Call It A Wrap

A nice drape of snow will look lovely over the barren garden #1

Garden #2 mulched and tucked away for winter

With our unseasonably warm autumn weather, I have been able to tuck away the gardens for their winter nap of rejuvenation at a slower pace.  The Spanish roja garlic has been planted and mulched, Swiss chard and spinach are growing under cover, and a few broccoli plants with side shoots were left in place.

garden sink back splash .. nearly completed

Our garden sink project is nearly done .. just waiting for some grout around the tiles .. hopefully to be finished in the next day or so.

Compost from the bottom of the bin has been removed to make more room for winter use at the top opening.

Strawberry beds have been thinned and heavily mulched.  I hope these June bearing plants do better next year .. in the spring they will get transplanted outside the fenced garden space and draped with deer netting .. they are prolific and take up so much room.  The wild strawberries seem to be undisturbed by the deer .. let's hope these will do the same.  A patch of ever-bearing berries will be added in the spring.

Now it's off to the library to check out some gardening books for my winter reading, and hit the knitting needles, and soap making supplies, and, and, and ... endless possibilities with the garden under wraps.  What will you do with your free time this winter?

compost bin emptied a bit ... black gold

straw over the berry plants

Onionitis

... has struck with the drying of the onions at the Thrifty Garden/Home.  This year's crop yielded smaller onions compared to the bounty last summer .... but they are very tasty.  Both red and Spanish onions will be savored as long as the storage lasts.  We still have a few weeks to hope the walla walla onions get larger.  They were planted by seed and are still growing showing no sign yet of withering or drooping green tops.

  Soon my garlic shipment should arrive for fall planting ... then next summer we'll have garlicitis for sure (and maybe bad breath;).  Now to build a better mouse (vole) trap ... I'm planning to make (with hubby's help) a raised bed with fine wire mesh at the bottom to deter the varmints from  helping themselves to this prized crop.

Do you have a favorite onion?

Photos:  Mrs. Mac's onions drying prior to storage

This Week At Home

We've been busy with company, my folks, and have given a few (ahem) chores to my pop to complete.  He has hooked up a faucet to our new garden sink with cold water, now to tile in the back splash with some mosaic tile 'art' .. and, yesterday, he took charge of putting up my new T-post clothesline by digging post holes and cementing in the galvanized steel posts; tomorrow we can string up the line.  Already the birds have discovered the T-posts.

Yesterday the pea vines growing on the trellis were pulled up .. not before saving some of the pods I left to harvest for seeds.  They were still producing a few peas .. but had gotten rather past their prime.  A new crop is growing to extend the season.

I am so pleased with my nasturtium 'Jewel Mix' seeds that were planted this year.  The colors are so bright they almost hurt your eyes :)  They were ordered from the Good Seed Company (Oroville, Washington) which sells open pollinated and heirloom seeds for northern gardens. 

This year's garden is a mixed review ... yet to be written off ... but already thinking about how to amend the soil for better results next year.  What's your best success (garden wise) this year?

Getting To Know Herb - Part I

If you've noticed the price of dried organic herbs in the market, planting them is an economical way to bring good taste to your meals.  Whether you have a windowsill with a few plants or a garden full of variety and quantity, herbs can transform food by imparting certain regional and ethnic flavors.  I prefer to use fresh herbs whenever possible ... and drying a good portion for winter use.  If you live in a cold or short growing season, many herb plants can be covered with mulch to overwinter ... only to re-sprout new growth come spring.  Other herbs reseed themselves ... and some need to be dug up and brought inside.  Snow makes a good insulator for lavender.

Herb Drying Tips

1. Pick before the plant produces flowers
2. Pick them in the cool of the morning
3. Rinse only if necessary to remove dirt, pat dry
4. Mulch around the base of the plants to keep dirt off the leaves
5. Gather up 5-7 sprigs and tie with twine or rubberbands
6. Hang the herb bundles in a hot location such as in the rafters of a shed or garage

Once dry, remove leaves from stems and keep in an airtight labeled jar in a cool dark location.  Use within one year.  Growing, drying and processing herbs is a labor of love ... and once you've done it you will appreciate the convenience of having your favorites on hand all year long ... as well as knowing why they cost a pretty penny.  Non organic herbs may have been sprayed with chemicals and/or been irradiated.  Just another reason to grow your own. 

