Woke up to snow this morning, just a dusting that was soon gone. The ground is warm enough so it didn't stick really. The temps were above freezing anyhow. I doubt it hurt much in the way of plants.
The maples are flowering as of Sunday, my elderberries were also showing buds. I have one unnamed one that i got a year before the Nova and York that seems to die to the ground each year... not sure if i will keep it if that is the way things are going to be. It takes longer to start than the others; barely berried last year and had tiny fruit. I don't want to kill it, but if its not going to produce it won't be part of my landscape. I don't have enough room to waste.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
String of gorgeous weather
We have been in the 60's the last few days. Its lovely and distracting. I have had the windows open for the last 5 days. I am more than 10 weeks from the last frost date and at least 2-3 weeks from being able to start seeds. I was going to Wintersow this year, but in a way, i'm glad i did not. We didn't get much snow at all and we were quite warm some days. I bet i would have had sprouts that were soon frozen again.
I'm a bit worried about my fruiting trees and bushes. Though there are no obvious signs of early budding, if this weather keeps up and we get a frost, i'm sure to lose blossoms. I spent a good bit of time outside with my youngest daughter, so i was able to get a close look at things. The lilacs do look like they are waking up. It feels like May, not March.
I was surprised to see a honey bee today. She buzzed right up to my face so there was no mistaking what it was.... it worries me that the ladies are coming out already-- there are absolutely no flowers out yet. At least as far as i have seen... dandelions sometimes appear early- and if i still had crocuses i might expect to see them just breaking the surface but not blooming. I hope she was a domestic and her beekeeper is feeding sugar water.
The snow is gone from the yard, all but the shady part of he fence where the grapes are. A few strips of ice are left. The rhubarb is waking up. No word from the chives and welsh onions yet.
I have decided not to use the hoops this year, Unfortunately they allow the weeds to get a big jump on me, they are tedious to install and tedious to take down. Difficult to unhitch when it was time to weed. I think i'll just use the Remay as floating covers instead. We are also considering using black mulch to keep down the weeds this time. The weeds always get away from me and go to seed, so even with a 3-year old garden i still have weeds like a first year.
We are supposed to get into the 80's on Thursday. We'll see how much stranger this Spring can get!
I'm a bit worried about my fruiting trees and bushes. Though there are no obvious signs of early budding, if this weather keeps up and we get a frost, i'm sure to lose blossoms. I spent a good bit of time outside with my youngest daughter, so i was able to get a close look at things. The lilacs do look like they are waking up. It feels like May, not March.
I was surprised to see a honey bee today. She buzzed right up to my face so there was no mistaking what it was.... it worries me that the ladies are coming out already-- there are absolutely no flowers out yet. At least as far as i have seen... dandelions sometimes appear early- and if i still had crocuses i might expect to see them just breaking the surface but not blooming. I hope she was a domestic and her beekeeper is feeding sugar water.
The snow is gone from the yard, all but the shady part of he fence where the grapes are. A few strips of ice are left. The rhubarb is waking up. No word from the chives and welsh onions yet.
I have decided not to use the hoops this year, Unfortunately they allow the weeds to get a big jump on me, they are tedious to install and tedious to take down. Difficult to unhitch when it was time to weed. I think i'll just use the Remay as floating covers instead. We are also considering using black mulch to keep down the weeds this time. The weeds always get away from me and go to seed, so even with a 3-year old garden i still have weeds like a first year.
We are supposed to get into the 80's on Thursday. We'll see how much stranger this Spring can get!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Who dosen't like Chinese food?
Or any "Asian" food in general? Even if most of what we get here in the USA is made to appeal more to American tastes... its still my favorite genre of foods.
However, i don't get to have it often. My hubby prefers Italian and Tex-Mex style foods much more... and that is much more than i do.
I have noticed over time that i am getting really tired of tomato/pasta/cheese meals. I have been searching for new recipes in the last few weeks, but so many of these 'quick and easy meals' start right out with tomatoes. Now, don't get me wrong... i adore a fresh tomato and a good sauce is hard to beat, but tomato based meals 5 nights a week is getting hard to swallow. Another point of discontent is the vegetables. Most of my non-tomato meals are slow-roasted, soups, stews, or boiled dinners. This means soft vegetables. I'm hurting for some fresh crunch, bright flavors and unique taste.
So i decided to turn to the alternative.
The only sticking point is that much of the special flavors in Asian foods comes from unique ingredients. Not having much of an Asian population here can make this difficult. I can find things like panko bread crumbs, soy sauce, pre-made teriyaki sauce and dried shiitake mushrooms, but not much else.
Last year i found an online company called Asian Food Grocer. I was looking for unique candies for my oldest daughter. She loves Kit-Kats and AFG sells sweet potato flavored Kit-Kats among other unusual flavors of them. So i made a small order and was pleased with the service.
My oldest has lately been intrigued by Japanese foods and culture, feuled by anime and those Kit-Kats, so this Christmas i ordered her some Japanese soda pop, more unique candies and their biggest package of nori (both of my kids eat nori by the sheet). It was an absolute hit. Considering that both orders went so well, i decided to go all out and really fill my pantry with more authentic ingredients.
I researched recipes and noted all the non-American seasoning- oils, pastes, sauces/condiments. It was a lot of fun to learn about them and how they are used.
