityscape of veggies in the back yard as I grabbed this yummy "skyline" image.

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Broccoli Florets

Texture study of Broccoli. Close-up processed with Nik Photography Silver Efex Pro 2. Inspired by Alan Shapiro's "Moments in the Monochrome Garden".

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Cucumber Seedlings

Two varieties of Cucumber Seedlings here. One is a slicer, the other for pickling - Manny and Cool Breeze. Both are supposed to be good for colder regions, maturing in 45-50 days. We get no heat here in foggy San Francisco, tough to grow cukes. Sorry if they appear to be afflicted with a touch of OCD. If you are wondering about the bamboo skewers decorating the edge of the six-pack see my posting on Critter Deflection Tactics here -- https://plus.google.com/113983902035072067923/posts/J6TETHiWHGD

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Tomato Formation

A nice arc of flower and newly set fruit on our Jasper tomato growing in a large container. Note the uninvited guest enjoying his last meal prior to being squished. 

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Baby Cucumber and Flower

Here in cool foggy San Francisco it is difficult to grow cucumbers, but I keep trying short season varieties.

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Purple Snow Peas

Thanks to California Master Gardener Jamie Chan for the Purple Snow Pea seedling starts; given to me in trade during a visit to my garden by several of my classmates from the Master Gardener Training program. I have seen these unusual and tasty veggies offered though by several seed supply sources, if you'd like to grow these yourself try the following links:

https://www.heritageharvestseed.com/peasaf.html

http://www.rareseeds.com/blue-podded-blauwschokkers-garden-pea/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/380826714514?lpid=82&chn=ps 

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Direct Sown Tomatillo Seedlings

I almost always start veggies indoors in six-packs and then plant out in the garden after a week or two of hardening off. One exception is Tomatillos. I've found that young Tomatillos have very fragile stems and I damage too many with the handling required by transplantation. For the past few years I've been direct sowing Tomatillos with great success, I thinned these out to one plant every six to eight inches in rows a foot apart once the strongest had two pairs of true leaves.

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Fava Bean Rockettes

Sown in January, these Fava Beans have formed a Rockette kick line by Earth Day in April and are just about ready to dance off the garden stage into our kitchen with high stepping style. Spare me the liver and Chianti jokes.

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