Garden Playing

... catch up.  Looking at the garden, it is hard to tell that we got such a late start.  All but the corn is looking pretty good.  Here's what our bounty provided today.  The dark berries are a mix of wild black-cap raspberries and either wild blueberries or huckleberries.  Each day I freeze the berries (those that don't get eaten) to use in smoothies this winter.  One head of lettuce weighed two pounds and would feed an army or my family of eight several times over.  God's timing is perfect ... regardless of my lack of patience ;)

Lawn Mower Problem

... resolved!  Our semi-self propelled push mower had a broken lever.  The lever made the wheels turn.  For the past season I've been pushing the very heavy mower and ever so politely complaining that we need a (used) riding mower.  Then I stopped mowing.  Then hubby took over.  Now he ordered the part.  I have no need of a used riding mower at present ;)    The End 

Post typed as I sat sipping tea from my front porch (perch) observing my man mowing the hundred acre wood.  End of rant.  Beginning of new found freedom :)

Summer Is Heating Up The Garden

... ever so slowly .. or perhaps I'm just impatient ... not a good trait for a gardener ;(  We've had good success with sugar peas, lettuce, raspberries, onions, herbs and rhubarb.  My potatoes are being eaten 'alive' by the voles and I'm having to harvest them early so I have some for ourselves ... which means the spuds are rather puny.  Next year all root crops will be planted in raised beds lined with wire mesh to keep the pests at bay

Garden Medley Potato Salad:

6-8 cups boiled, diced Yukon gold/red new potatoes
red onion, diced
chopped celery
diced sugar peas (in their shells)
potato salad dressing (recipe below)
salt & pepper to taste
celery seeds
1-2 pieces crispy bacon, minced

Boil desired quantity of potatoes (I ended up with about six cups when diced).  Cool slightly and dice leaving skins intact.  Place in large bowl.  Add diced red onion, celery, sugar peas (about 1 cup each).  Toss with potato salad dressing and add salt, pepper and celery seeds and minced bacon to taste.  Chill.

Potato Salad Dressing:  (makes approx 1 cup)


1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder




Crack egg in a small sauce pan and whisk well.  Add remaining ingredients, whisking well.  Cook over medium heat stirring continually until the ingredients are bubbly and thick.  Pour into a small mixing bowl to cool.  Add 1/2 cup mayo and mix well.  Toss with potato/veggie mixture and mix well.

Garden Temptations

Three years ago I purchased two bareroot blueberry plants that were on sale after season for $1.00 a piece.  This is the first year they have given me berries and they should be ripening up shortly.  Though not enough to bake a pie ... it does look hopeful for the coming years as the bushes have put on much new growth. 

The two apple trees have actual fruit this year.  These trees, along with a sour cherry tree were damaged last winter by our resident moose ... their fencing was reinforced and the distance from fence to tree was increased to keep Bullwinkle at bay.  No cherries this year.

The raspberry vines were from my neighbor last year. 

I wish growing up we had the good fortune of having garden fresh fruit and veggies.  The only time we had such treats was when we'd visit family in the Midwest on summer vacations.  Gardening would be easier had I learned how as a youngster. 

Too Much Rhubarb

... can be washed, patted dry, diced and placed in vacuum sealed bags and stored in the deep freeze.  It's lovely to pull out a package in the midst of winter to have another reminder of summer. 

Stewed Rhubarb

We're still picking tender rhubarb.  The first stalks that grew this spring were big fat and green.    Now there seems to be a gazillion more slender bright red stalks.  I know you're not supposed to pick too many at a time ... and I thought that by now the plant would be less productive .. perhaps from the long spring, my plants have not realized it's summer yet.  Years ago, we would eat dinner at Knott's Berry Farm .. they serve a side dish of stewed rhubarb with their chicken dinners that was still intact after being cooked; mine always fell apart until I tried this method.

Stewed Rhubarb

3-4 cups one inch diced rhubarb
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar (or to taste)

Place the diced rhubarb in a sauce pan and barely cover with water.  Add the sugar and bring to a boil for about two minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the rhubarb to sit undisturbed for about an hour.  This allows the rhubarb to cook and keep its shape.  The juice will be a lovely pink. 

Yesterday's Yard

Blue skies and white clouds make a beautiful backdrop for our garden home.  Here are a few pics that were snapped showing summer's green fashion in both maintained and natural areas around our home.  Spring and early summer rain has kept the landscape very green ... and in some parts a jungle of overgrowth that needed to be cut back around the veggie gardens.

Waiting (less) Patiently For Summer

Just when I start to think summer has arrived, our local weather pattern slips back into the 'April Showers Bring May Flowers' mode.  To date, I've only watered the garden once ... and that probably could have been skipped because the warm weather only lasted two or three days ... and never reached higher than 79-80 F.  The row tunnel is covering my second batch of peppers ... the first were killed with late morning frost several weeks ago .. and a freak windstorm took out my tomato seedlings that were hardening off on the front porch; both had to be replaced with nursery plants. It may be time to invest in a small greenhouse.  Seems there are less honey bees too.  Could be a less productive year.  What's up in your garden?

On Top Of Old Smokie ...