I found a few helpful recipe sites:
http://www.chinese-food-recipes.net/
http://www.japanese-food-for-health.com/basics.html
Soon, armed with special ingredients i should be able to change up our daily meals with new flavors from subtle Japanese to more indulgent Chinese.
I wonder if we might even lose some weight?
Now on to gardening....
Asian vegetables.
Some are not too uncommon around here (though slightly different they are usable). Green onions, various cabbages, eggplant, cucumbers, carrots, kale, snow peas, gourds, radishes, turnips, squashes, pumpkins and more.
All of this i can grow at least part of the year.
This means i may be changing my garden plans...again. What a surprise!
I shouldn't have to change much, just reconsider some varieties. Maybe instead of globe onions, bunching onions might be good- and easier. Instead of regular cabbage, maybe napa cabbages. Not sure how easy it is to grow daikon... but maybe worth a try- or research at least. .
I'm looking into trying winter melon too... but it looks like they are huge plants. Remember my birdhouse gourd experience?
Maybe i can try something in my parents' garden.
I read that winter melons taste similar to summer squash and zucchini, so it may not be worth bothering with.
But the bunching onions sound easy enough.
Green beans are used a lot and i have good luck with those.
Broccoli is fairly common and i planned that anyway.
There are some interesting sweet peppers i'd like to try... i think i'll pass on the hot ones.
I'm not sure about eggplant. I had terrible luck the last two summers with Slim Jim and didn't have much better luck with Raveena which is a 70 day- both Asian long types. If i can find a cooler-cropping, earlier type and start them early i might try it. Big round eggplant isn't cheap up here so a good crop would be worth the effort.
Anyway, that's what i'm thinking. I'll have some time to experiment with grocery store veggies over the winter and see how it goes.
However, i don't get to have it often. My hubby prefers Italian and Tex-Mex style foods much more... and that is much more than i do.
I have noticed over time that i am getting really tired of tomato/pasta/cheese meals. I have been searching for new recipes in the last few weeks, but so many of these 'quick and easy meals' start right out with tomatoes. Now, don't get me wrong... i adore a fresh tomato and a good sauce is hard to beat, but tomato based meals 5 nights a week is getting hard to swallow. Another point of discontent is the vegetables. Most of my non-tomato meals are slow-roasted, soups, stews, or boiled dinners. This means soft vegetables. I'm hurting for some fresh crunch, bright flavors and unique taste.
So i decided to turn to the alternative.
The only sticking point is that much of the special flavors in Asian foods comes from unique ingredients. Not having much of an Asian population here can make this difficult. I can find things like panko bread crumbs, soy sauce, pre-made teriyaki sauce and dried shiitake mushrooms, but not much else.
Last year i found an online company called Asian Food Grocer. I was looking for unique candies for my oldest daughter. She loves Kit-Kats and AFG sells sweet potato flavored Kit-Kats among other unusual flavors of them. So i made a small order and was pleased with the service.
My oldest has lately been intrigued by Japanese foods and culture, feuled by anime and those Kit-Kats, so this Christmas i ordered her some Japanese soda pop, more unique candies and their biggest package of nori (both of my kids eat nori by the sheet). It was an absolute hit. Considering that both orders went so well, i decided to go all out and really fill my pantry with more authentic ingredients.
I researched recipes and noted all the non-American seasoning- oils, pastes, sauces/condiments. It was a lot of fun to learn about them and how they are used.
I found a few helpful recipe sites:
http://www.chinese-food-recipes.net/
http://www.japanese-food-for-health.com/basics.html
Soon, armed with special ingredients i should be able to change up our daily meals with new flavors from subtle Japanese to more indulgent Chinese.
I wonder if we might even lose some weight?
Now on to gardening....
Asian vegetables.
Some are not too uncommon around here (though slightly different they are usable). Green onions, various cabbages, eggplant, cucumbers, carrots, kale, snow peas, gourds, radishes, turnips, squashes, pumpkins and more.
All of this i can grow at least part of the year.
This means i may be changing my garden plans...again. What a surprise!
I shouldn't have to change much, just reconsider some varieties. Maybe instead of globe onions, bunching onions might be good- and easier. Instead of regular cabbage, maybe napa cabbages. Not sure how easy it is to grow daikon... but maybe worth a try- or research at least. .
I'm looking into trying winter melon too... but it looks like they are huge plants. Remember my birdhouse gourd experience?
Maybe i can try something in my parents' garden.
I read that winter melons taste similar to summer squash and zucchini, so it may not be worth bothering with.
But the bunching onions sound easy enough.
Green beans are used a lot and i have good luck with those.
Broccoli is fairly common and i planned that anyway.
There are some interesting sweet peppers i'd like to try... i think i'll pass on the hot ones.
I'm not sure about eggplant. I had terrible luck the last two summers with Slim Jim and didn't have much better luck with Raveena which is a 70 day- both Asian long types. If i can find a cooler-cropping, earlier type and start them early i might try it. Big round eggplant isn't cheap up here so a good crop would be worth the effort.
Anyway, that's what i'm thinking. I'll have some time to experiment with grocery store veggies over the winter and see how it goes.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
What a bizarre winter- weather, marine tank, and orders for Spring.
Here it is January 1, 2012 and its 42 degrees out at noon. We got a little snow for Christmas and snow showers all day, so it was pretty. A few days later we got a lot of rain which washed the snow away. Friday night into Saturday brought us some freezing rain and sleet making the roads a bit slippery.
One of my hubby's fraternity brothers was planning on coming over to pick up the salt water aquarium stuff i'm giving him. After my heater malfunctioned last fall and i had to evacuate the tank i just haven't had the desire to rebuild. So, i'm giving it all away. Tanks, stands, overflow box, return pump, refractometor, skimmers, metal halide light, about 50# of base rock.... Anyway, it will likely be next week before he can pick it up. Maybe i'll get back into it some day, but i sort of doubt it. Though i loved having one, it takes a lot of time and commitment, and unless you are lucky enough to be given lots of good equipment, it can be a real money pit.
I just want to complete this chapter of my hobby life and move on.
I don't remember if i recorded it yet, but late summer i made an order with Raintree Nursery. My order consisted of :
Phoenix Tears Goji berry- 2
Male Seabucktthorn- 1
Female Titan Seabuckthorn- 1
Goldbeere Elderberry- 1
Caerulea Blue Elderberry- 1
Native Beach Plum- 4
My order is slated to be shipped the week of 4-29-2012
I have seeds for most of these plants, but the majority of them need to be stratified for as much as 6 months. I have tried some of them without success and really kind of wasted those 6 months of time. Then it would be as long as 3 years before harvest begins. Also, most of these seeds don't come with a cultivar name- likely are the wild sort with unpredictable production and quality. So i decided to bite the bullet and order these named plants from a seller with a decent reputation.
Not sure what i will do with my seeds... maybe trade them or just give them away.
I'm building up quite an elderberry collection. When my order arrives i will have 5 types. Elderberries can be used to make Elderberry Syrup, which is a well loved cold remedy known for a very long time in Europe.
I could also make jelly and wine if the harvests begin to get large.
Gojiberry (also called Wolfberry) As well as being darn tasty, this is another fruit with health benefits. It has quite a history in Chinese medicine.
Seabuckthorn has a long list of beneficial properties. From immune system support, anti-inflammitory effects to anti cancer possibilities. There are a lot of sites out there that will proclaim this superberry as a cure-all. Using multi colored 10 point font all caps and will charge you indecent sums for their product... while not exactly a magic bullet, it does have valuable benefits.
They are said to be a bit of a challenge to harvest since they have large thorns. Commercially, whole branches are removed to be stripped by machine. According to what i have read, the berries will hold well on the plant so picking a modest amount at a time over days will be possible. The berries can be frozen to hold until enough are gathered. The juice is a vibrant orange and separates into three layers, cream, oil and juice. The leaves also make a nice tea. Apparently Junebugs like them so i'll have to be vigilant.
The native beach plums were purchased to replace the ones i got from Oikos. Those plants did well in pots for almost 3 years, but got dried out late last summer and didn't make it through the winter. As i am planning to plant these in the side of the front yard box, i need a fruiting plant that can handle road salt. Hopefully they will be a good size when they arrive and put on some good growth before next winter so they can withstand piled snow from the plow. This winter would have been perfect because there is no snow and no snowbanks to worry about. The price was decent so i bought 4 in case i have winter casualties due to snowbanks. The 2 spares will be planted out back for safekeeping. The native beach plum has no touted health benefits, but has a reputation for making a fine jelly and should be edible right off the tree.
If i have success with these plants, i plan to share cuttings with anyone who asks- as long as i have enough to work with. Assuming anyone is interested, lol
So, basically i've been spending some time perusing my newly arrived seed catalogs. I don't plan to do much experimenting this summer. I'm sticking to the standard veggies. Tomatoes, beans, squashes etc. I did get some seeds from Sheryl at Providence Acres. I bought:
Aunt Molly's Ground Cherries
San Marzano Paste Tomatoes - i do already have seeds for some from Pinetree, but i thought i'd like to try and compare two varieties and, of course the photos of her tomatoes make them look absolutely delicious.
I also got a bonus packet of Morning Glory seeds, thanks Cheryl!
I doubt i'll bother starting peppers from seed this year. I have yet to get a usable fruit. They simply don't seem to have enough time to grow. I think i will buy seedlings from Garden Spot this year. If it does not work this year, i'll give up on it. Peppers are not very cheap around here, so it is worth another shot.
Well, that's all for now. My toddler is having a tantrum. :)
Happy New Year all!
One of my hubby's fraternity brothers was planning on coming over to pick up the salt water aquarium stuff i'm giving him. After my heater malfunctioned last fall and i had to evacuate the tank i just haven't had the desire to rebuild. So, i'm giving it all away. Tanks, stands, overflow box, return pump, refractometor, skimmers, metal halide light, about 50# of base rock.... Anyway, it will likely be next week before he can pick it up. Maybe i'll get back into it some day, but i sort of doubt it. Though i loved having one, it takes a lot of time and commitment, and unless you are lucky enough to be given lots of good equipment, it can be a real money pit.