We had a rip roaring bon fire yesterday ... fueled by tree trunks that were strewn on our property probably when the neighborhood road was put in.  Massive trunks ... uprooted ... eyesores that were cut up and hauled to our fire pit to burn.  We gave ourselves five years to clean up the property and turn it into a natural park like setting, with our well manicured front yard and home carved out of the wilderness.  Our yard is a work in progress.  I have a vision of a small vineyard along one side that will displace some of the grass.  It's enjoyable to take the time to get a feel for the layout and develop the landscape after living on the land for awhile.

Photos:  top .. bon fire, middle ... small fruit trees in moose proof enclosements, bottom ... apple blossoms.

Time In The Garden

Weather wise ... yesterday and today have been perfect.  Potatoes and onion sets were planted.  The last of my veggie garden was double dug and tilled.  This is a fairly new garden.  Last year I planted lasagna style (layered).  With all of the composted manure hubby hauled in it was time to prepare a proper garden.  Our back property is slightly sloped and I have devised using peeled logs from our woods to make semi raised beds by terracing some areas.  Today I will get out my 'wall-o-water' (mini water filled devices) set out where the tomatoes and peppers will eventually be planted.  This will help warm up the soil ahead of planting and provide protection from frost.  You know I'm crazy about old time gardening tips ... so today I'll leave you with two places to visit.  One is at Tipnuts .. they are showcasing Sunset magazine gardening tips from the 1930's.  And two ... over to Larry's weed free vegetable garden.  He's been gardening since 1947 and has a wealth of information to share.  Enjoy your day ... get out and garden!

Yard Clean-Up Day

Sometimes I think it would be nice to have more property ... but after a long workday such as hubby and I had today ... our 1.9 acres is plenty.  Most of the landscape is natural.  Our homestead is carved out of a nice little forest spot.  Being natural .. does not mean less work.  We had to clear brush (noxious weeds) today along the driveway.  Our neighbor has the start of a big burn pile .. so we heaped some of the debris on his pile.  Last year he said it was fine with him ... so we just added to his heap this year.  The rest of the weeds piled up will get burned Tues. and Wed. if the nice weather holds out.  It's grueling work  ... but now the property is starting to look spruced up.  Tomorrow we'll be at it again cleaning up another section.  I gave our front flower beds a good once over trimming dead growth from last season.  Soon the lawn will need to be aerated and de-thatched; for this job, I'll hire someone with the right equipment.  Our sprinkler system will be recharged at the end of the month. 

The veggie gardens are 3/4 finished with all of the prep work.  Hubby shoveled a third truckload of compost yesterday.  This should be enough to give some good balance to our otherwise clay soil.  The topsoil was removed in this particular area when our lot was graded prior to building our home. 

I'm checking into making a small-medium sized adobe type oven for the backyard.  Always something to investigate ... but the idea of having an outside oven for bread baking is stirring in my brain;)

Double Digging

... the garden by hand.  It's a lot of work .. but I hope it will pay off with a bumper crop of food this year.  Helpful hubby huffed and hoisted a cubic yard of composted manure by the wheel barrel full as I hand dug.  He tilled and raked afterward.  One more truckload should suffice and it will be done.  Sonny Boy sliced two more dozen garden log stepping stones from a downed tree.  Pictures to follow as soon as I find my camera's charger. 

Life In The Slow Lane

I don't get out much.  There is enough living to do at home each day to be content.  On my kitchen counter sits a 'running' grocery list that I take with me once a week to supplement our pantry and freezer supplies.  With spring and summer on the horizon, it's time to make use of some of the 'slow cooking' cuts of beef in the freezer.  Yesterday I used up the last of our stew meat to make a lovely Burgundy beef stew.  Hopefully I can time running out of beef just as we receive our next purchase in August.

Today was nice enough to get out and turn over the soil in another garden area, as well as clean up some of the untouched forest ground on our property; this will take another year or two to complete.  Some of the fallen logs were sliced into discs with the chain saw to use as stepping 'stones' in the veggie gardens.  Other wood was stacked for the bon fire pit .. and a pile was made for hubby to run through the wood chipper to make wood chips for some walking trails. 

The buttermilk (experiment) turned out so good we're on our third batch already.  It's very easy to make.  I like to add it to fruit smoothies ... wowzer on the tang!

The Garden Chronicled - March 2, 2010

Yesterday was an unusual snow/frost free winter day in our neck of the woods ... so it proved to be the perfect opportunity to work outside in the oh-so-bleak gardens.  The ground is just ready to explode with abundant green life after the winter rest.  I'm sure this process will begin slowly as it's still winter ... and we could even get hit by a snow shower or two ... but for now, time to get the soil prepped.  the top three pics are of the same garden plot.  The bottom pic is located nearby.  Both gardens are carved out of sunny clearings in our backyard forest and are surrounded with wire fencing to discourage the deer and moose from dining on the produce.  Not the prettiest fence ... but it works (so far;) and is sturdy enough to use as support for climbing plants.