I just want to complete this chapter of my hobby life and move on.
 |
| Zoanthids, my favorite variety of coral |
I don't remember if i recorded it yet, but late summer i made an order with Raintree Nursery. My order consisted of :
Phoenix Tears Goji berry- 2
Male Seabucktthorn- 1
Female Titan Seabuckthorn- 1
Goldbeere Elderberry- 1
Caerulea Blue Elderberry- 1
Native Beach Plum- 4
My order is slated to be shipped the week of 4-29-2012
I have seeds for most of these plants, but the majority of them need to be stratified for as much as 6 months. I have tried some of them without success and really kind of wasted those 6 months of time. Then it would be as long as 3 years before harvest begins. Also, most of these seeds don't come with a cultivar name- likely are the wild sort with unpredictable production and quality. So i decided to bite the bullet and order these named plants from a seller with a decent reputation.
Not sure what i will do with my seeds... maybe trade them or just give them away.
I'm building up quite an elderberry collection. When my order arrives i will have 5 types. Elderberries can be used to make Elderberry Syrup, which is a well loved cold remedy known for a very long time in Europe.
I could also make jelly and wine if the harvests begin to get large.
Gojiberry (also called Wolfberry) As well as being darn tasty, this is another fruit with health benefits. It has quite a history in Chinese medicine.
Seabuckthorn has a long list of beneficial properties. From immune system support, anti-inflammitory effects to anti cancer possibilities. There are a lot of sites out there that will proclaim this superberry as a cure-all. Using multi colored 10 point font all caps and will charge you indecent sums for their product... while not exactly a magic bullet, it does have valuable benefits.
They are said to be a bit of a challenge to harvest since they have large thorns. Commercially, whole branches are removed to be stripped by machine. According to what i have read, the berries will hold well on the plant so picking a modest amount at a time over days will be possible. The berries can be frozen to hold until enough are gathered. The juice is a vibrant orange and separates into three layers, cream, oil and juice. The leaves also make a nice tea. Apparently Junebugs like them so i'll have to be vigilant.
The native beach plums were purchased to replace the ones i got from Oikos. Those plants did well in pots for almost 3 years, but got dried out late last summer and didn't make it through the winter. As i am planning to plant these in the side of the front yard box, i need a fruiting plant that can handle road salt. Hopefully they will be a good size when they arrive and put on some good growth before next winter so they can withstand piled snow from the plow. This winter would have been perfect because there is no snow and no snowbanks to worry about. The price was decent so i bought 4 in case i have winter casualties due to snowbanks. The 2 spares will be planted out back for safekeeping. The native beach plum has no touted health benefits, but has a reputation for making a fine jelly and should be edible right off the tree.
If i have success with these plants, i plan to share cuttings with anyone who asks- as long as i have enough to work with. Assuming anyone is interested, lol
So, basically i've been spending some time perusing my newly arrived seed catalogs. I don't plan to do much experimenting this summer. I'm sticking to the standard veggies. Tomatoes, beans, squashes etc. I did get some seeds from Sheryl at Providence Acres. I bought:
Aunt Molly's Ground Cherries
San Marzano Paste Tomatoes - i do already have seeds for some from Pinetree, but i thought i'd like to try and compare two varieties and, of course the photos of her tomatoes make them look absolutely delicious.
I also got a bonus packet of Morning Glory seeds, thanks Cheryl!
I doubt i'll bother starting peppers from seed this year. I have yet to get a usable fruit. They simply don't seem to have enough time to grow. I think i will buy seedlings from Garden Spot this year. If it does not work this year, i'll give up on it. Peppers are not very cheap around here, so it is worth another shot.
Well, that's all for now. My toddler is having a tantrum. :)
Happy New Year all!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Hi
No this is not a dead blog. I have not had much going on gardeningwise, been busy but nothing really worth writing about. I haven't even had time to read one of the many books i have been wanting to spend time with. --Or even to crochet.
One thing i could mention is that i have started getting my seed catalogs in the mail. Pinetree Garden Seeds, Johnny's Selected Seeds and One Green World so far. I haven't had much time to page through those yet either!
So that is it, i'm not planning to quit writing, its just on hold for now. God bless and if i'm not back again before the month is out, have a very Merry Christmas!
One thing i could mention is that i have started getting my seed catalogs in the mail. Pinetree Garden Seeds, Johnny's Selected Seeds and One Green World so far. I haven't had much time to page through those yet either!
So that is it, i'm not planning to quit writing, its just on hold for now. God bless and if i'm not back again before the month is out, have a very Merry Christmas!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Snow and yarn!
We got some snow last night. I mean, nothing accumulated...but i saw spits of flakes falling from the sky so i'm officially calling it the first 'snow' of the season. Not quite the first "snowfall" but the first sighting of flakes is my criteria. This weekend we may have actual snowfall, a couple inches possible over Saturday night. Yeah, i'm excited. Gardening season is over so the snow isn't getting in my way.... spring snow is what i don't like, lol
So, what will i be doing this winter? Well, i forgot to mention this in my last post....but this is what hubby found for me a couple weeks ago
Yes, its all yarn! We have a little shed off to the side at the town Transfer Station (town dump) where people can put what they don't want but isn't trash. Hubby happened to be there at just the right time to find me this huge stash. We assume the original owner must have passed on and her family does not have a fiber hobbyist. There was some unfinished work in there in knit, so i assume she was mainly a knitter. About a month before this my hubby brought home a ton of knitting books for me. We wondered if its from the same family.
I sorted it all out the next day. Lots of acrylic, some wool, cotton, orlon etc. Plenty of Red Heart, some Bernat a little Patton's, a couple Caron and a large amount of unknown brands and labelless skeins. There were a number of bags of many skeins of all one color. There are also a bunch of variegated yarns in bright and earthy colors.
Well i don't have enough totes to hold it all, so i had to use new trash bags-- not the best method i'm told. But it was all in plastic when i got it anyway. I counted 9 bags of yarn when i was done.
So i guess we know what i'll be doing this winter!
My first project is a granny square blanket. I'm using the variegated yarns to make the squares and i'll attach them with a dark colored yarn when i'm done. I have about 12 done so far.
I'm very grateful for all this yarn. Its easily $300.00 worth or more. Hubby says i'm not allowed to buy any yarn until its all gone. I agree!
We are now officially under a winter storm watch for Saturday night into Sunday. Six to 8 inches possible.
So, what will i be doing this winter? Well, i forgot to mention this in my last post....but this is what hubby found for me a couple weeks ago
I sorted it all out the next day. Lots of acrylic, some wool, cotton, orlon etc. Plenty of Red Heart, some Bernat a little Patton's, a couple Caron and a large amount of unknown brands and labelless skeins. There were a number of bags of many skeins of all one color. There are also a bunch of variegated yarns in bright and earthy colors.
Well i don't have enough totes to hold it all, so i had to use new trash bags-- not the best method i'm told. But it was all in plastic when i got it anyway. I counted 9 bags of yarn when i was done.
So i guess we know what i'll be doing this winter!
My first project is a granny square blanket. I'm using the variegated yarns to make the squares and i'll attach them with a dark colored yarn when i'm done. I have about 12 done so far.
I'm very grateful for all this yarn. Its easily $300.00 worth or more. Hubby says i'm not allowed to buy any yarn until its all gone. I agree!
We are now officially under a winter storm watch for Saturday night into Sunday. Six to 8 inches possible.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Slacking!
There have been things going on, but being busy with other things makes the fun time i spent writing take a backseat.
A quick grape gripe:
My Reliance grapes did fantastic this year. i allowed about 3 bunches to grow and they were looking great as they ripened. Around Aug 28, when hurricane Irene was coming into my area, they were just a hair away from perfect ripeness. Around Aug 30th, when i ventured out to pick them, they were gone. Completely gone.
I suspected squirrels. Or birds.... Anyway, so all i got out of Reliance was the few taster grapes that were yummy.
I suppose i should have expected to be raided, but i didn't expect 3 bunches to attract any attention... now i know!
Marechal Foch also had 3 bunches that ripened. Nothing stole those. They were also delicious and i was able to pick a few at a time as i puttered around the yard. Now the rest of what is left are overripe and the wasps have found them.
Now i know i have 2 varieties of grapes that are delicious and i'll expect to defend them from raids next year.
First frost:
Our first frost was Oct 5 this year. Then a mild day and then another heavy one on the 7th. Its really too bad, we have had such mild weather since then, the tomatoes would probably still be growing. I would have tried covering them but the temps were expected to be so severe, covering would have only added a few degrees of protection- and would have come short.
I picked a nice basket of apples from the tree, plan is to make pie or apple sauce with them. They aren't all wormy, but some are and the skins are speckled with something originating from bugs. I stopped my spraying routine too early not knowing when the fruit would be ripening. I probably could have done 2-3 more doses.
I also harvested my Oaxacan and Hopi Blue corn. I peeled back the husks and saw beautifully colored kernels of green, blue, purple and speckled yellow. I set it out on the porch of the screenhouse to dry. By the next afternoon, the squirrels had found and danced off with the lot. About 20 ears..... oh well. *sigh*
I decided earlier this year that i won't be growing corn next year. It never produces much and something always happens to it anyway.
Oh, what else?
Well i got a pretty good harvest from the early butternut squash, despite the raging plague of squash bugs. The squash is smallish, but just the right size for a 4 person side veggie.
Did i mention the potatoes?
I dug up the rest the other day. I didn't really get much, but its ok. They are smallish, maybe i'll go for a bigger variety next year.
Its almost time to dig up the Jerusalem artichokes. The plants are huge and they flowered nicely this fall. I should get a decent crop.
I'm hoping next year is more weed free. The weeds really got away from me this summer. Much of my garden was wasted because of it.
I think gardening with my little one will be possible next summer. While i was out pulling up the tomato cages, she stayed with me and didn't wander off too much. She'll be 3 this winter and a few more months of maturity on her will help her be a better listener- i hope. I'm also hoping she will be cooperative enough to allow me time to preserve some things.
Well the weather is definitely cooling off, its been in the 50-60 range for the last week. We did have warmer days until then, it was a fairly mild stretch going for a while. The week ahead forecast is calling for a little snow late Thursday night, no accumulation expected-- but it will be nice to see snow again.
Well, this entry took about a week to cobble together a little at a time. I think i got everything covered for now!
A quick grape gripe:
My Reliance grapes did fantastic this year. i allowed about 3 bunches to grow and they were looking great as they ripened. Around Aug 28, when hurricane Irene was coming into my area, they were just a hair away from perfect ripeness. Around Aug 30th, when i ventured out to pick them, they were gone. Completely gone.
I suspected squirrels. Or birds.... Anyway, so all i got out of Reliance was the few taster grapes that were yummy.
I suppose i should have expected to be raided, but i didn't expect 3 bunches to attract any attention... now i know!
Marechal Foch also had 3 bunches that ripened. Nothing stole those. They were also delicious and i was able to pick a few at a time as i puttered around the yard. Now the rest of what is left are overripe and the wasps have found them.
Now i know i have 2 varieties of grapes that are delicious and i'll expect to defend them from raids next year.
First frost:
Our first frost was Oct 5 this year. Then a mild day and then another heavy one on the 7th. Its really too bad, we have had such mild weather since then, the tomatoes would probably still be growing. I would have tried covering them but the temps were expected to be so severe, covering would have only added a few degrees of protection- and would have come short.
I picked a nice basket of apples from the tree, plan is to make pie or apple sauce with them. They aren't all wormy, but some are and the skins are speckled with something originating from bugs. I stopped my spraying routine too early not knowing when the fruit would be ripening. I probably could have done 2-3 more doses.
I also harvested my Oaxacan and Hopi Blue corn. I peeled back the husks and saw beautifully colored kernels of green, blue, purple and speckled yellow. I set it out on the porch of the screenhouse to dry. By the next afternoon, the squirrels had found and danced off with the lot. About 20 ears..... oh well. *sigh*
I decided earlier this year that i won't be growing corn next year. It never produces much and something always happens to it anyway.
Oh, what else?
Well i got a pretty good harvest from the early butternut squash, despite the raging plague of squash bugs. The squash is smallish, but just the right size for a 4 person side veggie.
Did i mention the potatoes?
I dug up the rest the other day. I didn't really get much, but its ok. They are smallish, maybe i'll go for a bigger variety next year.
Its almost time to dig up the Jerusalem artichokes. The plants are huge and they flowered nicely this fall. I should get a decent crop.
I'm hoping next year is more weed free. The weeds really got away from me this summer. Much of my garden was wasted because of it.
I think gardening with my little one will be possible next summer. While i was out pulling up the tomato cages, she stayed with me and didn't wander off too much. She'll be 3 this winter and a few more months of maturity on her will help her be a better listener- i hope. I'm also hoping she will be cooperative enough to allow me time to preserve some things.
Well the weather is definitely cooling off, its been in the 50-60 range for the last week. We did have warmer days until then, it was a fairly mild stretch going for a while. The week ahead forecast is calling for a little snow late Thursday night, no accumulation expected-- but it will be nice to see snow again.
Well, this entry took about a week to cobble together a little at a time. I think i got everything covered for now!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wind, rain and ripening grapes
We got what was leftover from hurricane Irene. Lots of wind, plenty of rain. We didn't lose power but many all around us did.
While we were outside last night assessing any damages (though it was still very windy until late last night) we discovered that my grapes are ripening!
I think this is Reliance seedless
and the evermentioned Marechal Foch
We tasted the red ones and they are yummy if not totally ready. Hubby was impressed.
Stanley got knocked about a bit, we found him leaning alarmingly to one side. We propped him up with the potted plants until i have time to drive a stake and tie him back up.
The wind wasn't too hard on much of the corn, the apple tree is still full of fruit. It looked like the wind was going to flatten the jerusalem artichokes, but they held up fine.
Beautiful day out today
While we were outside last night assessing any damages (though it was still very windy until late last night) we discovered that my grapes are ripening!
I think this is Reliance seedless
Stanley got knocked about a bit, we found him leaning alarmingly to one side. We propped him up with the potted plants until i have time to drive a stake and tie him back up.
The wind wasn't too hard on much of the corn, the apple tree is still full of fruit. It looked like the wind was going to flatten the jerusalem artichokes, but they held up fine.
Beautiful day out today
Friday, August 12, 2011
Good Tomatoes
Got some Sweet Chelsea tomatoes this morning. Just 2 so far, the little one ate one. They had no BER, so it must be that German Orange Strawberry is prone to it. That is disappointing.
I'm seriously considering plowing under a bunch of plots. The cucumbers never recovered, the summer squash were a disaster, weeds are everywhere. The garden is a waste right now. I just couldn't do anything in there this year. My youngest won't take naps anymore so i can't get a thing done out there. Its frustrating.
I'm seriously considering plowing under a bunch of plots. The cucumbers never recovered, the summer squash were a disaster, weeds are everywhere. The garden is a waste right now. I just couldn't do anything in there this year. My youngest won't take naps anymore so i can't get a thing done out there. Its frustrating.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Kefir -water type- and bits of other things
Got my water kefir grains today
I'm hearing the tree cicadas now
Haven't harvested anything from the garden since the green beans. Squash bugs are doing bad things to my summer squash.
The area where the elderberries are is beginning to get shady during the day- which is why i put the partial shade tolerant elderberries there.
I sprayed the apple tree again last Saturday if i remember right. My parents took the kids for me for the whole day so i was able to get that done. I've been spraying roughly every 2 weeks and it seems to be working out well.
I'm hearing the tree cicadas now
Haven't harvested anything from the garden since the green beans. Squash bugs are doing bad things to my summer squash.
The area where the elderberries are is beginning to get shady during the day- which is why i put the partial shade tolerant elderberries there.
I sprayed the apple tree again last Saturday if i remember right. My parents took the kids for me for the whole day so i was able to get that done. I've been spraying roughly every 2 weeks and it seems to be working out well.
Blossom End Rot
Well all those lovely German Orange Strawberry tomatoes all had BER. It stinks. Oh well. Maybe its the calcium in the soil, maybe it was the mini drought followed by lots of rain, maybe this variety is prone to it.
Better luck next time- i hope!
Better luck next time- i hope!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
'Maters
Looks like German Orange Strawberry is leading the ripening race
Blueberries are really coming on, they are too yummy to take pics though!
Blueberries are really coming on, they are too yummy to take pics though!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Apple tree
She is doing so well this year! Beautiful sylph-like thing. Possibly a bushel of fruit i guess. I have kept up the spraying of Bonide (just done again today) and have plans to keep off the watersprouts now hat i have seen the full cycle of things! It is very nice to have a good apple tree.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Planning for next year already
I'm having some disappointments in the garden this year, so while they are fresh in my mind i'm making notes and planning for next year. I'm already finalizing 2012 in my GrowVeg program.
What i'm changing the most is reducing the number of things i am growing. I'm going very spare (for me):
Winter squash, 2 types
Summer squash
Tomatoes, maybe 5 types
Early potatoes
Maincrop potatoes
Broccoli, 2 or 3 varieties
Kale, 3 types
assorted herbs
Job's Tears (gotta do something fun)
Bush beans
Onions
and
Cucumbers
I'm jettisoning kohlrabi as i mentioned before (its like having broccoli that needs to be peeled- no fun) and i'm going to give up on cabbage. I love cabbage, but its still cheap and mine just ends up buggy. The snails and slugs always bore into them leaving slime and frass. Then the earwigs come in behind them and throw a party. I simply cannot bring myself to eat something that earwigs have been dining on and pooping in for 3 months. Disgusting little creatures.
I'm going all out with tomatoes, giving them one entire row. Same with the bush beans. I'm liking the potatoes this year even though i don't eat them and i planted them late- they are getting a full row. I forgot all about my kale this year (doh!) So they will get about half a row. Cucumbers will round out the kale row.
Winter squash will likely be Early Butternut- my favorite type from the grocery. I have been wanting to grow Delicata for a few years but never bought the seed for some reason. I intend to try it out next year along with the butternut.
Broccoli will get the better part of a row to itself, the rest of that space will be the usual culinary herbs.
I'll try petunias with the potatoes, nasturtiums with the cukes, basil with the tomatoes and sage with the broccoli and kale... marigolds sprinkled throughout.
I'm hoping my berry plants from Raintree will come in soon, the money is still in my account so i know they haven't shipped anything yet. Their website does not seem to state when the fall shipments are begun, i know it will likely be mid August at the soonest, but being the impatient person i am.......
So that is the plan for 2012.
What i'm changing the most is reducing the number of things i am growing. I'm going very spare (for me):
Winter squash, 2 types
Summer squash
Tomatoes, maybe 5 types
Early potatoes
Maincrop potatoes
Broccoli, 2 or 3 varieties
Kale, 3 types
assorted herbs
Job's Tears (gotta do something fun)
Bush beans
Onions
and
Cucumbers
I'm jettisoning kohlrabi as i mentioned before (its like having broccoli that needs to be peeled- no fun) and i'm going to give up on cabbage. I love cabbage, but its still cheap and mine just ends up buggy. The snails and slugs always bore into them leaving slime and frass. Then the earwigs come in behind them and throw a party. I simply cannot bring myself to eat something that earwigs have been dining on and pooping in for 3 months. Disgusting little creatures.
I'm going all out with tomatoes, giving them one entire row. Same with the bush beans. I'm liking the potatoes this year even though i don't eat them and i planted them late- they are getting a full row. I forgot all about my kale this year (doh!) So they will get about half a row. Cucumbers will round out the kale row.
Winter squash will likely be Early Butternut- my favorite type from the grocery. I have been wanting to grow Delicata for a few years but never bought the seed for some reason. I intend to try it out next year along with the butternut.
Broccoli will get the better part of a row to itself, the rest of that space will be the usual culinary herbs.
I'll try petunias with the potatoes, nasturtiums with the cukes, basil with the tomatoes and sage with the broccoli and kale... marigolds sprinkled throughout.
I'm hoping my berry plants from Raintree will come in soon, the money is still in my account so i know they haven't shipped anything yet. Their website does not seem to state when the fall shipments are begun, i know it will likely be mid August at the soonest, but being the impatient person i am.......
So that is the plan for 2012.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Potatoes and green beans
Ahhh, the first green beans of summer!
Its hard to believe that another year is going by.
Got a bunch of potatoes
One lunker
And a bunch of tinkers
I'm told they are delicious.
Its hard to believe that another year is going by.
Got a bunch of potatoes
One lunker
I'm told they are delicious.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Yay for rain!
We got some rain. Not sure how much, possibly a half inch? Its been cloudy today too, so none of it is really evaporating. Possibility of more tonight, i hope so!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Relief & more kefir.
Finally cooler weather has returned! Possibly some rain coming tonight! Its nice to not have to run the air conditioners all day and night. We can't wait to see the power bill next month.
Oh i bought some water kefir off eBay last night. It should be coming in the next few days. Only cost about $5 because i had some more eBay bucks on my own account. Water kefir is similar to milk keifer but they are not interchangeable. Water kefir makes a ginger beer type drink that is slightly sweet (of course you have to add the ginger root), most of the sugars (about 95-98%) is fermented away leaving a slightly alcoholic, fizzy beverage that has many health benefits. FMI- Dom's Kefir Page .
Oh i bought some water kefir off eBay last night. It should be coming in the next few days. Only cost about $5 because i had some more eBay bucks on my own account. Water kefir is similar to milk keifer but they are not interchangeable. Water kefir makes a ginger beer type drink that is slightly sweet (of course you have to add the ginger root), most of the sugars (about 95-98%) is fermented away leaving a slightly alcoholic, fizzy beverage that has many health benefits. FMI- Dom's Kefir Page .
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Pictures July 23, 2011
I have some pictures taken today. Its still very hot out here, my corn is still stressed and my cucumbers are very stressed.
I decided ti check the moisture level of the soil by digging some new potatoes:
The soil is quite dry, almost sandy. We need rain badly.
Hubby bought me a new Kaffir Lime tree. I killed mine about a year ago. He got it on eBay with his accumulated eBay Bucks. About $35 worth. It ended up costing us $5 all in. This is in a 1gallon pot and is quite nice!
Oh yes, when i checked on the cukes, i found this.... Oops! But its a Boston Pickling cuke so maybe this isn't as bad as it seems- remember those huge deli pickles you could get from the jar at the deli for 50 cents?
Elderberry flowering now. It smells to me like sweetgrass and fresh straw.
And more summer squash
And this is how my grapes are doing;
Marechal Foch
Reliance seedless
I also picked another small handful of blueberries. They were too yummy looking to take a picture of before we ate them.
I decided ti check the moisture level of the soil by digging some new potatoes:
Hubby bought me a new Kaffir Lime tree. I killed mine about a year ago. He got it on eBay with his accumulated eBay Bucks. About $35 worth. It ended up costing us $5 all in. This is in a 1gallon pot and is quite nice!
Oh yes, when i checked on the cukes, i found this.... Oops! But its a Boston Pickling cuke so maybe this isn't as bad as it seems- remember those huge deli pickles you could get from the jar at the deli for 50 cents?
Elderberry flowering now. It smells to me like sweetgrass and fresh straw.
And this is how my grapes are doing;
Marechal Foch
Reliance seedless
Friday, July 22, 2011
Hot.
Its simply hot out there. Its 8:30 am and we are at 87 degrees. My corn is curling.
9:00 am, 89 degrees
We got a little heat lightning last night, but no rain. Still expecting another rainless week going forward. Temps are expected to go down to the 70's though. That will feel downright chilly compared to this heat. lol
I can't reach the corn with the sprinkler since i added the extra row this year. I'll have to make sure i plant something tolerant of dryness there next year. Or get a sprinkler with a stronger spray.
I'm glad i'm not relying on a corn crop or had planted sweet corn. I'm sure this corn can handle a good deal of drought, but i still need to go hand water.
I think a few more blueberries will be ready again today, but i'm not going out there to pick them. I don't even want to open the door to get the mail out of the mailbox but i have to cause my kefir might be in!
[11 am, 98 degrees, yikes!]
Oh another note i'd like to make. I think i won't bother with Kohlrabi next year. I love the stuff but it requires too much prep and then i'm not sure what to do with it. It needs to be peeled- broccoli only needs soaking.... so for something that tastes like sweet broccoli stem i think i'll stick to broccoli. Kohlrabi is too much work to peel and too much waste in leaves and skin- besides the flavor is redundant next to broccoli.
Just checked the mail...
My kefir came in! So i have it in its jar with a lid made from a coffee filter. The first batch is to revive it, so it will be discarded, tomorrow i'll get some i can drink.
Elderberry buds, bigger but not opening yet.
Some tiny flowers that show up in the lawn
Clarke's Heavenly Blue morning glory
9:00 am, 89 degrees
We got a little heat lightning last night, but no rain. Still expecting another rainless week going forward. Temps are expected to go down to the 70's though. That will feel downright chilly compared to this heat. lol
I can't reach the corn with the sprinkler since i added the extra row this year. I'll have to make sure i plant something tolerant of dryness there next year. Or get a sprinkler with a stronger spray.
I'm glad i'm not relying on a corn crop or had planted sweet corn. I'm sure this corn can handle a good deal of drought, but i still need to go hand water.
I think a few more blueberries will be ready again today, but i'm not going out there to pick them. I don't even want to open the door to get the mail out of the mailbox but i have to cause my kefir might be in!
[11 am, 98 degrees, yikes!]
Oh another note i'd like to make. I think i won't bother with Kohlrabi next year. I love the stuff but it requires too much prep and then i'm not sure what to do with it. It needs to be peeled- broccoli only needs soaking.... so for something that tastes like sweet broccoli stem i think i'll stick to broccoli. Kohlrabi is too much work to peel and too much waste in leaves and skin- besides the flavor is redundant next to broccoli.
Just checked the mail...
My kefir came in! So i have it in its jar with a lid made from a coffee filter. The first batch is to revive it, so it will be discarded, tomorrow i'll get some i can drink.
Some other pics from the other day... since i'm not setting foot outside!
Some tiny flowers that show up in the lawn
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)